The Writers Project, hosted by local author Bheki Ngwenya, is on a mission to develop young writers.

Ngwenya’s organisation, A Chorus of Rustics, holds workshops with pupils of five local schools every Friday to nurture the budding authors.

The schools involved are KwaDukuza, Tinley Manor and Ashram primary schools, and Nonhlevu, Mbekamuzi and Stanger South secondary schools.

Three-hundred pupils are enrolled, with Mbekamuzi Secondary boasting the highest number at 86.

“We believe more than 20 solo published authors will emerge from these participating schools,” said Ngwenya.

Ashram Primary has already produced seven solo authors and 22 co-authors. The youngest is 11-year-old Grade 5 pupil Siyamthanda Zungu, who has published a short story book titled A Ride with an Angel which will be released soon.

The local project represented KZN at the Funda Mzantsi championship in George, Western Cape last year. Participants were judged in four categories – impromptu reading, debating, Spelling Bee and book reviewing in all official South African languages.

The books written by some of these youngsters have been bought by the Gauteng Department of Education to use in school libraries.

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