"Say <i>amakwerrre-kwerrre</i>," I was told by a domestic worker I interviewed. As if by rolling my tongue, her correction of my pronunciation would enable me to express the requisite hatred and anger towards foreigners. This is the unthinking reality that confronts thousands of refugees who flee to South Africa in the hope of attaining a better life for themselves.
The annual Time of The Writer Festival, held in Durban recently, was a time to reflect on the works of emerging and established writers from around the world. It was a time to showcase the power and meaning behind the written word, and the general process of writing. For a week, what has taken human society thousands of years to develop and cultivate – writing – became the centre of attraction.