Leading authors shared practical advice on how to build a literary career at the second annual iLembe Book Festival on Saturday.

A panel discussion between a group of recognised novelists at the Luthuli Museum covered everything from how to take a manuscript to market to the importance of using digital platforms to reach readers. The group also tried to inspire younger audience members to start their reading and writing journeys, while unpacking some of the most common themes in modern literature.

Among the panellists were Advocate Muzi Sikhakhane (The Odyssey of Liberation), Busisekile Khumalo (The Harvard Wife series and Nomaswazi), Takalani M (Aftermath: The Royal Mistress), Bobo Lukhele (Lunga na Mlingo), S’fundo Sosibo (Staging Black, Queer South Africa), BK Ngwenya (ACOR Writers Club and A Chorus of Rustic Publishers), and Muntomuhle Mcambi (Iziko Art Company).

Khumalo said she was excited to share her knowledge in Groutville.

“It was laughter and a celebration of literature, poetry, and perhaps most importantly, artists,” she said.

The festival also featured a school outreach programme, which included book donations to Lloyd and Thembeni Primary Schools, as well as poetry workshops and a slam poetry event.

First staged last year, the festival is the brainchild of The Happiness Literary Foundation (HLF), an artist-run, non-profit organisation that promotes a culture of reading and writing in South African communities. When committee members and authors Nozizwe Cynthia Jele and Dudu Busani-Dube moved to Ballito, they noticed a lack of literary events in the district, which prompted the creation of the festival.

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