TOW UKZN 24th Time of the Writer International Festival 2025 Schools Short Story Competition
Organization : Centre for Creative Arts/ University of KwaZulu-Nata
Competition Name : 24th Time of the Writer International Festival 2025 Schools Short Story Competition
Applicable For : Open To All South African High School Students
Competition Date : 15-21 March 2025
TOW UKZN Short Story Competition
24th Edition Time of the Writer “The Writer: Witness, The Canary In The Mine or Testifier?”
The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts (CCA) presents the 24th edition of the Time of the Writer International Festival that will be hosted virtually on the festival’s social media channels from 15 to 21 March 2025.
This 24th edition features authors in conversation, panel discussions, a public participation programme, and exhibitions focused on many socially-relevant themes such as whistleblowing, migration, colonialism, gender-based violence and sexual identity.
Theme
The theme for this year’s festival is THE WRITER : WITNESS, CANARY IN THE MINE OR TESTIFIER?
The theme is inspired by an essay written by author Daisy Hernández in which she states, “While it may well be that no book has ever prevented genocide or fascism, we still have a necessity for literature to testify to the political conditions of our lives—not only so that we might have a record of those we have lost, but also that we might have a reason to gather with others to read and to continue resisting.”
This year’s festival has been extended to an additional day to mark the UN International Day of Poetry and South African Human Rights Day on 21st March.
How to Enter?
Send a video recording of your book review via WhatsApp on +27 71 326 7272. All entries must include your full name, age and contact details.
Tell us :
** the name of the book and the author of the book.
** what is the central theme of the book
** something about the characters
** why you enjoyed reading the book
** why you recommend others to read it.
What you need to know about making your video book review :
** Keep your video recording to no more than 2 minutes.
** Video recordings can be submitted in any South African official language.
Terms & Conditions
** The video Book Review competition is open to person from anywhere in South Africa or the African continent
** There are two categories for the competition
i. Under 18 years
ii. Over 18 to 35 years
** This is a family competition so vulgarity will immediately disqualify an entry
** Maximum 1 video submission allowed per person.
** Video recordings received will be posted on the Time of the Writer social media pages. We cannot guarantee that your video will be shared.
** We have the right to disqualify your video if it does not follow the rules or required format.
** The Judge’s decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into about the outcomes.
Prizes
** First Prize – R5 000
** Second Prize – R2 500
** Third Prize – R1 500
** Audience Choice – R1 000
The Audience Choice prize will be determined by the video review that receives the most LIKES and SHARES on our social media pages.