The Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal has officially announced the dates for the 27th annual Time of the Writer festival, which will take place from Thursday March 14 to Thursday March 21 next year.
The literary extravaganza will be curated under the overarching theme of “Reflections, Resonance and Revival”.
In a statement, Tshosheletso Chidi Bongwadi, the curator-in-residence at the Centre for Creative Arts, expressed the festival’s mission, saying, “We want the festival to be a site for rediscovering the resonance of literature, reflecting on shared narratives, and for reviving the essence of storytelling for social justice.”
Bongwadi, a poet and novelist proficient in English and Sepedi, holds a Master of Arts Degree in Creative Writing from Rhodes University and was awarded the prestigious 2019 Andrew Mellon Foundation Scholarship for writers. Her literary journey includes a 2016 short story published by FLOW Communication at the request of Ekurhuleni Municipality and her debut novel, The Baby Is Born, published the previous year by Sharp Shoot Publisher.
In 2019, her poetry found a home in Thyni Magazine, and she was commissioned by Avbob Poetry. In early 2020, Aletta Motimele Publishers published her short story in their anthology RE ALOŠITŠE in Sepedi. Her work also responded to the Covid-19 pandemic, with some of her poems being selected for publishing in Ratomill Publishers’ recent anthology, CORONA’CLES.
“We are excited about the appointment of Tshosheletso as the Curator-In-Residence for the 27th edition of the Time of the Writer. We believe that she will bring a fresh eye to our curatorial processes and with an enthusiastic focus on developing opportunities for new and emerging writers to be profiled alongside established literary luminaries,” said Ismail Mahomed, director for the Centre for Creative Arts.
The 27th edition of the Time of the Writer festival is expected to foster on-going collaborations with institutions such as the Wits Writing Centre, Centre for Studies of the US, JIAS at the University of Johannesburg, and the ISRA Institute, among other partners.
“Over the next few months, we will release highlights of what literature enthusiasts can expect at the festival. The full programme will be released in mid-February 2024,” Tsosheletso said.
The 27th edition of the Time of the Writer festival is funded by the University of KwaZulu-Natal, the National Arts Council, and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.
