Calling all authors! You could receive R25k grant funding
Submissions for manuscripts are open for the 2024/2025 Department of Sport, Arts and Culture Publishing Hub.
Picture: Pixabay
Gugs Mhlungu spoke to chairperson of the Academic and Non-Fiction Authors Association of South Africa, Prof Sihawukele Ngubane.
Listen to their conversation in the audio clip below.
Are you a proficient and passionate author?
You could receive a R25,000 grant towards content development from the Academic and Non-Fiction Authors Association of South Africa (ANFASA) and the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) as submissions for manuscripts are open for the 2024/2025 DSAC Publishing Hub.
This initiative aims to create new literature telling South African stories and to revitalise the country's books and publishing industry.
"There are no particular themes. We have opened it up to authors who can write about anything that is significant to the history of South Africa because the main thing is to promote multilingualism in the country...people can write their novels or short stories but the content must relate to the context of the country."
- Prof Sihawukele Ngubane, Academic and Non-Fiction Authors Association of South Africa
"The main aim of this exercise is to empower authors and publishers to gain financial support and market their work."
- Prof Sihawukele Ngubane, Academic and Non-Fiction Authors Association of South Africa
Manuscripts can be written in any of the official South African languages including Khoi and San.
Submissions should be made in the following categories:
- Novels
- Poetry Anthologies
- Short Story Anthologies
- Drama Text
- Narrative non-fiction (e.g., politics, current affairs, history, military history, sport, true crime, biographies/autobiographies, health and well-being, humour, business and personal finance)
- Children’s and Young Adult books
The following submissions will unfortunately not be considered:
- Religion
- Television and Film Scripts
- Novelette and Novellas
- Self Help or motivational scripts
The closing date for submissions is 28 June 2024.
For more information visit www.anfasa.org.za
"Other people outside South Africa, in Europe, they earn a living through writing books because when you write a book you earn royalties out of the book but is not the case here in South Africa."
- Prof Sihawukele Ngubane, Academic and Non-Fiction Authors Association of South Africa
"The problem that we experience in our country is that the market is only for educational works and educational books. If your book is not prescribed to be used for schools, then it ends up in shelves and gather dust - it's a very serious challenge for us in the country."
- Prof Sihawukele Ngubane, Academic and Non-Fiction Authors Association of South Africa
Scroll up to listen to the full interview.