One of the most fundamental parts of literature is the ability to dismantle barriers and connect people. Through reading, you’re able to put yourself in other people’s shoes and empathise with events and circumstances outside yourself.
With the state of the world at the moment, it is most imperative that we remind ourselves of these ideals, to return to each other so we can make sense of what is happening together and to remind each other that we’re still here. Institutions like the Centre for Creative Arts (CCA) are one of many who seek to do that.
The 29th edition of the Time of the Writer Festival, presented by the CCA at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, is bringing book lovers and creatives something more than just book launches and talks, it seeks to break boundaries and bring people together in a common goal of using art and literature to amplify voices and challenge notions of power.
Under multi-award-winning author and sociologist Shafinaaz Hassim’s curatorial vision, the festival is leaning into a hybrid model to ensure that South African stories and experiences reach a wider audience while deeply rooting themselves in local communities.
“I am excited about this year because the structure has changed,” Hassim begins.
“Instead of a single-week festival, we have three concurrent programs running from the 23rd to the 29th. We have the online festival, the Isizulu program, the Afrikaans program, and a range of conversations around AI, lived experience and memoir.”
An exciting addition to this year’s edition is the inaugural Children’s Festival from the 23rd to the 26th. With her experience of almost 20 years in the industry, Hassim’s dedication to writing for women and championing emerging writers is echoed in how she is taking authors to the children at art centres like the Luthuli Museum and city libraries, ensuring that their young minds are engaged with intention.
“Our festival programme is curated to reach audiences far and wide by taking uniquely South African stories and experiences to the world,” Hassim explains.
This digital pivot is not just about convenience; it is also about accessibility and overcoming funding and geographical limitations. By having virtual sessions, the festival is able to not just stream to people outside of the country but they can also host international heavyweights and local legends who might otherwise be out of reach.
A cornerstone of this virtual expansion is the inclusion of acclaimed author Zakes Mda. Recently part of a landmark US class-action lawsuit against the unauthorised use of books to train AI, the author headlines an online panel discussing the implications of artificial intelligence on intellectual property.
He will be joined by industry expert, Arthur Goldstuck, and moderated by Angelo Fick, addressing an anxiety the creative space is grappling with: how AI challenges traditional modes of storytelling and copyright.
The hybrid model is important in bringing people together, but it is the festival’s commitment to stories rooted in lived experiences, memories, and activism that ensure it stays true to its patrons.
This year’s theme, Ink-stitutional Power, explores power through the lens of courageous memoirs. Hassim explains that “while last year’s theme was about shifting consciousness through writing, this year is about how we smash stereotypes and challenges through our work.”
Through their selections of fiction, academic and political writers the festival interrogates corruption and gives voice to the oppressed.
“Our featured writers, Dr. Antjie Krog and professor Njabulo Ndebele, have a wealth of experience. They will share how they’ve challenged institutional power through their entire literary careers. We want to see how we can take that bait and run with it.”
In the stacked programme, Melinda Ferguson and Thobeka Yose, who won the Canex Prize last year, will interrogate personal narratives, while Jonathan Amid explores Afrikaans Across the Ages, looking at how language evolves to capture local cultures and reader nostalgia. The festival also continues to position literature as a powerful tool for activism.
In a highly anticipated session, Danyela Demir talks to Zukiswa Wanner about her memoir detailing her experience on the Global Sumud Flotilla to Gaza.
Alongside activists like South African Jews for a Free Palestine’s Megan Choritz and Palestinian-American author and scientist, Susan Abulhawa, the panel will explore how words can break “psychological sieges” and inspire political conscience.
As Hassim notes, “In the context of global conflict, these works serve as vital witness to genocide”.
Perhaps the most significant addition to the 29th edition is the dedicated Children’s Festival. This extension of the programme is designed to entertain and inspire the next generation of storytellers, ensuring the future of South African storytelling is vibrant and diverse.
Hassim is adamant that if we want to create a lasting reading culture, we must treat young readers not as students, but as active participants.
“Time of the Writer has always had a broad outreach – going to campuses like DUT and MUT, the KZN Deaf and Blind Society and even prisons. The Children’s Festival is an extension of that.” Hassim adds, reiterating that rather than requiring audiences to come to them, the festival is taking the stories to the people and the children.
Events will be hosted across Ethekwini municipality’s city libraries, including Amaoti, New Germany and Umlazi West, as well as the Luthuli Museum. The goal is to move beyond the idea of reading as something prescribed and instead present it as a source of joy and imagination. The Children’s Festival is putting the ‘fun’ in ukufunda!
Nathi Ngubane will lead cartooning workshops, sharing his latest work Malcolm X in Gaza. Salamina Mosese brings stories to life through song and musical narrative, while Khwezi Mthethwa, a 17-year-old author, serves as an inspiration to the young ones, showing them that their own stories are worth documenting.
Using industry connections and partnerships with entities like Nalibali, an NGO dedicated to promoting children’s literature, the festival goes beyond reading by offering a two-day workshop at the KZNSA Gallery for adults interested in the art of writing for younger readers, led by publisher, Thabiso Mahlape.
This being her second year curating this festival, Hassim responds to what she believes would be her greatest contribution, especially as someone who has participated in the past as a writer.
“Gratitude for the platform,” she says, “I appeared for the first time as a young author in 2013. I’ve watched this festival grow and face challenges. Dr. Ismail Mahomed came in about five or six years ago and brought incredible expertise. For me, I wanted to give back.
“I brought a focus on diverse voices – celebrating independently published, self-published, and traditionally published authors across small and big presses. I hope I’ve left the impression that we are celebrating literature across the board.”
For Ismail Mahomed, the Director of the Centre for Creative Arts, the festival is a site for “literary enjoyment, critical thinking, resistance, and solidarity.” It is an ever-growing ecosystem supported by the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the National Arts Council, designed to grow the market for South African literature far beyond our borders.
The Time of the Writer Festival also sets the stage for the upcoming 5th World Slam Poetry Competition in October 2026. On this, Shafinaaz says, “Just before the festival starts, on Human Rights Day (March 21st), there will be a Poetic Symphony put together by Sibahle Khwela, the curator of Poetry Africa.”
The event promises to be a powerhouse day of slam poets doing their thing to kick everything off, and further cementing Durban’s status as a place to be for literary excitement.
This year’s edition of the Time of the Writer Festival will take place live at the KZNSA Gallery in Durban and virtually on Facebook and YouTube from 23-28 March 2026. In a commitment to true accessibility, all events are free to the public.
So, whether you are logging in from the comfort of your home or joining a workshop in a local library or dancing with the children, the message of the festival is clear: the story belongs to everyone.
For more information and to view the full schedule, visit https://tow.ukzn.ac.za/29th-online/.
The Time of the Writer Festival returns with a bold hybrid vision, using literature to challenge power, amplify voices and reconnect communities across borders