Fresh off winning From Pitch to Publication in Johannesburg this May, Philisiwe Twijnstra is having a well-earned moment. Her upcoming collection, Flying Cows and Other Traumas, features surreal stories set in Black South African townships and imagined African kingdoms. The stories explore themes like family, resilience, and transformation.

To mark this creative milestone, she recently shared a stunning photo shoot on Instagram, captured by Dutch photographer and actor Les Kaczmarek (@ies_kaczmarek). What began as a celebration of her book deal evolved into something deeper.

Philisiwe Twijnstra’s work spans theatre, television, and fiction and draws from queer speculative elements while centering Black women’s experiences.

The book deal and the photo shoot are the start of Philisiwe beginning towards new creative networks and artistic space in this next chapter of life.

Stay tuned. Big things are on the way from this storyteller!