Please join an online masterclass with the Jacana Literary Foundation, presented by Anna Stroud, author of the award-winning Who Looks Inside, on Wednesday, 24 June, at 19:00 via Zoom. Tickets are R150.
Anna Stroud offers practical advice and exercises to help aspiring fiction authors tap into their hidden selves. Learn how to fight imposter syndrome by getting out of your head and into your work. Bring pen and paper for a hands-on 1-hour fiction writing workshop, followed by 30 minutes of reflection, sharing (if you want to) and questions.
Die UJ-pryse vir Afrikaans word toegeken aan uitnemende tekste in enige genre wat oorspronklik in Afrikaans geskryf is en in die vorige kalenderjaar verskyn het.
65 boeke wat in 2025 gepubliseer is, was vir hierdie jaar ingeskryf: 50 vir die UJ-prys en 15 vir die UJ-debuutprys.
Die UJ-pryse is in 2001 vir die eerste maal toegeken, toe as die RAU Mardene Maraisprys: die gevolg van die inisiatief en skenking van dr Fanie Marais van Cordis Trust. Sedert 2005, met die stigting van die Universiteit van Johannesburg, staan die pryse bekend as die UJ-pryse vir Afrikaans.
Vir die tweede agtereenvolgende jaar is geen dramatekste ingeskryf nie, terwyl ongeveer ’n derde van die inskrywings digbundels was: 20 in totaal, met 5 hiervan debute.
Die volgende boeke, alfabeties volgens outeur, is deur die beoordelaars uitgesonder vir die kortlyste van die 2026 UJ-pryse vir Afrikaans.
2026 UJ-debuutprys vir Afrikaans
Ek’t / Act deur Klara du Plessis (Karavan Press)
waar daar eens ‘n see wasdeur Jennifer Pape (Turksy Uitgewers)
Kruiper – Crawler deur Shane van der Hoven (Uhlanga Press)
2026 UJ-prys vir Afrikaans
Patmos – Willem Anker (Queillerie, Jonathan Ball)
Kolam – Fourie Botha (Protea Boekhuis)
Klein konings – Theo Kemp (Protea Boekhuis)
Die binnerym van bloed – Antjie Krog (Penguin)
Prins – Ryan Pedro (Kwela, Jonathan Ball)
Die kortlyste van die UJ-pryse het deur die jare goeie verteenwoordiging van digbundels getoon, maar dit is opvallend dat al drie titels op die kortlys vir die debuutprys, en ook twee titels op die kortlys vir die UJ-prys digbundels is. Dit is ook die eerste maal dat die kortlys vir die debuutprys slegs kleiner, onafhanklike uitgewerye verteenwoordig.
Van harte geluk aan die skrywers en uitgewers!
Die paneel beoordelaars vir die 2026 UJ-pryse vir Afrikaans, is prof Reinhard Fourie (UNISA), me Mercy Kannemeyer (UJ), dr Dewald Koen (NMU), dr Janien Linde (NWU), me Elodi Troskie (UK) en prof Karen de Wet (UJ, voorsitter).
Die aankondiging van die wenners word volgende week verwag.
Taking place in Cradock, Olive Schreiner’s childhood home, in the Eastern Cape from 18 to 20 June 2026, this year’s edition of the Karoo Writers Festival is hosted jointly by Amazwi South African Museum of Literature and the Victoria Manor Hotel.
The headline guest this year is Stephen Symons, whose fifth poetry collection The Algebra of Insignificance won the 2026 Olive Schreiner Prize for Poetry.
Catch him at the following events:
Thursday, 18 June, Victoria Manor Hotel, 19:00
AVBOB Showcase with music by ACCESS Music, featuring Stephen Symons, 2026 Olive Schreiner Prize Winner for Poetry for The Algebra of Insignificance & Clinton V du Plessis, AVBOB Afrikaans Poetry Winner, reading from his latest poetry collection, Maar steeds sal daar miskien.
