Programme independent publishers’ meeting

Venue: Board Room, Museum Africa

Old Market Building, 121 Bree Street, Newtown, Johannesburg

Thursday, 6 August

9–9.30 Welcome by Oupa Lehulere, director of Khanya College

Welcome by Peter Anders, responsible for the cultural programmes of the
Goethe- Institut in sub-Saharan Africa
Welcome by Alan Horwitz, Botsotso Publishing Collective
9.30–10.45h Introduction of participants
10.45–11h Coffee/tea break
11–12h Plenary discussion
Which challenges do independent publishers face today in Southern Africa?
12–14.30h Lunch break, mobile library performance and presentation of Keleketla library
13–14h Film Festival at the auditorium of Museum Africa
14.30–17h Publishing the South:
The locality of production or the production of locality.
Publishing in African languages.
Markets and festivals in the southern hemisphere.
17h Bus transport to House of Movements (Khanya College, 123 Pritchard Street)
18h Theatre performance at House of Movements, 7th Floor
19h Supper at House of Movements, 2nd Floor
20.15h Theatre performance at House of Movements, 7th Floor

Friday, 7 August

9–10.30h Audience and distribution.

Invited speakers from distribution companies and publishers associations:
Bacchus Books and the Publishers Association of South Africa (PASA)
10.30–11h Coffee/tea break
11–12.30h Final discussion and wrap up
Launch of the independent publishers’ network in South and southern Africa
12.30–14h Lunch at House of Movements (Khanya College, 123 Pritchard Street)
and plenary discussion
Jozi Book Fair panel discussions

Apart from a number of book launches, readings and performances, the participants of
the independent publishers’ meeting will be involved in a number of panel discussions
and round tables.

Saturday, 8 August

12–13h Book distribution in African countries

Allan Horwitz, Botsotso Publishers (Johannesburg)
Andile Mngxitama, New Frank Talk Press (Johannesburg)
Archie Dick, University of Pretoria
Bibi Bakare-Yusuf, Cassava Republic Press (Abuja)
Billy Kahora, Kwani Magazine (Nairobi)
Liepollo Rantekoa, Chimurenga Magazine (Cape Town)
Phakama Mbonami, wordsetc. (Johannesburg)

Sunday, 9 August

10.30–11.30h Publishing in African languages

Kundayi Masanzu, ANFASA (Johannesburg)
Martin Njanga, Storymoja (Nairobi)
Matome Seima, Dinkwe (Kimberley)
Mxolisi Nyezwa, Kotaz Publishing (Port Elizabeth)
Sabata-mpho Mokae, Sol T Plaatje Library (Kimberely)
Sandile Ngidi, Baobab Magazine (Johannesburg)
Vonani Bila, Timbila Poetry Project (Elim/Polokwane)
Zwelethemba Twalo, writer, Jozi Spoken Word Festival

Roundtable: South African Economy in Crisis

After 17 years of uninterrupted economic growth the South African economy went into recession
in 2008, and growth plummeted in the 1st quarter of 2009. This growth, however, has been
accompanied by controversy. The living standards of the black majority continued to decline, or
at best stagnated. This panel will discuss the current crisis in the South African economy against
the background of the deteriorating social conditions, and will engage with the question of the
appropriateness or otherwise of the growth path followed by the South African government, and
supported by the business community over the last 15 years.
Moderator: Oupa Lehulere
Panelists: Professor Patrick Bond, Lebogang Pheko

Roundtable: Social Crisis and Resistance in South Africa

South Africa has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world, one of the highest
HIV/AIDS infection rates, high drop-out rates from schools and universities, a growing housing
backlog and a health system on the brink of collapse. By all measures, South Africa faces a
deep social crisis. This panel of speakers will discuss the sources of the social crisis in SA, its
patterns, the impact on ordinary people, and will relate this crisis to government policies in post-
apartheid SA. The responses of ordinary people, both in terms of survival strategies adopted,
and in terms of resistance to their deteriorating conditions, will be explored.
Moderator: Professor Jackie Cock
Panelists: Salim Vally, Priscilla Everson

