Visit Amazwi South African Museuem of Literature from 26 - 28 for book launches, performances, and discussions.

“Literature allows us to be open, to listen, and to be curious”.

Tracy K. Smith

Lit-Fest, which is a part of the National Arts Festival, is one of the biggest literature festivals in the country. It attracts word and book lovers from across the province and the country. Lit-Fest allows word artists like writers, poets, storytellers, translators, publishers, editors, and book reviewers to share and exhibit their literary skills. It dishes out a cocktail of literary tastes including book launches, storytelling, poetry reciting, book discussions, workshops, and critical discourses on current issues besetting society. Festivals of this nature produce a conducive ambience for literary activity to thrive and blossom. Each year the Eastern Cape Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture makes deliberate efforts to invite people with high literary credentials, immense experience, and vast depths of knowledge in the field of literature to come and grace the event. This allows for a great deal of cross-pollination of ideas, networking, and information sharing between established, emerging, and budding writers.

It is gratifying to note that a host of emerging writers have benefited immensely from this event. We are very grateful to the high calibre of word artists and writers who have been associated with this event, those who have graced and contributed tremendously to the quality and growth of this festival. The wealth of information and knowledge shared by these luminaries is invaluable. It has inspired and benefited our word artists in unimaginable ways. Book launches will occupy a larger space on the programme since we have numerous emerging writers who have been helped to publish by the Eastern Cape Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture. This year’s 50th National Arts Festival will continue providing a platform for literary artists to be exposed to vast and fruitful opportunities.

Let this special edition of the Lit-Fest and the National Arts Festival not pass you by!

“Uncwadi lusivumela ukuba sivuleleke, simamele, kwaye sibe nomdla”.

 ~UTracy K. Smith

ILit-Fest, eyinxalenye yoMnyhadala wezobuGcisa weSizwe, yenye yeminyhadala emikhulu yoncwadi kweli lizwe. Itsala abathandi bamagama neencwadi abaphuma kwiphondo nakwilizwe liphela. ILit-Fest ivumela amagcisa wamagama afana nababhali, iimbongi, ababalisi bamabali, abaguquleli, abapapashi, abahleli, abaphononongi beencwadi, njl.njl., ukuba babelane kwaye babonise izakhono zabo zoncwadi.  Inika indidi ngendidi zoncwadi ezifana nokwaziswa  kweencwadi ezintsha, ukubalisa amabali, isicengcelezo semibongo, iingxoxo zeencwadi, iindibano zocweyo, kunye neengxoxo ezihlalutya imiba yangoku ethwaxa uluntu. Iminyhadala elolu hlobo ivelisa imo efanelekileyo yomsebenzi woncwadi ukuba uphumelele kwaye uqhakaze. Nyaka ngamnye iSebe lezeMidlalo, uLonwabo, ubuGcisa neNkcubeko eMpuma Koloni lenza iinzame ngeenjongo zokumema abantu abaneziqinisekiso zoncwadi eziphakamileyo, amava, nolwazi olunzulu kwicandelo loncwadi ukuba beze babeyinxalenye yalo msitho. Oku kuvumela ukusasazwa okukhulu kwezimvo, uthungelwano, kunye nokwabelana ngolwazi phakathi kwababhali ekudala bekho, abasakhulayo, nabasakhasayo.

Kuyavuyisa ukubona ukuba intaphane yababhali abasakhulayo bazuze lukhulu kulo msitho. Sibulela kakhulu kudidi oluphezulu lwamagcisa amagama nababhali abathe banxulumana nalo msitho, abo bathe beza kwaye banegalelo elikhulu kumgangatho nokukhula kwalo mnyhadala. Ubutyebi bolwazi olwabiwa ziingcali zoncwadi buxabiseke kakhulu. Ikhuthaze kwaye incede amagcisa ethu amagama ngeendlela ezingenakucingelwa. Ukwaziswa kweencwadi ezintsha kuza kuthatha indawo enkulu kwinkqubo njengoko sinababhali abaninzi abasakhulayo abathe bapapashwa ngoncedo lweSebe lezeMidlalo, uLonwabo, ubuGcisa neNkcubeko eMpuma Koloni.  Umnyhadala wobuGcisa weSizwe wonyaka wama-50 uza kuqhubeka unikeza iqonga lokuba amagcisa oncwadi aboniswe amathuba amakhulu aneziqhamo.

Ungaphoswa lolu hlelo lukhethekileyo lweLit-Fest kunye noMnyhadala woBugcisa weSizwe!