KZN literary stars shine at second iLembe Book Festival
SCREENWRITER for many TV productions and streaming platforms, like Shaka Ilembe, Queendom, Gomora and The Wife, among others; Sihle Mthembu will be one of the authors at the Ilembe Book Festival which started yesterday in KwaDukuza.
Image: Supplied
The iLembe Book Festival which made its much-anticipated return on Wednesday, at the historic Luthuli Museum in KwaDukuza, KwaZulu-Natal, bringing together writers, readers and literary enthusiasts for a celebration of storytelling and culture.
Image: Supplied
Groutville’s historic Luthuli Museum in KwaDukuza came alive on Thursday and once again became the beating heart of local literature when the second annual iLembe Book Festival which ends tomorrow, began.
Under the theme “Reading is a Right, Not a Privilege,” this year’s festival celebrates the power of storytelling and the diversity of South African writing, from romance and gothic fiction to poetry, justice, and heritage.
Romance and Reality
Durban journalist and author Nivashni Nair Sukdhev will bring her latest novel, Pillow Talk, a bold exploration of love and modern relationships. Dubbed South Africa’s “new queen of romance,” Sukdhev has authored five novels since her 2022 debut, Kissing Her Senseless.
Her background as a six-time Vodacom Journalist of the Year Award winner gives her work a sharp, relatable edge.
A Global Voice with Local Roots
Fellow Durban-based author Shubnum Khan continues her international success with The Lost Love of Akbar Manzil, a gothic literary novel set in Durban. The book has been a USA Today bestseller, a New York Times Editor’s Choice, and one of NPR’s Best Books of 2024. It also claimed the 2025 HSS Award for Best Novel and was shortlisted for the UJ Main Prize.
Homegrown Talent
Emerging KwaDukuza writer Andile Cele, whose debut Braids & Migraines was released earlier this year, will share her journey from local storyteller to nationally recognised author. In 2023, she was named runner-up for the Island Prize for African Writers.
KwaDukuza’s own Bhekinkosi Maqhuzu Ngwenya, author of 23 books and founder of the ACOR Writers Club, will also feature prominently. Ngwenya is well known for mentoring young writers through his publishing house, A Chorus of Rustics Publishers, and promoting literacy across the region.
Books on Screen
Adding a cinematic dimension to the programme, filmmakers Zanele Nhlapho and Sihle Mthembu will lead a discussion on the growing intersection between literature and film, exploring how South African stories can leap from the page to the screen. Mthembu from Mooi River in the Midlands, has kept his pen busy since graduating from the Durban University of Technology with a B-tech in journalism. He has been screenwriter of many TV productions like Mzansi Magic's Shaka Ilembe, e.tv's House of Zwide, BET's Queendom, and Showmax's The Wife, a telenovela adaptation of author and former Isolezwe journalist Dudu Busani's book trilogy, Hlomu.
Building a Reading Culture
Founded in 2023, the iLembe Book Festival aims to strengthen reading and writing in rural and township communities within the iLembe District Municipality.
The festival began yesterday with a school outreach and book donation drive led by The Web Foundation’s Siyafunda Donate-a-Book Programme, in partnership with Nal’ibali. Beneficiary schools include Thembeni Primary and Lloyd Primary in KwaDukuza.
The main festival day tomorrow, will feature author panels, book sales, and an eagerly anticipated poetry slam, where one poet will be crowned the iLembe Book Festival 2025 Champion.
A Growing Legacy
“The inaugural festival was warmly received by the community here in Groutville as well as the wider literary community,” said Luthuli Museum Director Brian Xaba.
“We are excited and looking forward to an even bigger celebration this year.”
The festival is supported by the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture’s Mzansi Golden Economy Programme, the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust, Exclusive Books, Siza Water, and several publishing partners.
ACCLAIMED author S'fundo Sosibo, well-known for his themed books, Staging Black and Queer South Africa: Plays for the Gods! is among some of the authors who will be at the Ilembe Book Festival which started yesterday in at Luthuli Museum, Groutville, KwaDukuza.
Image: Supplied
A Stellar Line-up
This year’s confirmed authors include KwaDukuza-based Lethu Nkwanyana (Poet and National Poetry Slam Champion), KZN-born Muzi Sikhakhane SC 9Odyssey of Liberation, veteran, award-winning Chesterville-born author Fred Khumalo, whose book, Dancing the Death Drill has been adapted to a stage play currently playing at the Joburg Theatre, KZN-born Sihle Qwabe, author of The Resurrection, Muntomuhle Mcambi, author of Ezosiba, Sven Axelrad, author of The Nicotine Gospel, S’fundo Sosibo (Staging Black, Queer South Africa: Plays for the Gods!), uMlazi-born Sifiso Mzobe author of Young Blood and Searching for Simphiwe, Lebo Mazibuko (Fabrics of Love), Takalani M (Aftermath - The Royal Mistress IV), Karen Jennings (Crooked Seeds), Ishmael Beah (Little family) and Jeffrey Rakabe (Led by Shepherds).
With its mix of global stars, homegrown authors, and passionate readers, the iLembe Book Festival continues to establish itself as one of KwaZulu-Natal’s premier literary gatherings, a celebration not just of books, but of the power of words to transform communities.
SUNDAY TRIBUNE