Sol Plaatje University Centre for Creative Writing hosts Ya Rona Literary Festival

Obone-Aratile Lekhehle

Sol Plaatje University (SPU) Centre for Creative Writing and African Languages hosted its inaugural Ya Rona Literary Festival on 16 and 17 October at Sol Plaatje’s Humanities and Heritage Studies building.

The two-day festival brought together emerging and seasoned writers, students, literary enthusiasts, and readers to celebrate storytelling, heritage and the power of Language.

Organised by the University’s Centre for Creative Writing and African Languages, the festival was themed “Our Stories, Our Voices,” highlighting the significance of sharing stories, preserving cultural heritage and creating spaces for diverse voices to be heard.

The organiser of the event and lecturer at SPU, Sabata-Mpho Mokae, explained that the theme comes from Africans living on the African Continent and owning our stories.

“Being able to tell our stories the way we want to, from our own point of view, and in acknowledgement of our voices as communities and storytellers,” elaborated Mokae.

The official opening address was by a renowned South African novelist, playwright, poet, painter, composer and academic, Professor Zakes Mda, who congratulated the centre for organising the Festival, calling it a radical idea.

“What you’re doing in this university is recognising the fact that language is not just a tool for communication, but a living archive for worldviews, memory and belonging,” said Mda.

Professor Victor Teise, Acting Director of the Centre for Creative Writing, explained that the purpose of the festival is to provide a platform celebrating South African literature and storytelling.

The inauguration was also attended by the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Sol Plaatje University, Professor Debra Meyer, who was officiating the Ya Rona Literary Festival.

She expressed gratitude for being included in the event: “This is a gathering that celebrates something fundamental to our humanity, and that is the ability to tell stories, imagine different worlds, preserve heritage, to question our circumstances and to give expression to our hopes for the future.”

“As Vice-Chancellor, I am particularly delighted to open a festival that places reading, writing, literature and language at the centre of our collective experiences. These are not just merely academic pursuits, or uttered activities to be engaged in our leisure time, but are essential to the development of our intellect, strengthening of our identities and the preservation of our heritage as well as the advancement of our societies,” Meyer added.

Day two of the festival featured a series of book discussions, book launches, writing workshops and literary conversations designed to create literary engagement.

This programme also included a discussion on the book “Intimate You” by Mapaseka Mokwele, a South African broadcaster, coach and storyteller. She was in conversation with Dr Gail Motlhaudi-Banda.

“This book came after decades of being asked to write or have a talk show, and I do a lot of talk shows where I talk about relationships, love and different types of relationships, but I think the book was more of me putting out what I think is important to learn about self and relationships as you get in them,” Mokwele stated.

Among the books launched was that of Kutlwano Masote titled “Imperfect Harmony,” which reflects on a life lived between music and family, from the orchestra pit to the heart of his home. In the book, Masote shares an honest, deeply personal story of love, loss, addiction, and redemption.

Professor Zakes Mda’s book titled “Chris Hani: A Life of Courage and Compassion” was also launched on this day.

Mokae expressed hope about the province’s future writers, “I hope for increased appreciation of literature in the Northern Cape, especially by young people. For upcoming writers to be noticed by organisers of festivals, publishers and funders, in that way making their way into the literary community,” he added.

“This event will from hereon be hosted every year in October, because the month is the birth month of Sol Plaatje, after whom our University was named,” Mokae said.