Africa Century International African Writers Conference: 2017 INVITATION

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INVITATION 

The wRite associates in partnership with the department of Afrikaans and Theory of Literature, UNISA

Present

THE 6TH AFRICA CENTURY INTERNATIONAL AFRICAN WRITERS CONFERENCE

 

THEME:

The Writer as a Drum Major of Conscience, Restoration & Transformation

And

The Establishment of the South African Writers Organisation

 

Date                : 7th November 2017

Time               : 9H00 – 16H00

Venue             : Bamboo Lecture Hall, Kgorong Building, Meckleneuk Campus

UNISA, Pretoria Tshwane

 

Programme

ACTIVITY THEME SPEAKERS
The 6th International African Writers Day Lecture The Writer as a Drum Major of Conscience, Restoration & Transformation

 

 Prof Zodwa Motsa

Experienced Country Director with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry. Skilled in Literature, Lecturing, Editing, Public Speaking, and Curriculum Development. Strong community and social services professional with a Applied English Languages Studies focused in Teaching English Online from University of Maryland Baltimore County.

 

 
The writers seminar The establishment of the writers organisation Main speaker:

Prof Andries Oliphant

Author, poet, literary scholar and cultural policy advisor, he sits on many literary and academic committees, including the Adjudication Panel of the South African Literary Awards (SALA).

 

 

 

Who is invited

  • Established and aspirant writers in all the languages of South Africa
  • Writers’ organisations
  • Academics in the literary field

 

Motivation for the establishment of the SA Writers Organisation

South Africa is a multilingual society with a diversity of literatures in both oral and written literary modes in all the languages of the country as set out in the Founding Provisions of  Chapter 1 of The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa(1996:4). The constitution pledges to develop all the languages of the country and to “address the historically diminished use of the indigenous languages of our people”.

This legacy is the consequence of the segregationist policies pursued over long periods in the past. It prevented cooperation between diverse linguistic communities and writers in the different languages. This has a negative impact on South African writing.

Hence, writers’ organisations in the past were invariable monolingual and functioned mostly in isolation from each other. This is no longer tenable since democratic South Africa is founded on the principles of inclusivity and equality in diversity. Thus the establishment of a multilingual writers association is motivated by the need for a representative national body to cater for and advance the needs and interests of writers in all the language of South Africa in pursuit of the objectives set out in the proposed Draft Constitution. (Please see the proposed draft constitution attached)

 

Objectives

The objectives of the organisation will be to:

  • Serve as an association representing South African writers;
  • Promote writing in the languages of South Africa;
  • Promote reading in the languages of South Africa;
  • Promote the preservation and publication of oral and written literature in the languages of South Africa;
  • Promote performances and readings of literature in the languages of South Africa;
  • Promote the translation of literary works in the languages of South Africa;
  • Provide training opportunities for emerging writers and literary translators;
  • Promote critical discourse on oral and written literature from South Africa and elsewhere;
  • Protect the rights, including intellectual property rights, the right to freedom of expression and creativity of all writers;
  • Facilitate exchange and interaction among South African writers as well as with writers from other parts of Africa and the world;
  • Facilitate interaction, exchange and collaboration between writers across the different media and with artists in other disciplines;
  • Liaise and cooperate with local, national, regional and international bodies involved in the funding, promotion, distribution and development of writing and literature;
  • Advocate and contribute to national policies aimed at making literature in the languages of South Africa accessible to the public; and
  • Do whatever is deemed necessary and take appropriate action to promote oral and written literature in the languages of South Africa.

 

Important notice

Please note that even though the invitation is open, selection of participants will be restricted due to limited space.

Registration

Please note registration is compulsory

 

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