Roundtable: Women in South Africa Today

15 years after democracy South African women are located in a paradoxical space. On the one
hand many progressive gender rights have been enshrined in law and in the constitution. On the
other hand South African women, and in particular black working class women, are the poorest
section of the South African population, the endure extreme levels of violence everyday, they
face gender abuse on a daily basis, and they bear the burden of feeding families in a
deteriorating economic environment. This panel will explore the sources and nature of this
paradox, will explore government policies and their impact in raising women out of poverty and
abuse, and will explore responses by women to the conditions in which they find themselves.
Moderator: Maria van Driel
Panelists: Professor Elaine Salo, Zethu Matebeni, Professor Rachel Jewkes

Roundtable: Satire and Freedom of Expression in South Africa

Against the background of political attacks against cartoonists, and numerous libel cases against
them here and abroad, satire as a form of political discourse has come under attack. This round-
table seeks to position these attack in the context of debate on freedom of expression and the
role of satire in public discussion and engagement on topical issues of public interest.
Moderator: To be confirmed
Panelists: To be confirmed

Roundtable: Black Women in South African fiction

The majority of SA’s population is women, and black working class women in particular. Due to
their socio-economic status, however, they constitute a minority of the reading and book buying
public. This panel of speakers will explore how black working class women are portrayed and
treated in South African literature, to what extent they are portrayed as agents who are involved
in changing their lives and destinies, and will explore the sources and meaning of the way black
working class women are portrayed. This discussion will contrast this portrayal of black working
class women in the literature dealing with the apartheid period to that dealing with the post-
apartheid period.
Moderator: Makhosazana Xaba
Panelists: Zukiswa Wanner, Angelina Sithebe, Philippa de Villiers

Roundtable: Indigenous language publishing in South Africa – challenges and prospects

South Africa now has eleven official languages, but for all intents and purposes English
(described by some as a “language of record”) enjoys sole ‘official status’. This situation is partly
the legacy of apartheid, which relegated the languages spoken by the black majority (with the
exception of Afrikaans) to second-class status. The impact of this legacy, however, only partially
explains the failure of these languages to become significant literary languages in post-apartheid
SA. This panel will explore the sources of the failure to raise black languages to significant
literary languages, the continuing dominance of English as the main literary language among
black readers of fiction and the press. The impact of this situation on the culture of reading in SA
will be explored, and the challenges of building an indigenous language publishing movement
will be discussed against the background of the attitude of the publishing industry, the
distributors, universities, the education and cultural authorities and the reading public to
indigenous language works.
Moderator: Professor James Ogude
Panelists: Keorapetse Kgosietsile, Nthabiseng Sibanda, Thiathu Nemutanzhela
Participants of the independent publishers’ network meeting

Alan Horwitz (Johannesburg), Botsotso Publishing

Alan Finlay (Johannesburg), Bleksem Books
Andile Mngxitama (Johannesburg), New Frank Talk Press
Archie Dick (Pretoria), Professor in the Department of Information Studies at the University of
Pretoria
Arja Salafranca (Johannesburg), writer
Bibi Bakare-Yusuf (Abuja, Nigeria), Cassava Republic Press
Billy Kahora (Nairobi, Kenya), Kwani? Magazine
Colleen Higgs (Cape Town), Modjadji Books
Denis (Johannesburg), reunitedsiblings
Wesley (Johannesburg), reunitedsiblings
Ricky (Johannesburg), reunitedsiblings
Dudley Schroeder (Pretoria), PASA
Gary Cummiskey (Johannesburg), Dye Hard Press
Goodenough Mashego (Johannesburg), writer
Jane Henshall (Cape Town), Literature Project Co-ordinator South Africa, British Council
Kays Mguni (Johannesburg), Xarra Books
Kundayi Masanzu (Johannesburg), ANFASA
Liepollo Rantekoa (Cape Town, South Africa), Chimurenga Magazine
Madala Thepa (Johannesburg), journalist
Makosha Dimo (Elim, South Africa), Timbila Poetry Project
Mark Weinberg (Cape Town), Alternative Information Development Centre (AIDC)
Mark Espin (Cape Town), writer
Martin Njanga (Nairobi, Kenya), Storymoja Hay Festival
Matome Seima (Polokwane, South Africa), Dinkwe Publishing
Muhtar Bakare (Lagos, Nigeria), Farafina Magazine
Mxolisi Nyezwa (Port Elizabeth, South Africa), Kotaz Publishing
Natalia Molebatsi (Johannesburg), writer
Owen Early (Johannesburg), Bacchus Books
Palesa Mazamisa (Johannesburg), writer
Phakama Mbonambi (Johannesburg), wordsetc. Magazine
Phehello Mokofeng (Johannesburg), Ge’ko Publishing
Robert Berold (Johannesburg), Deep South
Rose Francis (Johannesburg), African Perspectives
Sabata-mpho Mokae (Kimberley, South Africa), Sol T Plaatje Library and Museum
Sandile Ngidi (Johannesburg), Baobab Magazine
Thabisani Ndlovu, writer
Ulla Wester (Johannesburg), Library & Information Services Sub-Saharan Africa, Goethe-Institut
Vonani Bila (Elim, South Africa), Timbila Poetry Project
Zwelethemba Twalo (Johannesburg), Jozi Spoken Words Fest
 Independent and progressive publishers’ network meeting