Friday, 19 June, Victoria Manor Hotel, 08:30-10:30
Stephen Symons: ‘Why poetry matters … especially in the classroom’
Saturday, 20 June, Victoria Manor Hotel, 10:00
Stephen Symons: ‘The highs and lows of my writing journey’
One aspect of creative writing not well understood or researched is how associations from the unconscious can bring spontaneous and unexpected insights and connections to the writer’s awareness. This feature promotes wellbeing by providing motivation to alter harmful attitudes and behaviour. From linguistics comes the term mirativity, which expresses a speaker’s surprise at the discovery of new information. Mirativity can also apply to the creative writing process, when unforeseen and beneficial material appears from idiosyncratic associations, and therefore cannot be reproduced by AI. Creative writing is a low-cost, inbuilt resource to help people manage their lives and circumstances, to bear witness to influence policy change, and to improve self-care.
Dawn Garisch is an author and medical doctor. She is a founding member of the Life Righting Collective (liferighting.com), running writing courses. She has had seven novels, poetry, short stories, a nonfiction work, and a memoir published. She has had five plays and a short film produced, and has written for television. Dawn has won numerous awards for her published works.
Karavan Press published the following titles by Dawn:
The Sunday Times Literary Awards longlists are out and we are thrilled to have three titles on the Fiction Prize longlist and one on the Non-Fiction Prize longlist!
FICTION PRIZE
SALT WATER POOL BOY by PETER-ADRIAN ALTINI ICE SHOCK by ELLEKE BOEHMER THE FOURTH BOY by ANDREW ROBERT WILSON
NON-FICTION PRIZE
HOW TO BUILD A HOUSE IN THE MOUNTAINS by ROGER LUCEY
Exclusive Books Cavendish and Indeed Books invite you to the launch of Jenna Mervis‘s exquisite second collection of poetry, Braided River, on Thursday, 28 May 2026, 5.30 for 6PM.
Our second children’s book is about to launch and we are aiming for the stars! Please join us at Exclusive Books Cavendish for the launch of Nick Clelland’s Farting in Outer Space. Nick will be in conversation with award-winning children’s book author Alex Latimer.
The Kingsmead Book Fair always offers a fabulous lineup, and this year is no different. Hosted by the Kingsmead College, the 14th iteration of the annual Book Fair, will be taking place on Saturday, 23 May 2026, from 08h30 to 18h00, in Johannesburg, opposite the Rosebank Gautrain station.
This year, Karavan Press and Indeed Books feature on the children and teen programme:
School Girl or Celebrity? – It’s All Alien to Me! It’s not easy being a famous television star especially when you must navigate your first day at high school ever! 🌟 As she longs to be a ‘normal’ teen, Lexi James faces school bullies, an online stalker, and family challenges. Through fun activities and discussions, with author Pamela Newham, uncover Lexi’s journey of self-discovery and the importance of friendship in My Three Names. Can Lexi find her true self amidst the chaos? Let’s find out together! Age: 14+
Blast Off with Laughter! Join us for an out-of-this-world adventure with Farting in Outer Space by Nick Clelland! This colourful and humorous picture book explores the themes of gender and acceptance, reminding us that girls and boys are all human—and that’s something to celebrate! Get ready for giggles and engaging discussions as we discover how differences can bring us together, one funny fart at a time! Age: 5+
Watch out also for Anna Stroud and Michael Boyd, who are chairing sessions on the programme for adult readers.
What happens when a book decides to talk – and fart – for itself? Farting in Outer Space turns bathroom humour into laughs while boldly celebrating the freedom to be whoever you are. Joyful, inclusive, and unapologetically funny. It’s a perfect read-aloud for families who want stories that make kids laugh and think.
A raucous, cheeky book with fart jokes and a simple truth: there are no rules about what or who you can like.
NICK CLELLAND wrote this book for his daughter, Elizabeth, when she was 4 – she’s 13 now! Nick lives in Cape Town, rides bicycles too much and writes books for all ages.
MARTA PUCCI is an Italian illustrator and designer living in Berlin. She makes books about big topics and tiny tots. When she’s not drawing, she’s near the water, saying hi to every dog she meets.
Please join us as we celebrate the poetry of Stephen Symons, whose The Algebra of Insignificance won the 2026 Olive Schreiner Prize for Poetry: Wordsworth Books Gardens, 21 May 2026, 5.30 for 6PM.
karavanpress.com 