Karina Author, Book, Festival

24 May: Karavan Press at the KBF

The literary festival season continues and we are delighted to announce that the following Karavan Press authors will be participating in the Kingsmead Book Fair this year:

09:30-10:00 DOT TO DOT | The Book Room

Meet the Freckolions and the Spots who are bitterly arguing over Face’s vast landscape. Then one day an alien craft descends on Face and sends the Freckolions and Spots into panic! SA actress Lisa Trudoux introduces her first charming and quirky children’s book Dot To Dot which teaches kids the invaluable lessons of self-love and kindness towards others in the most enchanting way.

09:30-10:30 WRITING OUR PAIN: Contending with traumatic narratives | Chapel

Sewela Langeni (Making Friends with Feelings) provides a safe space for Jeffrey Rakabe (Led by Shepherds) and Thobeka Yose (In Silence My Heart Speaks) to chat about transferring pain to the page.

11:00-12:00 PRETTY PROTAGONISTS: Crafting heroines with humanity | Mackenzie 1

Amy Heydenrych (Chasing Marian) examines the creation of the powerful women at the centre of the works of Zukiswa Wanner (Love Marry Kill), Michelle Kekana (The Fragile Mental Health of Strong Women) and Qarnita Loxton (What’s Wrong with June?).

12:30-13:30 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: People and place in historical fiction | Lange Hall

Penny Haw (Follow Me To Africa: A Novel), Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu (The Creation of Half-Broken People) and Louisa Treger (The Paris Muse) discuss facets of historical fiction – beyond the period in which it’s set – that really matter with Michael Boyd (Weight of Shade).

12:30-13:30 Life is the greatest teacher: Writing from experience | Music Centre

Merle Levin (World According to Merle: Memoir of a Deliciously Daring Granny), Costa Ayiotis (Matriarchs, Meze and the Evil Eye: A Memoir) and Glenn Orsmond (Crash and Burn: A CEO’s Crazy Adventures in the SA Airline Industry) tell Karina Szczurek (Karavan Press) about their weird uncles and the strange lady from the office.

14:30-15:30 LITERARY FITION VERSUS GENRE FICTION: What makes a book ‘literary’? | Chapel

Peter-Adrian Altini (Salt Water Pool Boy) and Charl-Pierre Naudé (The Equality of Shadows) discuss style and complexity with Craig Higginson (The Ghost of Sam Webster).

16:00-17:00 Navigating our life stories: Lessons learned and unlearned | Lange Hall

Khaya Dlanga (Life is Like That Sometimes) and Gavin Evans (Son of a Preacher Man) tell Anna Stroud (Who Looks Inside) about what they have learned while writing about themselves.

16:00-17:00 Stretching the imagination: Pushing boundaries in storytelling | Mackenzie 3

Onke Mazibuko (Canary) follows Nick Clelland (Good Hope), Siya Khumalo (The Queer Book of Revelation) and Sam Wilson (The First Murder on Mars) into the detailed, fresh worlds of their books.

16:00-17:00 Publish or perish: Women in the publishing industry | Chapel

Queen bees Karina Szczurek (Karavan Press), Melinda Ferguson (Melinda Ferguson Books) and Zukiswa Wanner (Paivapo Publishing) underline the importance of curating stories from a feminine perspective with Sewela Langeni (Book Circle Capital).

Full programme: KBF 2025

Get your KBF tickets here: Webtickets

Karina Author, Book, Event, Festival

Scenes from the 2025 JFL

The fifth bi-annual Jewish Literary Festival took place yesterday and it was a day of books, books, books! And sunshine, writers, readers and fascinating conversations. Thank you to all who make this day of dialogue and engagement possible!

Thank you to all the authors for a day of insight and literary joy!

Karina Festival

The bi-annual JLF to take place on 28 April 2025

Please join us for the Jewish Literary Festival on Monday, 28 April 2025!

12:00-12:50 HOLOCAUST CENTRE SEMINAR ROOM

THE SPARK BEHIND THE VERSE — Philosopher and poet Elisa Galgut talks to poets Keith Gottschalk, Steve Shapiro, and author/poet Stephen Symons about the inspiration behind some of the poems in their latest collections

13:30-14:20 THE OLD SHUL

THE STORY I HAD TO WRITE — Beryl Eichenberger of Woman Zone chats to authors Irene Berman, Angela Rothbart, Joëlle Searle, and Debbi Rozowsky about the novels and memoir they self published – why they wrote and how they published

13:30-14:20 GARDENS SHUL

RIPPLES OF THE HOLOCAUST IN SOUTH AFRICA — Biographer Joanne Jowell (I Am Ella) and author Andrew Robert Wilson (The Fourth Boy) discuss their holocaust-related work with publisher/author Karina Szczurek and trace its effect in South Africa

14:45-15:35 NELSON MANDELA AUDITORIUM

EXIT WOUNDS: THE ENDURING POWER OF MEMORY — Woman Zone’s Nancy Richards talks virtually to prize-winning author Peter Godwin about his latest memoir – the story of the twin deaths of his eccentric mother and his longstanding marriage

14:45-15:35 HOLOCAUST CENTRE SEMINAR ROOM

THE LIGHTER SIDE OF LIFE — Authors and friends Diane Awerbuck (Tears Before Bedtime) and Paige Nick (The Book People) discuss their latest books, which will have you in fits of laughter, and the ins and outs of writing humour