Khanya College Winter School 2009

‘Crisis and Resistance’

Date: 6 – 7 August 2009

Venue: Board Room of Museum Africa, Newtown, Johannesburg

Aims and objectives of the network meeting

The Khanya College network meeting of independent and progressive publishers in southern African
countries is inspired by Khanya College’s Winter School theme ‘Crisis and Resistance’. Independent
publishers today face a number of difficulties, and the biggest obstacle is the limited possibilities of
physical distribution of publications in southern Africa and the rest of the continent. At the same time, while
more young and vibrant writers emerge, independent and non-commercial publishers cannot access the
services of commercial international distribution services. As a response, independent publishers choose
different ways to gain visibility and to reach a larger audience, mainly through internet publishing and
distribution. However, while these informal and individually crafted approaches can be very successful, a
collective approach towards distribution, which is based on principles of solidarity and support of smaller
alternative publishers, still needs to be established. In this context, publishers invited to the Khanya
Network meeting of independent publishers will be presented with the question ‘What can be done?’ and
invited to share their knowledge and experiences as a starting point for the creation of a publisher’s
network.

The network meeting will examine conditions of local distribution and representation, as well as the
possible collaboration of independent publishers. Participants are invited to engage in a forum to discuss
appropriate responses and strategies to the situation locally and internationally. These include linking the
network with the National Library services, as well as the education system in South Africa, the exploration
of possible access to a wider Anglophone audience in the global South (India, Indonesia, Australia, New
Zealand, and elsewhere) through book fairs, literary festivals, literary awards as well as digital publishing
initiatives, such as CMS-based internet publications (see for instance: Chimurenga Library, documenta 12
magazines).

Building a wider network for independent publishers

Publishers of local and indigenous language literature, critical and cutting edge writing, ranging from small
and self-funded publishing projects, magazines and journals to NGOs, social justice organisations and
resource centres are invited to network and link with each other. The meeting will invite writers and cultural
activists as well as governmental and civil society cultural institutions, such as writing centres and
independently organised libraries. Through networking and exchange, other ways of distribution will be
explored, for instance through creating links to local libraries and departments of literature at South African
and international universities. This way, the network also intends to offer access of young scholars to non-
academic journals, in order to facilitate an exchange about information related to upcoming publications,
workshops, reading events and other forms of literature-related activity. Additionally, a discussion of digital
forms of publishing and editing, for instance through Content Management Systems, will give editors
access to information about digital publishing and the facilitation of exchange of texts and articles.
Moreover, economic and technical questions will be discussed and different forms of publishing presented.

Target audience

There is a range of independent publishers in African countries who produce new and progressive writing
in the fields of fiction, social sciences and philosophy. Their resources for distribution to other African
countries is limited, and often it is difficult to even set up consistent points of sale in the countries of
publication. In an attempt to strategise around this issue, Khanya College invites independent and
progressive publishers from Sub-Saharan Africa to a series of workshops and network meetings which
take place in the framework of the annual Khanya College Winter School and the first Jozi Book Fair.

