The 29th edition of the renowned Time of the Writer festival presented by the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts has conferred a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award on Professor Njabulo Ndebele, in recognition of his extraordinary and enduring contribution to South African literature and intellectual life.
“Professor Ndebelestands asone ofthe country’s most influential literaryfigures—an author, scholar, and public intellectual whose work has shaped not only how South African stories are told, but how they are understood. From his seminal collection of essays, which called for a turntoward“the ordinary” inSouth Africannarrative, tohisacclaimed novel The Cry ofWinnie Mandela, his writing has consistently challenged dominant modes of representation while opening new imaginative and ethical possibilities”, says Shafinaaz Hassim, the curator of the 2026 Time of the Writer festival.
Across decades, Professor Ndebele’s influence has extended beyond the page. As an academic leader and cultural thinker, Professor Ndebele has played a pivotal role in nurturing generations of writers, scholars, and readers, helping to build a literary culture grounded in critical reflection, historical awareness, and creative courage.
“The Lifetime Achievement Award acknowledges both the depth of his literary achievements and the breadth of his impact on South Africa’s cultural and intellectual landscape. It honours a body of work marked by intellectual clarity, narrative innovation, and a sustained commitment to exploring the complexities of human experience in a society shaped by profound change”, says Ismail Mahomed, the Director of the Centre for Creative Arts.
Speakingonbehalfofthe Centre forCreative Arts, henotedthat honouringProfessorNdebele affirms the festival’s ongoing commitment to recognising voices that have not only defined South African literature, but have also expanded its horizons for future generations.
The 29th edition of the Time of the Writer festival which was presented in Durban between 23 – 28 March continued its tradition as a vital platform for literary exchange, bringing together 100 writers from across South Africa to engage in dialogue, performance, and reflection. Participants also included writers from Norway, Ivory Coast, Ukraine and Palestine. The 30th edition of the Time of the Writer festival will take from 16 – 21 March 2027.
The Time of the Writer festival took place from 23 – 28 March 2026. The complete festival schedule including the Children’s Festival programme can be viewed at https://tow.ukzn.ac.za/29th-online/ . All events to the festival were free. The 29th edition of the Time of the Writer festival was supported by the University of KwaZulu-Natal, National Arts Council of South Africa and the KZN Department of Sport, Arts & Culture. Festival partners include the Wits Writing Centre, DALRO, KZNSA Gallery, the Alliance Francaise (Durban) and the ATKV.
ABOUT THE CENTRE FOR CREATIVE ARTS:
The 30 year Centre for Creative Arts is a multi-disciplinary cultural hub in the School of Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The Centre is renowned for presenting 5 of South Africa’s leadingartsfestivals –the Time ofthe Writerfestival (29years), JOMBA!ContemporaryDance Festival (28 years), Durban International film Festival (46 years), Poetry Africa (30 years) and the Artfluence Human Rights Festival (5 years). The Centre for Creative Arts is also host of the 5th World Slam Poetry Competition which will present 40 slam poets from forty nations competing for the global title in Durban during October 2026.
ABOUT THE CURATOR:
Shafinaaz Hassim is an multi award-winning author and sociologist. Her more than eighteen titles have received international and local acclaim. In 2014, she was listed by UNESCO as one of the top 39 writers in Africa under the age of 40. Her novels have been commended by the SALA and NIHSS awards and the UJ Prize for Creative Writing. She is also the author of the five-book Nisa Qamar series foryoung adults, which has been shortlisted twice for the Minara Aziz Hassim Literary Awards and the prestigious Sanlam Prize for Youth Literature 2019. Her novel Darlings of Durban received noteworthy accolade. Kimya Writes is her latest series. Hassim presents a popular book review show called BookBytes, show-casing cutting edge writing from local and international authors. She brings her varied industry expertise to the curation of Time of the Writer Festival.
FOR ENQUIRIES, MEDIA INTERVIEWS & PRESS PHOTOGRAPHS: \Ayanda Chule Centre for Creative Arts
Email: chulea@ukzn.ac.za
Mobile: 076 578 6545
Shafinaaz Hassim
Festival curator
Email: shafinaaz@gmail.com
