The first Stellenbosch Woordfees short story collection, Bly, was published in 2016. Since then, eight similar collections have seen the light of day. All nine anthologies have been well supported by writers and the reading public and have received excellent reviews.

Experienced publishing editor, Suzette Kotzé-Myburgh, has been the convenor of the selection committee since the first anthology. She explains what makes this project such a unique and distinctive undertaking in the landscape of Afrikaans literature:

“The SU Woordfees short story anthology is unique in that both new and established writers contribute on equal footing. This happens because the selection process is entirely anonymous, which levels the playing field for all participants. In fact, since the establishment of the main prize of R30 000, sponsored by Du Toitskloof Wines, each of the four winners has been a debut writer. In addition, all writers whose works are published in the anthology each receive R5 000 – a generous award when compared to similar publications.”

“When we started this project, festival director, Saartjie Botha, envisioned that each anthology would deliver a rich compendium of short stories that would serve as an annual record of the spirit of the times. And that is what has happened. Despite a diverse assortment of themes, the anthology always emerges with a core theme without any form of prescription on the part of the publishers. As a result, the Woordfees Short Story Anthology does indeed serve as a valuable perspective on the signs of our times as seen through the creative insights of writers who depict our shared reality.”

This project has special significance for the Stellenbosch Woordfees Director, Saartjie Botha: “The Woordfees began as a literary festival, and words and writers are still the heart of our programme. The anthology is an extension of that and also an attempt to ensure that the observer and recorder – which is what our writers often are – are visible in our year and festival programmes.”