Khanya College Winter School 2009

Khanya College Winter School will take place from 30 July to 9 August 2009 in the form of an education
festival in Johannesburg, South Africa. The annual Winter School was launched in July 1999 and
represents an important step in Khanya College’s response to the changing political and economic
environment within which social movements and broader civil society organisations have to work. In many
different ways, Khanya College programmes seek to assist communities in the difficult task of developing
their responses to globalisation and its various manifestations. Over the last ten years, the school has
been an important point of convergence for organisations as a platform for debate, discussion, political
theory, practical skills, networking and solidarity building.

This year, the Winter School will bring together 600 social justice activists and development practitioners,
and over 1000 members of the public from South and southern Africa for a period of ten days for a range
of different events. For the first time, the school will be located in the Johannesburg city centre, thereby
giving more activists the possibility to participate in the school. At the same time, the cultural programme
features an art exhibition, a spoken word and theatre festival, thus hoping to extend the school’s
programme to a larger audience. This way, the college realises the opportunity to firmly profile the
institution in the public domain. Khanya College hopes that the annual Winter School will contribute to
regional responses that continue to emphasise social solidarity, popular democracy, organisation and
mobilisation.

The theme of the Winter School 2009 is ‘Crisis and Resistance’, and will focus on the current world
economic crisis which is probably the single most important development of the last 40, or even 80 years.
The crisis has dealt a devastating blow to the international capitalist system, and should be identified as
an event that will shape the fate of millions around the world. However, it has become clear that without
fighting against the resulting socio-economic conditions, the poor will not realize the promise of change
that the crisis has opened up. The Winter School 2009 aims at developing political strategies of resistance
and to provide a platform for the analysis of the current context, as well as to elaborate appropriate
strategies to build and strengthen mass organisations of the working class, and therefore the realization of
social justice by social movements.

Brief note on Khanya College

Khanya College is an independent non-governmental organisation based in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Established in 1986, the primary aim of Khanya College is to assist various constituencies within working
class and poor communities to respond to the challenges posed by the forces of economic and political
organisation. Khanya College offers assistance through providing educational and training workshops,
publications and research to organisations and individuals in these communities. Khanya College
contributes to these challenges by emphasising solutions based on social solidarity, popular democracy
and participation, organisation and mobilisation.

The mission of Khanya College is to:

- Provide education which is relevant for the needs of historically oppressed communities;
- Contribute to the strengthening of community based organisations, trade unions and non-governmental
organisations;
- Contribute to a process of social change and development; and to
- Operate democratically, accountable and efficiently.

The college is committed to serving organisations and individuals from working class and poor
communities. The college is politically non-sectarian in its relationships with the various organisations from
the communities it serves.

Over the many years of its work with mass organisations the college's main constituencies are the
emerging social movements in town and country, trade unions, community based organisations, student
and youth organisations, churches and ecumenical organisations, cooperatives, and non-governmental
organisations.

Whereas the college works mainly with organised constituencies, some of the programmes do provide
space for participation by individual activists and development practitioners. Khanya College services
constituencies and organisations all over South Africa, in Southern Africa as well as other parts of the
world.
Details of participants and publishing houses

Baobab South African Journal of New Writing

Editor: Sandile Ngidi
E-mail: info@baobabjournal.co.za
E-mail: editor@baobabjournal.co.za
Address:
Baobab Journal Trust
21 Chiswick Street
Brixton, Johannesburg
South Africa
Tel: +27 11 830 2694
Fax: +27 11 830 2697
www.baobabjournal.co.za

Baobab’s founding editor Andries Walter Oliphant talks about the inspiration behind Baobab:
The dissolution of apartheid and colonialism ended South Africa’s prolonged isolation from the world. It
also brought down the institutional barriers erected between the various cultures within the society. Now
just over a decade since the democratisation of South Africa and in a rapidly changing context the need to
enhance creative and critical communication within and across the borders of South Africa has taken on a
new urgency in the light of challenges to entrench democracy and promote social and cultural exchange.
We felt we had to facilitate this exchange through literature but realised that many journals which
spearheaded literary and cultural change during the apartheid era were now defunct. Baobab seeks to fill
this gap by providing a vehicle for a broad range of writing, including fiction, poetry, drama, autobiography,
biography, travel writing and criticism. It is dedicated to internal and external literary and cultural dialogues
on issues affecting South Africa and other parts of Africa and the diaspora. Located in South Africa, it will
primarily publish and promote new South African writing in English while at the same time connecting local
literatures with each other through translation.
Funded by the Department of Arts and Culture, Baobab is an independent project of the South African
Book Development Council.

