MEDIA RELEASE

MEDIA RELEASE

MEDIA RELEASE

ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE SALA 2013 NOMINEES AND PROGRAMME OF THE AFRICA CENTURY INTERNATIONAL WRITERS CONFERENCE The wRite associates, in partnership with the Department of Arts and Culture and the SABC will host a media conference to announce the 8th South African Literary Awards nominees and release the programme of the 2nd Africa Century International African Writers Conference, 8th October 2013, SABC Auditorium, Cnr. Artillery and Henley Roads, Auckland Park. The Africa Century International African Writers Conference, a SALA legacy programme, will take place from 7th to 9th November 2013 at Museum Africa, Newtown Cultural Precinct, Newtown, Johannesburg. This threeday conference will culminate in the SALA 2013 Awards ceremony where winners will be honoured on 9th November 2013. We are delighted at the growth of these prestigious South African Literary Awards, as they have now spread their wings to incorporate the Africa Century International African Writers Conference and open up to the Continent and Diasporas writers, said Raks Morakabe Seakhoa, Managing Director of the wRite associates and Project Director of the South African Literary Awards/Africa Century International African Writers Conference. The conference has attracted tremendous interest from authors, literary scholars and historians as well as the public, who will share the stage in different aspects of the programme, including delivering keynote addresses, presentation of papers, poetry, book discussions, writing workshops, schools programme and exhibitions. This prospective historical gathering of authors and literary scholars and historians will, as the then-OAUs Conference of African Ministers of Education and Culture (meeting in Coutonou, Benin, in 1991) resolved, afford the African people a moment of pause within which to reflect on the contribution of African W riters to the development of the Continent. This event will also mark the 22nd anniversary of the then-OAU (now-AU) declared International African nd Writers Day (i.e. 7th November). Theme of the 2 Annual Africa Century International African Writers

Conference: Dispossessed. Repossessed: Land Matters in African Letters The theme is a deliberate play on the interesting dialectic: centenaries of the formalisation or statutory colonial land dispossession on the African Continent (1913 Native Land Act), the first womens anti -pass th march in South Africa and the 50 anniversary of the formal establishment of the Continental organisation (OAU in 1963) to wage and support liberation struggles and movements against colonialist oppression, for political liberation and social emancipation, continued Seakhoa.
Other highlights of this exhilarating three-day programme include: International African Writers Day Lecture An evening with the National Poet Laureate: Poetry Reading by Prof Keorapetse Kgositsile Creative Writing Skills Development Programme Tsebo-Lethabo Primary and High Schools Programme and Books, art & crafts and clothing exhibitions

The patrons of the Africa Century International African Writers Conference include; Prof. Kgositsile Keorapetse, Dr. Nadine Gordimer, Dr. Wangui wa Goro and Dr. Hugh Masekela. For confirmation of attendance of the launch and more information, please email info@writeassociates.co.za or call 011-791 3585. For bookings and registration, please visit www.africacenturyconference.org or www.sala.org.za. Issued by: the wRite associates