JFL 2025: Full programme

To book tickets: Quicket

Karina Festival

Fourth Karavan Press Literary Festival at SASNEV

The fourth Karavan Press Literary Festival took place at SASNEV last Saturday – and it was a day of literary wonder, laughter and engagement. Thank you to the wonderful people at SASNEV – especially Eureka Barnard, Jan Mutton and Brian Brady – for hosting and making us feel so welcome. Thank you to Gail Gilbride, Diane Awerbuck, Lisa Tredoux, Nick Clelland, Lester Walbrugh, Sarah Isaacs, Anna Stroud, John Maytham, Stephen Symons, Alex Latimer and Amy Heydenrych for your contributions to inspiring panels. A special thank you to Amy & Qarnita Loxton for running a great workshop. Mountains and valleys of gratitude to Penny Haw for delivering a deeply moving André Brink Memorial Lecture – not many eyes were dry at the end. Huge thank you to the Brink Family for being with us on the day! Thank you to the SASNEV resident cat for filling in for Salieri, who was at home preparing to catssist with the workshop. And thank you to all Readers who attended to celebrate authors, books and legacies with us! What a day!

I want to express my gratitude to Amy and Anna for joining us all the way from Joburg, and to Sarah for sharing the best news of the entire gathering with us.

Thank you to all who bought a book! Happy reading & writing, Everyone!

Karina Festival

Karavan Press Literary Festival 2025

We are delighted to announce that the fourth KARAVAN PRESS LITERARY FESTIVAL is going to take place on Saturday, 12 April 2025, at the wonderful South African Centre for the Netherlands and Flanders – SASNEV – 4 Central Square, Pinelands, Cape Town, 7405. Thank you to Eureka Barnard and the Staff of SASNEV for hosting us!

As part of the festival, Penny Haw, winner of the 2024 Philida Literary Award, will deliver the André Brink Memorial Lecture – 6 February 2025 was the 10th anniversary of André’s death, and on 29 May 2025, he would have turned 90. We will remember and celebrate together!

Also as part of the festival, Qarnita Loxton and Amy Heydenrych are offering a Creative Writing Workshop. For all details, please see below.

EVENT 1 09:30-10:15  LIFE AND LAUGHTER

Diane Awerbuck, Lisa Tredoux and Gail Gilbride speak to Nick Clelland about how to use humour in literature across the genres to address important themes that are not necessarily always funny.

EVENT 2 10:30-11:15  FINDING ONESELF

Sarah Isaacs, Anna Stroud, Kharys Ateh Laue and Lester Walbrugh talk to John Maytham about their young characters’ search for who they are and how they want to be in the world when the world is unwilling to cooperate.

COFFEE / TEA BREAK

EVENT 3 12:00-12:45  SECOND CHANCES

“Sometimes the only thing you can do to change is to leave.” (Qarnita Loxton)

Amy Heydenrych, Stephen Symons & Alex Latimer talk to Karina M. Szczurek about their characters’ opportunities for change.

EVENT 4 13:00-13:45 

ANDRÉ BRINK MEMORIAL LECTURE

“Influences and Legacies” – PENNY HAW, winner of the 2024 Philida Literary Award

FREE ENTRY TO ALL EVENTS AT SASNEV!

~ ~ ~

WORKSHOP 15:30-17:30

6 Banksia Road, Rosebank, 7700 Cape Town

(Please note change of venue for the workshop!)

OPENING THE DOOR TO YOUR STORY 

Join authors and collaborators – QARNITA LOXTON and AMY HEYDENRYCH – for an intimate, nurturing creative writing workshop. Get to the heart of your story, uncover the theme of your writing project and work through any potential blocks to your creative writing process in a quiet, encouraging setting.

Snacks and drinks will be served.

The workshop is open to writers of all levels, including beginners. Only 10 spots available. Please book early to avoid disappointment.

To book your spot for the workshop, please contact Karina: karavanpressfestival@outlook.com

WORKSHOP FEE R300

Books will be available for sale at great prices throughout the festival!

Karina Author, Book, Event, Festival

Karen Jennings at Time of the Writer

Catch Karen Jennings at Time of the Writer this year:

A Crime for our Times – shaping violence through story: This sizzling panel focuses on crime fiction from the pen of some of the best South African crime writers. We delve deep into the dark underbelly of society, cults and psychopathy, murder and mystery.

Date: Sunday, 23 March 2025

Time: 14:00

Duration: 70min

Participants: Fiona Snyckers, Marina Auer, Karen Jennings, Zukiswa Wanner

Facilitator: Angelo Fick

Venue: Alliance Francaise, Durban

Full programme:

Time of the Writer, 18-23 March 2025

Karina Author, Book, Festival

Karavan Press at Books on the Bay 2025

Please join us between 14 and 16 March 2025 for Books on the Bay, a wonderful celebration of local literature and inspiration, now in its third year.

Karavan Press authors participating:

Saturday, 15 March 2025

10:15-11:00 METHODIST CHURCH

In the famous words of Lorrie Moore, “A short story is a love affair, a novel is a marriage.” Award-winning short story exponents Dawn Garisch and Diane Awerbuck discuss with Bongani Kona the joys and challenges of their relationship with the alluring genre.

13:15-14:15 METHODIST CHURCH

The art of memoir: Anthony Akerman, Lucky Bastard; Thobeka Yose, In Silence My Heart Speaks; Julia Martin, The Blackridge House. Led by Jo-Anne Richards, three leading exponents reflect on life-writing and the life-changing process of memoir writing.

Sunday, 16 March 2025

9:00-10:00 TOWN HALL

Karen Jennings – Crooked Seeds, longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction

11:30-12:30 TOWN HALL

Andrew Brown – The Bitterness of Olives: In this remarkable novel set in Gaza City, Andrew Brown – current Sunday Times Fiction Award holder – explores a complex friendship battered by political forces. In conversation with Michele Magwood.