We are delighted that Elleke Boehmer is returning to South Africa for a few days and will be launching and discussing her novel Ice Shock at a few events at the end of October and beginning of November. Catch her first at Love Books on Wednesday, 29 October 2025, for her first official launch of Ice Shock. Elleke will be in conversation with Michele Magwood. Not to be missed!
We are heading to Richmond again at the end of this month and hoping that many readers from across the country will follow. It is time for the Madibaland @ BookBedonnerd Literary Festival! Taking place between 30 October and 1 November, the festival brings together a wonderful mix of writers and readers.
Among the participants are Karavan Press authors Chantal Stewart, Kerry Hammerton and Holland House Books’ Andile Cele, whose wonderful debut novel, Braids & Migraines, we help distribute in South Africa.
For more details and the full programme, see:
We look forward to seeing you all there!
The iLembe Book Festival (IBF) is a collaborative literary event that brings together readers, writers, and creatives from the iLembe District Municipality and surrounding communities. The festival features panel discussions, a school outreach programme, poetry workshops, and a slam poetry event, all aimed at fostering a deeper appreciation for literature and the spoken word.
This year’s festival is taking place on Saturday, 25 October 2025. Karen Jennings and Andile Cele feature on the programme. For more details, see: iLembe Book Festival.
Meet Thobeka Yose, author of In Silence My Heart Speaks — a powerful memoir of trauma, love, loss and ultimately forgiveness. From a painful childhood to the early loss of her husband, single parenting and supporting her child through a journey of identity and self-discovery, Thobeka’s story is one of strength, compassion and growth.
Hear her speak on Thursday, 23 October 2025, 09:15, at the UJW Women of Courage event.
Book here: UJW Women of Courage 2025
Beskrywing
Klara du Plessis (Act/Ek’t) is ’n digter wat tussen tale glip: die Afrikaans
van haar kinderdae en die Engels van haar volwasse lewe in Kanada.
Pieter Madibuseng Odendaal se huwelik met die Peruaanse digter Jorge Alejandro
Ccoyllurpuma het tot wedersydse vertalings in Spaans en Engels gelei, en
Pieter se Afrikaanse gedigte is ook nou in Engels vertaal en gebundel as a corpse is
also a garden. Die Vlaamse digter Frank Keizer lees voor uit sy werk, wat met
min moeite deur Afrikaanssprekendes verstaan kan word.
Aangebied deur Karavan Press, uhlanga, Jakes Gerwel-stigting
Datum en Tyd: 12/10/2025 | 16:00
Venue: EasyEquities Skrywerskamer
For details and tickets, please see: Woordfees
Sluit by ons aan op 9 Oktober 2025 vir ’n gesprek tussen prof. Andries Visagie en Klara du Plessis oor haar Suid-Afrikaanse debuut, 𝘌𝘬’𝘵 𝘈𝘤𝘵.
The Sunday Times Literary Awards shortlists have been announced and we are thrilled to share the news that Crooked Seeds by Karen Jennings has been shortlisted for the Fiction Prize! Congratulations, Karen and all other nominated authors!
For more details about the announcement, please see here:
The inaugural AVBOB competition for collections of poetry, now known as The JDL Award for Poetry in memory of the contribution to the Poetry Project by the late Johann de Lange, took place earlier this year. The inaugural prizes (2025) were awarded for collections in Sepedi, isiZulu and English.
All of the 2024 single poem and 2025 collection winners are listed here: Avbob Poetry
The winner of the English collections category was Unleaving by Ingrid de Kok. Three collections were given ‘honourable mention’, among them Land | Lines by Shari Daya, published by Karavan Press. The other two were Night Transit by PR Anderson and The Book of Unrest by Nick Mulgrew.
Congratulations to all!
You can watch a short video of the prize-giving event that shows the prizes being awarded for individual poems (the 2024 annual online competition) and collection of poems competition here: The 2025 JDL Award for Poetry
The JDL Award for Poetry in 2026 will go to collections in Afrikaans, isiNdebele, isiXhosa and Sesotho, and in 2027 to collections in Setswana, Siswati, Tshivenda and Xitsonga.
The next competition in Sepedi, isiZulu and English will be run in 2028.
We are excited to share the cover of the UK edition of Elleke Boehmer‘s Ice Shock, first published by Karavan Press earlier this year. Ice Shock will be published in the UK by Valley Press in March 2026.
For details see: Valley Press
karavanpress.com 