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 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

Cape Flats Book Festival 2025

The first book festival of 2025 is just around the corner – Cape Flats Book Festival – and we are delighted to announce the following events featuring Karavan Press authors:

SATURDAY, 1 February, 10:45-11:25 | IN OTHER STORIES

SATURDAY, 1 February, 11:40-12:20 | STORYTELLING FOR CHILDREN

SATURDAY, 1 February, 12:35-13:15 | COURAGEOUS SURVIVORS: OVERCOMING A TRAUMATIC PAST

SATURDAY, 1 February, 15:20-16:00 | TRIBUTE TO POET IN EXILE: ATHOL WILLIAMS

Lester Walbrugh will also be at the Festival, speaking about the book he co-wrote with Karin Kortje – not to be missed!

SUNDAY, 2 February, 12:45-13:25 | DIE HELE STORIE / THE WHOLE STORY

For details about other events, please see:

Cape Flats Book Festival

Please join us for these two days of literary wonder!

Karina Author, Book, Event

DOT TO DOT by Lisa Tredoux launched at Exclusive Books V&A Waterfront

Our first children’s book (for children between five & hundred and five) was officially launched at Exclusive Books V&A Waterfront last night: Dot to Dot by Lisa Tredoux. It was a truly heart-warming occasion.

Lisa was in conversation with fellow actor and children’s book author, Bianca Flanders.

It was an evening of sheer storytelling delight. Thank you to all involved! I went home smiling, and this morning, the coffee in my Freckolion mug tasted so much better than usual 🙂 Happy reading!

Karina Author, Book, Event

DOT TO DOT by Lisa Tredoux to be launched at V&A Exclusive Books

Our first children’s book (which adults will love too) – Dot to Dot by Lisa Tredoux – is going to be launched at the V&A Exclusive Books on Wednesday, 4 September 2024, at 6PM. Lisa will be in conversation with fellow actor and children’s book author, Bianca Flanders.

Join us for the event and stand a chance at going home with one of these Freckolion mugs!

RSVP: DOT TO DOT launch at V&A Exclusive Books

In case you are wondering who is my (Karina’s) favourite character in Dot to Dot … 🙂

Karina Author, Book

Karavan Press title: Dot to Dot by Lisa Tredoux

Face is a very faraway land that many of you might not have heard of before. Although the name will probably be strange to you, the goings-on there are all too familiar. As with most beautiful places, its inhabitants – the Freckolions and the Spots – are bitterly arguing over Face’s vast landscape.

One day an alien craft descends on Face and sends the Freckolions and Spots into panic. Is this another opponent to try and conquer their home, or is it the answer the Spots and Freckolions have been looking for?

ISBN: 978-1-7764726-1-1

Publication date: July 2024

Meet a few of the characters of Dot to Dot …

… Spot and Zit Zat …

… and (my absolute favourite!) …

Meet the author …

LISA TREDOUX is a South African actress with a passion for storytelling across various mediums, making her literary debut. Through her enchanting children’s book, Lisa taps into the simplicity of childhood narratives, reminding adults of the clarity in communication found within these tales. With a heart for conveying meaningful messages, Lisa weaves a delightful world for young readers to explore and learn. Her mission? To teach kids the invaluable lessons of self-love and kindness towards others.

The original and the published book.

Lisa wrote, illustrated and put together the original Dot to Dot during the lockdown. The moment I saw the book, I knew it would become Karavan Press’s first publication for children (and all those who love meaningful, fun, illustrated storytelling). I look forward to sharing this delightful story with readers of all ages.