Botsotso Publishing
Editor: Allan Kolski Horwitz
E-Mail: botsotso@artslink.co.za
Address: P O Box 30952, Braamfontein, 2017, Johannesburg, South Africa
Tel: +27.11.487 2112
www.botsotso.org.za

Botsotso Publishing is a grouping of poets, writers and artists who wish to both create art, as well as to
generate the means for its public exposure and appreciation. For Botsotso, art is of and about the varied
cultures and life experiences of people as expressed in the many languages spoken and written in South
Africa. The publication policy is committed to a proliferation of styles and a multiplicity of themes and
characters. Multidisciplinary art forms and performances are similarly embraced. Botsotso works with
interaction: the different elements of the South African mosaic colliding, synthesizing – affected both by
social forces and the individual's uniqueness.
Cassava Republic Press
Editor: Bibi Bakare-Yusuf
Email: editor@cassavarepublic.biz
7 Sangha St, Off Mississippi St
Maitama
Abuja
Nigeria
www.cassavarepublic.biz

Cassava Republic Press is obsessed with changing the way we think about African fiction. We think that
contemporary African writing should be rooted in African experience in all its diversity, whether set in filthy-
yet-sexy megacities such as Lagos, in little-known rural communities, in the recent past or indeed the near
future. We also think the time has come to build a new body of African writing that links writers across
different times and spaces, following the marvellous example of the African Writers Series in the past.
We publish fiction, non-fiction and children’s books. A lot of our non-fiction output will focus on socio-
cultural and historical events. We’re keen to ensure that history is understood as a set of questions
forever to be addressed, rather simply as facts and dates. We work hard to ensure that our children’s
books are beautifully made, inspiring the young ones among us to develop a love of books from an early
age.
More than anything, we try to make our books as affordable as possible, without any sacrifice of quality.
Our books are as nicely made as any books you might find anywhere on the planet.
Finally, apart from churning out books, we also organise writing workshops and school writers-in-
residence programmes under our RAW (Reading And Writing) Initiative.

Chimurenga Magazine
Editor: Ntone Edjabe
E-Mail: info@chimurenga.co.za
Address:
Chimurenga Magazine
PO Box 15117, Vlaeberg, 8018, South Africa.
Tel: +27 21 422 4168
Fax: +27 21 4241673
www.chimurenga.co.za
www.myspace.com/whonoknowgoknow
www.chimurengalibrary.co.za/

Chimurenga, a pan African publication of writing, art and politics has been in print since March 2002. It
was founded by Ntone Edjabe. The journal is published on the page three times per year, online monthly
and through themed performances called "Chimurenga Sessions." The intellectual project has snaked
from a Miltonian swamp of murky morality and "paradigms lost" if not into a Garden of Eden, at least into a
more lucid landscape where intellect, integrity and humanity are valid tools for growth. A flowering of
organic schools of thought grown in backyard gardens, tilled and fertilised by the fundamentals of
humanity preached and sometimes practiced. Fela says, simply: Who no know go know.
Dinkwe Productions
Matome Seima
seimamz@gmail.com
http://dinkwe.book.co.za/blog

‘Nkwe’ or ‘Tiger’ is the specific totem of the Batlokwa, who live 55 kilometres north of the City of
Polokwane in Limpopo Province. They are the only people using this totem in Limpopo – and probably in
South Africa. To them it is a symbol of bravery and intelligence; every Tlokwa person is addressed as
‘Nkwe’ as a sign of respect. It is in the spirit of this tradition that Dinkwe Productions hopes to gather brave
and brilliant brains under one roof. All people are welcome to engage on issues raised in its blog; and
writers are encouraged to submit their manuscripts for review and possible publication.
Matome Seima Mehlodi ya Botlokwa is the publisher of Dinkwe Productions, he was born in Botlokwa
north of Polokwane in Limpopo Province. He obtained his Matric at Rampo High School. He then
proceeded to the then University of the North were he enrolled for an LLB degree, currently he is pursuing
this degree with Unisa. His first book of poetry titled “Mehlodi ya Botlokwa” was published by UL Press in
2004. In 2005 he won an award for outstanding poet of the year from the International Society of Poets.
He was unable to attend the ceremony in Washington DC, USA. He has written both radio and stage
dramas. His poetry appeared in various poetry journals. His second book “Lerumo la Setshaba” is to be
released soon.

