The Time of the Writer Festival recently wrapped up its 28th edition in Durban, South Africa!

Taking place March 18-23, 2025, the festival explored the theme “Imagination, Freedom & Accountability, which, per guest festival curator, Shafinaaz Hassim “calls on each of us to imagine a better world with wider freedoms for all.”

The 28th Time of the Writer Festival was “a celebration of all those stories and the people who tell them. This edition of the festival highlighted memoirs, both personal and political. Featured memoirs included Irascible Genius: A Son’s Memoir by Kevin van Wyk, son of the Storyteller of Riverlea, Chris Van Wyk and Oupa Segalwe’s Lucas Mangope: A Life which examines the public and private life of the traditional leader and politician.

John Van De Ruit, author of the Spud YA book series, was the featured author at the 28th edition of the festival. In conversation with Karabo Kgoleng, Van De Ruit reflected on his twenty-five-year-long career as an actor, author, and playwright.

A significant moment in the program was the announcement of the inaugural DALRO Can Themba Merit Award for short writing, launched by The Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal together with the Dramatic, Artistic & Literary Rights Organisation (DALRO). The short story writing competition aims to celebrate the legacy of one of South Africa’s literary giants, Can Themba, while at the same time creating a platform for emerging short story writers to showcase their talent and creativity. Details about entry requirements and submission guidelines for the competition were announced at the launch and the submission deadline closed recently on April 11.

The festival hosted a number of international writers on this local platform such as journalist Pakistani-British journalist Arjumand Wajid and Ukranian journalist Yuliia Iliukha, in addition to South African writers and scholars like Lucas Ledwaba, Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu, and Vishwas Satgar.

The festival also honored Karen Jennings, “a local writer shining on the international stage,” who is the author of Crooked Seeds (2024) and a longlist nominee for the Booker Prize for An Island (2020).

Over five days, participants had the opportunity to attend a diverse collection of panels ranging in topics from South African crime fiction to misogyny and women’s literature to representation in youth fiction. The festival also included a series called “Poetic Symphony” featuring Poetry Africa slam poetry champions from recent years. The festival hosted several online panels allowing literature lovers all over the world to participate.

The Time of the Writer Festival is an annual literature festival hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts, an interdisciplinary hub based at the University of KwaZulu Natal. The festival is one of Durban’s flagship events that honors the city’s legacy as a UNESCO City of Literature. The 28th edition of the festival was funded by the National Arts Council of South Africa and the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Check out photos from the event (from the Time of the Writer Facebook page) below!