Jakes Gerwel Foundation

04/09/2026

Daar is slegs 2 weke oor om aansoek te doen vir ons volgende gratis skrywerswerkswinkel, Kimberley tot KwaNojoli, in samewerking met die Sol Plaatje Universiteit, aangebied word. Ons is op soek na nuwe en vars skrywerstemme in Afrikaans!

Dien een van die volgende in saam met 'n kort skrywerbio en volledige kontakbesonderhede teen 18 September 2026 by [email protected]

- Vyf gedigte
- ’n Kortverhaal (+- 2000 woorde)
- ’n Hoofstuk uit ’n roman
- ’n Dramateks

Lees oor ons vorige skrywerswerkswinkels op ons blog, Paulet House Stories: https://paulethousestories.jgf.org.za/cape-to-kwanojoli-a-three-day-creative-writing-workshop/

Na 'n uiters suksesvolle gratis werkswinkels wat die Jakes Gerwel Stigting in Kaapstad en Gqeberha aangebied het, kondig ons met trots aan dat ons volgende werkswinkel in Kimberley, in samewerking met die Sol Plaatje Universiteit, aangebied word. Ons is op soek na nuwe en vars skrywerstemme in Afrikaans! Doen vandag nog aansoek!

Dien een van die volgende in saam met 'n kort skrywerbio en volledige kontakbesonderhede teen 18 September 2026 by [email protected]

- Vyf gedigte
- ’n Kortverhaal (+- 2000 woorde)
- ’n Hoofstuk uit ’n roman
- ’n Dramateks

31/08/2026

The Open Book Festival takes place at the Homecoming Centre and the Book Lounge this week from 4 to 6 September. The festival is aimed at readers, writers, active citizens and those interested in being part of meaningful conversation.

Some of our JGF family will be there:

- Lebo Mazibuko
- Athambile Masola
- Kirsten Deane
- Zubayr Charles
- Mphuthumi Ntabeni
- vangile gantsho
- Mia Arderne
- Paul Kammies
- Gaireyah Fredericks
- Sindiswa Busuku
- Keith Oliver Lewis
- Naidene Lottering

Here are the events they'll be participating in if you'd like to meet and support them.

Tickets for events are typically R50 and are available at Webtickets.co.za: https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/EventCategories.aspx?itemid=1599784921

19/08/2026

Don’t miss the Writer’s Room Talk with Juliette and Mike Nicol hosted by Oude Leeskamer on Friday the 21st of August at 18:00!

Juliette Mnqeta’s debut publication If the Dead Could Talk landed with a splash in 2025. A review by Beryl Eichenberger gives a taste of what to expect from this novel set in Knysna and featuring young pscyhology student Azania Sethosa who is seeking answers about her father’s death: ‘Oh my, if the dead could talk what stories they would tell and, while we know that forensic evidence reveals so much, it’s the life that holds the clues. …. Mnqeta draws you in, spinning you into a vortex of jealousies, corruption, power – and a little love for good measure. Her light touch is bright and spunky!

Mike Nicol’s latest novel Falls the Shadow is published by Pan Macmillan who describe it as “the start of a much-anticipated new crime fiction series that explores the role of the police since the advent of democracy in South Africa.” He has published nine novels in his two previous crime series, The Bishop Series and The Fish and Vicki Series, all of which were also published internationally.

This discussion between a bright new star and a giant of the genre promises insights into the craft of writing crime - and lots of humour.

17/08/2026

The Jakes Gerwel Foundation and M-Net Channels’ intensive mentorship programme offers talented, emerging screenwriters the opportunity to hone their writing skills and learn from experienced and productive writers in the television and film industry.

Longhope, which refers to one of the districts near KwaNojoli, indeed offers hope. Not only do emerging writers learn from the country’s leading experts, but successful candidates are given the opportunity to gain practical experience at M-Net Channels’ production houses after completing the mentorship programme. Several previous participants have been offered permanent positions following the three-month internship.

