Karina Author, Book

Karavan Press title: Memories In Our Throats, edited by Melissa Sussens

Memories In Our Throats is an anthology of English South African poetry, edited by Melissa Sussens. We hope that the 2026 edition is only the first in a series of similar snapshots of contemporary poetic preoccupations.

EDITOR

Melissa Sussensis a queer veterinarian and poet. Her debut collection, Slaughterhouse (Karavan Press, 2022), was a finalist for the 2024 HSS Awards and was shortlisted for the Ingrid Jonker Prize 2024. She placed 2nd in the 2020 New Contrast National Poetry Prize and was shortlisted for the 2022 prize. Melissa was also shortlisted for the 2024 Isele Poetry Prize and her work has appeared in many publications, both locally and internationally. She has performed at the Poetry in McGregor Festival, The Commons and The Red Wheelbarrow Poetry Collective. She spent years as a teaching assistant for Megan Falley’s international writing course, Poems That Don’t Suck and her favourite part of writing is editing. Melissa lives in Cape Town with her wife and their two dogs. Find her at melissasussens.com or @melissasussens.

CONTRIBUTORS

Cover image | Fragment of Nina Kruger’s ‘Unmade’ (2026); Protea fibres, alpaca fleece, netting

Publisher: Karavan Press

Distributor: Booksite

Publication date: July 2026

ISBN: 978-1-0671781-0-9

Karina Author, Book, Event, Festival

ELGIN POETRY FESTIVAL: 24-26 July 2026

Together with Cheverells Farm and Liberty Books, we are delighted to invite you to the inaugural Elgin Poetry Festival in the stunning Elgin! Between 24 and 26 July 2026, Cheverells Farm and Liberty Books will be home to a series of events – discussions, readings, a launch and a workshop – celebrating poetry with all poetry lovers. The festival will commence with a Friday night fine dining & poetry evening and continue over the weekend.

Friday, 24 July 2026

18:30 for 19:00 Cheverells Farm: Friday night fine dining & poetry evening, featuring John Maytham reading words by Finuala Dowling.

An unforgettable evening of fine dining and poetry at The Cheverells Farm Shed as we celebrate the launch of the very first Elgin Poetry Festival on Friday, 24 July 2026.

Your ticket includes a welcome drink, delicious canapés, and a beautifully curated three-course meal – all enjoyed alongside a special live poetry reading by John Maytham, who will bring the words of Finuala Dowling to life in an intimate and atmospheric setting.

Proceeds from the ticket sales for this event will go to an NPO in Grabouw called Siphila Sonke. Funds will be donated to their Kids Club, which provides approximately 100 children a place for creative and academic stimulation in a safe and fun environment.

BOOK YOUR TICKET HERE: FINE DINING AND POETRY EVENING

On Saturday we are hosting the following events (for the free events please book your ticket as the numbers are limited):

Saturday, 25 July 2026

At The Shed, Cheverells Farm

09:00–10:00 Poetry as Resistance

10:15–11:15 Writing Between Languages

11:30–12:30 Writing What’s Hard

14:00–15:00 The Geography of Poetry

15:15–16:45 OPEN MIC (free event)

At Liberty Books, Peregrine Farm Stall

18:00–19:30 Karavan Press poetry anthology book launch (free event, booking essential)

BOOK YOUR TICKETS HERE: ELGIN POETRY FESTIVAL

Sunday, 26 July 2026

10:00–13:00 An intimate poetry workshop with Kerry Hammerton and Melissa Sussens.

BOOK BY EMAILING KARAVAN PRESS: POETRY WORKSHOP

Workshop fee: R550. Tickets are limited. Please book early to avoid disappointment.

For visitors wanting to stay in Elgin during the Elgin Poetry Festival weekend, Cheverells Farm offers cosy cottages … soft linens, warm light, and peaceful farm mornings included. From 1 May 2026, book two nights and enjoy your third night on Cheverells Farm.

Slow down, breathe in the fresh air, and savour the simple pleasures of farm life.