Farafina Magazine
Editor: Muhtar Bakare
E-Mail: info@farafinamagazine.com
Address:
8th Floor, SIO Towers
25 Boyle Street
Onikan, Lagos
Nigeria
Tel: +234-702-533-5538
Tel: +234 702 805 3205
www.kachifo.com
www.farafinamagazine.com

Farafina magazine is a general interest magazine based out of Lagos Nigeria. The magazine provides a
high quality medium for Nigerians (and people all over the world) to frely express their worldview. It is
dedicated to the best in contemporary Nigerian ideas; intelligent without being pompous, well researched
without being academic and opinionated without being pedantic. Farafina presents the complexities in
Nigeria as they exist; the good, the bad and especially the progressive.
Farafina started as a free online magazine in 2004, publishing prose and poetry by contemporary Nigerian
writers. The first issue of the rpint magazine was published in October of 2005. As of June 2008, 14 issues
of the magazine have been published.
Editions of the magazine have been guest edited by the writers Molara Wood, Uzodinma Iweala,
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Laila Lalami and Petina Gappah.
Farafina Magazine has featured the works of Wole Soyinka, Segun Afolabi, Chris Abani, Jerry Riley, Uche
James Iroha, Dinaw Mengestu, Helon Habila, Jackie Lebo, Binyavanga Wainaina, Patrice Nganang, Jide
Alaskija, Hisham Matar, Olga Grushin, Teju Cole, Kelechi Amadi-Obi and a plethora of other writers and
artists.
Modjaj Books
Modjaji Books, started in 2007 by Colleen Higgs is a small independent press, based in Cape Town that
publishes the writings of Southern African women. In a short time Modjaji Books has made a name for
herself with Tracey Farren's Whiplash being short-listed for the 2009 Sunday Times Fiction Prize and
Megan Hall's Fourth Child receiving the 2008 Ingrid Jonker Prize for a debut volume of poetry.

New Frank Talk Press

Editor: Andile Mngxitama
Email: Andilem@fhr.org.za
Andile Mngxitama is a writer, activist and a black consciousness adherent. He co-edited the publication
“Biko Lives!” (Palmgrave Macmillan, 2008) and works as columnist for the City Press and the Sowetan
news papers. He is currently active in Blackwash the blacks only counter culture, counter politics
initiatives... he is the founder and publisher of NEW FRANK TALK: Critical Essays on the Black Condition.

Ge’ko Publishing
Editor: Phehello Mokofeng
Email: phehello@bko.co.za
Physical address:
2nd Floor, Kruis House
19 Harries Street
Marshalltown, Johannesburg 2000

Postal address
PO Box 46662
Linden
South Africa
Tel: +27 83 991 6647, +27 72 119 5004
www.unitydesign.co.za

Ge'ko Publishing is a young publishing company focusing on exposing South Africa's emerging literary
talent to the market. The company is a joint venture between Unity Design (www.unitydesign.co.za) and
BKO (www.bko.co.za) and grew out of the vibrant Johannesburg spoken word scene of the early 21st
century. Ge'ko is setting up alternate distribution networks within Gauteng and offers unique deals to
writers and musicians, allowing artists to take personal ownership of the sale of their products, and to
benefit accordingly.
Ge'ko Publishing has published the following books: ‘Bless me Father” by Mario d'Offizi, ‘Ukuhluma:
Seedlings of a poetic voice’ by Themba Zulu, ‘Ke Tšeo Ditaola Kgaphamamila’ by Mabutheto Literature,
‘Hintsa's Ghost’ by Andrew Miller, ‘Banana Crates & Wire Mesh’ by Mario d'Offizi, ‘Getting up: Thoughts on
Falling’ by Andrew Miller.
Kwani?
Editors: Angela Wachuka, Billy Kahora, Binyavanga Wainaina, Erick Orende
Email: info@kwani.org
Physical address:
Kwani Trust
2nd floor
Savla Plaza
Mogotio Road (off Parklands Road, opposite Holiday Inn)
Nairobi
Postal address:
P. O. Box 2895
Nairobi 00100
KENYA
Tel: +254 020 374 5210
Fax:+254 020 374 5205
www.kwani.org