The participants for this year's Longhope TV Writing Project are Dale Raad, Dennis Ngango, Katlego Dean Morobi, Lindokuhle Musa Mthimkhul and Tamia Joyce Thompson.

Congratulations to all our participants!

12/08/2026

Don’t miss the Writer’s Room Talk with Juliette and Mike Nicol hosted by Oude Leeskamer on Friday the 21st of August at 18:00!

Juliette is a ‘whodunnit’ enthusiast who always hopes that the butler ‘didn’t do it’. As a freelance isiXhosa transcriptionist and translator during the day, Juliette finds time to create mystery on paper in the evenings. In 2022, she was chosen as one of four candidates to participate in the Jakes Gerwel Foundation’s writing mentorship project. Her debut novel, ‘If the Dead Could Talk’, set in Knysna, was published by Kwela Books in February 2025.

Currently she is staying at the Oude Leeskamer as their resident writer from the 11th to the 25th of August 2026.

RSVP to attend the Writer’s Room Talk here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdQkHKPmQucMz9v1DfKjPnkP6H1iM4iKfYI5OuYGMBNQaG6sg/viewform

We are thrilled to welcome Juliette Mnqeta as our resident writer from the 11th to the 25th of August, in partnership with the Jakes Gerwel Foundation.

Juliette is a ‘whodunnit’ enthusiast who always hopes that the butler ‘didn’t do it’. As a freelance isiXhosa transcriptionist and translator during the day, Juliette finds time to create mystery on paper in the evenings. In 2022, she was chosen as one of four candidates to participate in the Jakes Gerwel Foundation’s writing mentorship project. Her debut novel, ‘If the Dead Could Talk’, set in Knysna, was published by Kwela Books in February 2025.

Join us on Friday the 21st of August at 18:00 for a Writer’s Room Talk with Juliette and Mike Nicol.

11/08/2026

Na 'n uiters suksesvolle gratis werkswinkels wat die Jakes Gerwel Stigting in Kaapstad en Gqeberha aangebied het, kondig ons met trots aan dat ons volgende werkswinkel in Kimberley, in samewerking met die Sol Plaatje Universiteit, aangebied word. Ons is op soek na nuwe en vars skrywerstemme in Afrikaans! Doen vandag nog aansoek!

Dien een van die volgende in saam met 'n kort skrywerbio en volledige kontakbesonderhede teen 18 September 2026 by [email protected]

- Vyf gedigte
- ’n Kortverhaal (+- 2000 woorde)
- ’n Hoofstuk uit ’n roman
- ’n Dramateks

04/08/2026

Applications for the Crystal Donna Roberts Bursary are now officially open.

Established in honour of Crystal Donna Roberts and the remarkable legacy she leaves in South African arts. This bursary aims to support a prospective postgraduate student pursuing further study in an arts-related field within the Faculty of Humanities at the University of the Free State.

More than financial support, this bursary is an investment in the next generation of artists, storytellers and creative thinkers.

📅 Applications open: 4 August 2026
📅 Applications close: 30 September 2026

Visit our website to apply or follow the link in our bio for all the details and application information.

📨 :
https://vrystaatkunstefees.co.za/crystal-donna-roberts-bursary/

04/08/2026

Die Jakes Gerwel Stigting en die Skool vir Tale: Afdeling Afrikaans en Fakulteit Opvoedkunde aan die Nelson Mandela Universiteit in Gqeberha, het onlangs 'n gratis skryfskool vir voornemende skrywers aangebied. Met hierdie werkswinkel, genaamd Kus tot KwaNojoli, wil ons graag skryfvaardighede slyp en skrywers met talent uitnooi om uiteindelik aan hul manuskripte by ons Paulet Huis in KwaNojoli te kom skryf.

Kyk uit vir ons volgende geleentheid, Kimberley tot KwaNojoli, wat binnekort aangekondig word!