The Jakes Gerwel Foundation (JGF), LitNet and Huisgenoot welcome submissions for their fourth annual Kommadagga Workshop on short story writing for magazines.
The three-week workshop / residency takes place from 16 October to 5 November 2023 at the historic Paulet House, the JGF’s charming home-away-from-home for writers in the lovely oasis town of Somerset East in the Eastern Cape.
Editor/Publisher/Literary Agent Fourie Botha and trailblazing Publisher/Owner of Blackbird Books Thabiso Mahlape will mentor successful candidates on the fine art of short story writing.
Says Fourie: “All writers have stories. What they don’t have is time. Who these days gets the opportunity to work undisturbed for a week or two or three to get your stories on paper? It’s a gift and I’m going to help writers use this time as effectively as possible. Different writers need different things at different times: a sounding board, a cheerleader, an extra pair of eyes. I want to try to be all these things to these few people.”
Interested writers must submit their applications to the executive director of the Jakes Gerwel Foundation, Theo Kemp, at theo@jgf.org.za by 31 July 2023.
Your application should include the following:
- A 2000-word short story in Afrikaans or English typed in Times New Roman 12 pt and with double-spacing
- A short motivational letter explaining how you will benefit from the mentorship
- A concise bio
The names of successful applicants will be announced on 15 September 2023
The residency includes:
- National return tickets to Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), if needed
- Transport between the airport and Somerset East
- A comfortable ‘room-with-a-view’ of your own
- Housekeeping services
- Delicious meals prepared by the Foundation’s resident chef
- Fellowship with other writers and enrichment through the exchange of ideas and knowledge
- Writing and learning without the interruption of loadshedding
- Unlimited access to the Internet
- Ample space to write in quiet spots inside and outside the house
- Breaks in which to enjoy the lush garden and explore the natural beauty of the town
Following mentorship in Somerset East:
- Huisgenoot offers the candidates the opportunity to publish their short stories in the printed magazine and online.
- See https://www.netwerk24.com/huisgenoot/vermaak/kortverhale
- Huisgenoot will pay the candidates for their stories.
- Stories written in English will be translated into Afrikaans.
- Writers must follow Huisgenoot’s publishing guidelines as outlined on the website
- Edna Ellman, Huisgenoot’s Fiction Editor will guide the candidates to publication of their short stories.
- Candidates will also be given the opportunity to write for LitNet, the online literary journal.
More about the mentors:
Fourie Botha has worked in publishing for the past twenty years – for nine of those as Penguin Random House’s fiction publisher. Under imprints such as Umuzi, he published the work of many well-known South African writers and guided dozens of debut authors to publication. Publications at Penguin and Umuzi won South Africa’s most important English book prize, the Sunday Times Literary Prize, for eight years in a row. Fourie works in both Afrikaans and English and was a member of an international think tank for editors while at Penguin. He is currently vice-chair of Khula Cape, a foundation for the promotion of literature, the arts, and the environment. Fourie is also the author of two collections of poetry, Donkerkamer and Krap uit die see. His debut collection was nominated for the Ingrid Jonker Prize. He currently works as a literary agent and freelance editor.
Thabiso Mahlape is a trailblazing publisher who is the owner of Blackbird Books. Blackbird Books, a globally recognised publishing house, was founded in August 2015, the first black owned publishing imprint in South Africa. The launch of Blackbird Books transformed the South African literary landscape and since 2015, Blackbird has put an immense amount of effort in pioneering and establishing a home for new African narratives and stories that reflect the African experience. Publisher/writer/speaker/businesswoman Mahlape holds a Bachelor of Information Science degree specialising in publishing from the University of Pretoria.
About the partners:
The Jakes Gerwel Foundation continues to build on the considerable legacy of the late Professor Jakes Gerwel, who excelled as educator, liberator, patron of the arts and businessperson.
The Foundation’s aim is to promote and expand South African literature in general. Read more about the Jakes Gerwel Foundation at www.jgf.org.za
The Foundation is proud of their partnership with LitNet and Huisgenoot
Read more about the partners:
LitNet: www.litnet.co.za
Huigenoot: www.netwerk24.com
Thabiso Mahlape is a trailblazing publisher who is the owner of Blackbird Books. Blackbird Books, a globally recognised publishing house, was founded in August 2015, the first black owned publishing imprint in South Africa. The launch of Blackbird Books transformed the South African literary landscape and since 2015, Blackbird has put an immense amount of effort in pioneering and establishing a home for new African narratives and stories that reflect the African experience. Publisher/writer/speaker/businesswoman Mahlape holds a Bachelor of Information Science degree specialising in publishing from the University of Pretoria.
Fourie Botha het die afgelope twintig jaar in uitgewerskantore gewerk – die laaste nege as Penguin Random House se fiksieuitgewer. Onder drukname soos Umuzi het hy en sy span redakteurs die werk van menige bekende Suid-Afrikaanse skrywers uitgegee en tientalle debuutskrywers tot publikasie begelei. Sy publikasies by Penguin en Umuzi het vir agt jaar in ’n ry Suid-Afrika se belangrikste Engelse boekprys, die Sunday Times-prys, ingepalm. Hy werk in beide Afrikaans en Engels en was ook vir twee jaar deel van ’n internasionale dinkskrum van redakteurs. Verder het hy die wêreld se belangrikste boekebeurse in Londen en Frankfurt bygewoon om regte te verkoop. Fourie het in die verlede op die raad van die kinderboekorganisasie IBBY gedien en hy is tans ondervoorsitter van Khula Cape, ’n stigting vir die bevordering van letterkunde, die kunste en die omgewing. Fourie is self ook 'n digter met twee digbundels, Donkerkamer en Krap uit die see, op sy kerfstok. Sy debuutbundel is vir die Ingrid Jonker-prys benoem. Tans werk hy as agent vir ’n literêre agentskap. Hy woon in Kaapstad.
