“Die Stigting het vir my ‘n deur oopgemaak wat ek nie geweet het bestaan nie.” Jodie Groener
“Die lesse kleef aan my vel en ek sal hierdie ervaring nooit vergeet nie.” Daylen Tobias
“Ek het nie net oor die tegniese aspekte van liriekskrywing geleer nie, maar ook meer oor die bedryf. Die twee weke sal ek altyd met my saamdra.” Monique Basson
“Dit is die beste ding wat met enige opkomende kunstenaar kan gebeur en as ek kon, sou ek dit oor en oor doen, ‘n Mens se sak loop oor van alles wat jy daar leer.” Bryson Appels
“Ek is baie dank verskuldig aan die Jakes Gerwel Stigting vir die geleentheid.” Alex Marshall
“You might not know this, but it was the best thing to ever happen to my career as a writer.” Sihle Qwabe
“Wat ek die meeste waardeur van die program is die selfvertroue wat ek opgebou het, vertroue in my verbeelding en die stories en karakters wat daaruit kom.” Crystal Donna Roberts
“It was my first time experiencing something like this – to be cared for, cooked for, to be given a comfortable room with an electric blanket, to be flown to another province! All because I am a writer.” Tebello Mzamo
“The environment sparked so much fire in me and I wanted to live in the moment forever. Needless to say, I reached a level of creativity I never deemed possible.” Jane Mpholo
“Benewens die voorreg om ongehinderd te kon skryf, het ek ook die huis, my skryfmaats en die geselsery daar baie geniet en terselfdertyd baie geleer.” Salvia Ockhuis
“Met die aanvang en verloop van die pandemie was dit asof daar iets in my doodgegaan het. Ek kon nie meer skryf nie. Die wegkom van alles, tesame met die ongelooflike voorreg om net te kan fokus op skryf het daardie vonkie hier binne my weer laat vlam vat.” Lydia Gittens
“First, let me answer your question. Yes, I think it is quite important. Two reasons are coming to mind. The first one is evident in this email: connecting writers to each other. The more I write, the more evident it is to me that inspiration can come from anywhere, or anyone. And because the blog is specific to JGF-affiliated writers, it both broadens the quantity and deepens the quality of the writers I can connect to. The latter is very important to me; to be perfectly honest, I’m not a fan of going to writing fairs and the like, but because I know and trust the JGF family, I can more easily and authentically connect with fellow wordsmiths.
The second reason is that it provides a rare platform for safe exploration. As a creative, I think a lot about lots of subjects. Most of them don’t see the light of day (and I think that’s both normal and good). This is because ideas need development to make any sense to people living outside our heads. The JGF blog allows me to put down the stuff that feels significant while filtering out unnecessary commentary. Whether in the form of praise or vitriolic dismissal, I think too much feedback too soon isn’t great for writers. Nonetheless, we love sharing our stuff- at least I do. There’s a kind of freedom, breathing of spirit that comes with doing so.” Zama Moyo
“Om saam in ‘n huis te kan woon, soos in Jakes Gerwel se Paulethuis, is ‘n selfkonfronterende ervaring. Dis verrykend en dis vérrykend. Dit blaas mens se kop oop, stel bloot, ontbloot en vier diversiteit en die toorkuns van woorde. Dit was ‘n voorreg om dit vir ‘n paar weke saam met vyf ander skrywers te beleef. Maar hoeveel ander was daar voor my, en hoeveel gaan nog daar woon? As ons mekaar se woorde, in verskillende tale, op een plek soos op die Jakes Gerwel Stigting se blog kan lees, kan ons dalk ‘n idee kry van al die ander skrywers se projekte, gedagtes en narratiewe. Méér as dit: ‘n blog kan die wye wêreld van die web betree en uitsprei soos die heelal – algaande groter. Ons kan mekaar kruisbestuif en partykeer sommer net iets lees wat ons herinner aan die krag van kuns. Ander mense kan dit ook lees. Kuns is nie net daar om te sus en te vermaak nie. Kuns is kragtig. Kuns is belangrik. Dis noodsaaklik.” Naomi Meyer
“Die Importance:Van yt my eie personal experience, is Jakes nie nette writers’ catalyst en facilitator, but oekke cross-pollinator innie writing-wēril en anne platforms, en unobtrusive omtrennit. Besides-ie above, issie Jakes Gerwel Foundation (JGF) Blog important, wan eēstins, represent-it Jakes se legacy, waāvan allie above deēl is. Twīedins doennit dai, nie net moette welcoming, embracing energy, but oek moet bated breath … en wèl inne savvy, worldly wise, en nuanced innerstanding, but oek moet child-like wonder; en dai is mos, nothing short of — prastas man!
“Die Hoekoms: Dērdins capture-rit ‘n goeie percentage vannie crops van niewwe wēk, innie freshly unfolding moment, wat deēsdaë giharvest wōdt, innie viskillinde sociolects, dialects en ideolects, vannie Kaāp se amazing variety van Moerstāle. In dai ways is Jakes se Blog ‘n major catharsist in bai writers se writing-līewins. Ekkis ma net eēn vannie baie, in wie se writing-life catharsis tiweēggibring wōdt deē Jakes en sy legacy — gits, die man isse hero op soe baie levels bihalwe writing! Blog on Jakes. Djy issie net important, but relevant; dái, issie main rīedde hoekom.” Loit Sols
Words / Woorde: Jakes Gerwel Foundation Annual Report 2021/2022 en Jakes Gerwel Foundation Newsletter September 2022