BOOK HERE: CHEVERELLES FARM ACCOMMODATION

Karina Author, Event

The Craft – online live poetry editing workshop – with Melissa Sussens, Nikki Allen, Lexi Pelle, and Carson Wolfe

The Craft brings you the intimacy of a workshop with the energy of a live event. Hosted by four published poets with a wealth of experience in teaching and editing – Nikki Allen, Lexi Pelle, Carson Wolfe, and Melissa Sussens (author of Slaughterhouse, published by Karavan Press, and editor of our forthcoming poetry anthology).

In a landscape ripe with open mics and generative workshops, we offer something different – insight into the editing process and direct access to the craft of revision. No pre-reading, no homework, no lesson plans – we just show up and edit your poems.

Using a fishbowl style of teaching, as inspired by the renowned online poetry course, Poems That Don’t Suck by Megan Falley. We pull four names at random from the attendee list and live-edit these ‘fishes’ before audience participants, followed by a short Q&A.

SUNDAY, 3 MAY 2026, 6-7.30PM

To purchase a ticket and get more info, see: Buy a Ticket – The Craft – Zoom

Karina Author, Book, Prize

Slaughterhouse by Melissa Sussens shortlisted for the Ingrid Jonker Prize

The following collections of poetry were selected by the judges to be on the shortlist of the Ingrid Jonker Prize 2024 – in alphabetical order:

  • Sarah Lubala – A History of Disappearance
  • Irya EM Maharaj – Earth Circuit
  • Sizakele Nkosi – unGrand Malume
  • Caitlin Stobie – Thin Slices
  • Melissa Sussens – Slaughterhouse

Congratulations to all shortlisted poets! A special note of appreciation to Melissa Sussens – thank you for publishing your stunning debut collection with Karavan Press!

Karina Author

PULSE: The Difference by Melissa Sussens

My patients do not speak. Or rather, my patients do not speak using words. Instead, they have taught me the art of body language—of noises, expressions and postures.

I read the movement of ears, the way pupils dilate or constrict. Watch for the tremors, for the hunch of a spine, for the described bows or stretches that could indicate abdominal spasm. Search for the hint of a leg being favored, for the inaudible signs of pain. Wait for tongues darting over lips. Offer food that may be sniffed at or turned away from. I’ve learned to respond to fear with gentleness, to preempt the sharpness of tooth or claw with slow movements.

When I first became a vet, I thought that I’d be an animal doctor, but most days I feel more like a detective, unearthing the truth in my patients’ lab results and mumbled clues. My many years as an introvert—lonely years of listening more than talking—serve me well: I do not fear my patients’ lack of words. I understand that language can look like a lot of things. But my patients’ owners are sometimes skeptical of my translations …

Continue reading: The Difference by Melissa Sussens

Karina Prize

Great poetry news!

The shortlists of The 2024 Isele Prizes have been announced and the Poetry list features Melissa Sussens (Slaughterhouse, Karavan Press, 2022) and Kharys Ateh Laue (who has co-authored a collection of stories with Caitlin Stobie that Karavan Press will be publishing later this year). You can read their stunning poems here:

Instead Of Measuring My Life In Productivity | Melissa Sussens

Elegy | Kharys Ateh Laue

And: the winners of New Contrast‘s 2023 National Poetry Prize have been announced:

(Kerry published her latest collection of poetry, afterwards, with Karavan Press and Keith was the winner of the Short.Sharp.Stories competition last year and featured in Fluid: The Freedom to Be.)

All three winning poems will be featured in the upcoming issue of New Contrast at the end of April.

The 2023 judges were Sindiswa Busuku, Nondwe Mpuma and Sarah Lubala.

The National Poetry Prize sponsor is Bruce Jack Wines.

Congratulations to all!

Karina Festival

Festival of Poetry – 4 November 2023

Earlier this year, the McGregor Poetry Festival announced a hiatus for a year. The organisers are taking a well-deserved break. The Red Wheelbarrow Poetry Collective and the Rosebank Writers’ Circle decided to step into the breach and organised a once-off event to celebrate poetry at a day-long poetry festival here in Cape Town. Please join us for these exciting poetry panels, taking place at two venues, the Bertha House and Youngblood-Africa, on 4 November 2023.

Events are free! Books will be on sale throughout the day.

Hope to see all poetry lovers there!