Kwani? is a journal, a performance, a website and a way of life. Founded in 2003 by Binyavanga Wainaina
and a cohort of the most exciting young writers in Kenya, Kwani? has thrust African literature into the 21st
century. We publish the hottest new journalism and fiction, cartoons and photography, poetry and
experimental writing on the scene, pushing literary boundaries so far they end up falling off the page and
landing on stage: Our monthly Open Mic and Sunday Salon events have become a staple of Nairobi's
nightlife, drawing everyone from hip hop kings and queens to university students and professors alike. To
top it all off, the annual Kwani? Litfest, held in the first two weeks of August, draws an international cast of
celebrated writers to Kenya for the ultimate celebration of all things literary.

Storymoja Hay Literature Festival

Martin Njanga

Storymoja is an initiative of five writers who came together two years ago to build a reading culture in our
country. More specifically, we are a publishing house that is focused on producing books that meet world
class standards and that tell the Kenyan as well as the wider East African story. In the two years that we
have been operational, we have produced and marketed a range of books both for adults and children.
We have a functional editorial department that has been on the fore front in gathering, editing and
producing the books we currently market. At the fore front of this department is Doreen Baingana, a Caine
prize nominated author who also won the Commonwealth prize for writing in 2005. Storymoja also
features Muthoni Garland, nominee for the 2006 Caine Prize as CEO.
This last weekend, Storymoja hosted in Nairobi the very first Storymoja Hay Festival ever to be held on
the African continent. This was a celebration of books and ideas and for three days, brought together
renown writers such as Hanif Kureishi, Vikram Seth and emerging African writers such as Petinah
Gappah.
Timbila
Editor: Vonani Bila
E-Mail: timbila@telkomsa.net
Address:
Box 2870
Polokwane 0700
South Africa
Tel: +27 15 2912088
www.timbilapoetry.blogspot.com

Timbila is a journal of new poetry which seeks to encourage writing in South Africa in the languages
appropriate to our needs. The journal is published once a year and invites contributions from the whole
country, Africa and abroad, linking the local with the international.
The journal of onion skin poetry is five years old, fully and solely devoted to fresh South African poetry and
defining new poetic standards. Peel these layers of poetry carefully. Share emotions wrapped in these
pages with everyone around you. Start a Timbila poetry appreciation club in your school, campus,
community, street and workplace. Invite your favourite Timbila poets and request your local radio journalist
to accord them time to read their poems to the public. Inform the principal of the school in your community
that a school library (if one exists) without Timbila is a complete disaster. Ask a local journalist to review
your favourite publication, and write more about the poets in your community. Choose some of the best
poems and request the language teacher in the neighbourhood to use them in the classroom. Tell your
mother and dad, wife or husband, brother or sister and friends that Timbila must be in the hands of every
citizen of South Africa. Visit the hotel and guest house in the neighbourhood and tell them that the Bible
alone in each room is not sufficient literature. Let them place Timbila in every room.
Get the pulse of South Africa dreamt, lived and forgotten through poems that speak to your reality. Once
you’ve performed the above poetic rituals, then you’ll discover why everyone is talking about the robust,
vibrant and uncompromising new South African poetry.

wordsetc.
Publisher: Phakama Mbonambi
E-Mail: info@wordsetc.co.za
Physical address: 20 Crucible Road, Heriotdale, Johannesburg, 2094
Postal address: P.O. Box 2729, Saxonwold, 2132

Tel: 011 626 2676

Fax: 0860 510 5716
www.wordsetc.co.za
www.wordsetc.book.co.za/blog

Wordsetc is a new quarterly literary journal that promotes local literature. The publication was launched in
2007 and addresses a South African public that is deeply into books and believes in the power of literature
to their enrich lives. It aims at a discerning audience. While primarily providing a platform for emerging
writers, it also pays homage to old literary masters. It also carries absorbing content by international
authors.