Top image caption: Marius Louw, CEO of Du Toitskloof Wines
Aspiring short story writers have one month left to enter their literary efforts. Du Toitskloof Wines from Rawsonville has joined forces with the Stellenbosch University Woordfees, one of South Africa’s leading literary festivals, in offering writers a R30 000 prize for the winner of the festival’s short story competition.
On the involvement of Du Toitskloof Wines CEO Marius Louw says the competition is a natural result of the cellar’s SA Wine Writers Competition which originated in 2013. “Over the last few years Du Toitskloof Wines have been working with the SU Woordfees in various capacities.” He says the idea to help the SU Woordfees to identify shining new Afrikaans short stories gives an extra dimension to the wine industry’s involvement with literature and culture.
“Being involved with books and reading through our wineland education projects as well as running our own mobile library in the community, Du Toitskloof is fully aware of the importance writing and stories play in the education and the development of individuals and their community,” he says. “We welcome the chance of contributing to the perpetuation and furthering of good writing and gripping imaginative stories in collaboration with the SU Woordfees.”
With this new phase the image of the short story, as ‘little sister of the novel’, will hopefully be changed, says Madri Victor, coordinator of the project which also sees the finalists in the competition having their work published in a US Woordfees short story anthology.
“The focus will, as ever, be on stories of high quality. The 2017 anthology will definitely be something to look forward to – for writers and readers,” she says.
Another change is that people who haven’t been published before, are also allowed to enter. “We want to find fresh, new voices and invite the unpolished writers to also participate,” Victor explains.
Writers interested in the competition or who would like to enter, can visit www.woordfees.co.za or www.dutoitskloof.co.za and follow the links. E-mail with enquiries can be sent to Olivia Wallow at [email protected].
Writers who will be included in the next anthology will be notified early in 2017. The winning short story will only be announced at the launch of the book, which will be held during US Woordfees 2017, from 3-12 March.
The closing date for entries is 31 October 2016 at 16:00.
For more information, or to request an interview, contact Frieda le Roux at the Woordfees office: 082 742 4156 or [email protected]. The SU Woordfees will be held in Stellenbosch from 3-12 March 2017. The programme launch is in November of this year.
