Good News

BULLETIN 20 October 

Good afternoon, here is your Good News:

# Award-winning South African author Imraan Coovadia’s short story, Vast and Cool and Unsympathetic, has been shortlisted for the International Science Fiction Literary Awards. It has been shortlisted in the Foreign Language category. The story is inspired by psychological consequences suffered by people in Nairobi, Kenya, and Johannesburg, who had been hired to screen and classify disturbing content on Facebook. Coovadia is among 27 authors who have been shortlisted from more than two-thousand-400 submissions received globally. The award ceremony will be held in Russia on November 6.

# The 11th African Women Writers’ Symposium at the Soweto Theatre in Johannesburg has emphasised more reading and creative writing, especially for women. Funded by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture and produced by Afro Arts SA, the event celebrated women’s voices in literature. Highlights included author Alexandra Fuller’s “No Voice No Choice” lecture, poetry, and sessions tackling patriarchy, racism, and inequality. Spokesperson Roshnie Moonsammy emphasised to Newzroom Afrika that education in copywriting and publishing must be amplified:

# University of KwaZulu-Natal senior lecturer, Simo Mthethwa, is one of only seven researchers awarded a prestigious fellowship at Uppsala University in Sweden. This is through the Africa-Europe Cluster of Research Excellence in Mathematics. The programme seeks to strengthen research capacity and postgraduate training in African institutions, while promoting high-impact collaboration between Africa and Europe in key academic fields. UKZN says Mthethwa’s selection stands as testament to the quality of research emerging from African institutions.

# Over the recent school holidays, four two-day ballet activations were hosted in various Cape Town communities, attracting more than 200 young people. This is an initiative between the City of Cape Town’s Community Services and Health Directorate and Cape Town City Ballet. Mayoral committee member for Community Services and Health, Francine Higham, says this outreach initiative, funded through the Community, Arts and Culture Development Department’s Grants-In-Aid programme, aims to make ballet more accessible to the public through inclusive dance experiences:

# And finally: Diwali’s celebration this year has been split between today and tomorrow, as the Amavasya period spans two days with varying sunset times. Cities where the sun sets after 5:30 pm celebrate today, while others observe it tomorrow. The Hindu festival symbolises the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance. Temples are adorned with colourful lights and festive decorations. The day is also marked by the Lakshmi Puja occasion for the veneration of the goddess of prosperity.

Stay tuned for more news………….