[Scroll down for the English translation of this post]

Twee van my kortverhale, “Ontkoppel” en “Charlie“, is in Ns. Skrywershuis se nuwe kortverhaalbundel, AFRI-Allegaartjie, gepubliseer.

In 2023 en 2024 het Ns. Skrywershuis via hul tydskrif, Naskrif, ‘n kortverhaalkompetisie op hul Facebookblad gehad wat lesers uitgedaag het om kortverhale te skryf na aanleiding van fotobeelde.

Ek het drie keer ingeskryf vir die kompetisie en was gelukkig om twee keer my storie in die tydskrif gepubliseer te kry. Na afloop van die kompetisie het Ns. Skrywershuis al die wenstories van elke maand wat in die tydskrif gepubliseer is saamgevat in ‘n bundel, genaamd AFRI-Allegaartjie.

Allegaartjie – s.nw. [-s] ‘n Versameling van baie (uiteenlopende) soorte goed (mense of dinge); mengelmoes; bontspul; bontspan.

Die 100ste bestaansjaar van Afrikaans word tans gevier en die AFRI-Allegaartjie versameling sal as deel van hierdie viering aan die Afrikaanse Taalmonument, asook die FAK-museum by Voortrekkermonument geskenk word.

Ek voel baie geëerd om deel te kan wees van hierdie bundel. Naskrif was die eerste tydskrif waarin ek ‘n storie gepubliseer het (September 2023). Dit het baie vir my beteken om my naam vir die eerste keer te sien in ‘n tydskrif saam met ‘n storie wat ek geskryf het – dis nogal ‘n surrealistiese ervaring! Dit het my die selfvertroue gegee om aan te hou skryf. Ek is baie dankbaar aan Nico Schamrel van Ns. Skrywershuis vir sy aanmoediging en die geleentheid wat hy aan my en baie ander opkomende skrywers gebied het met die Naskrif kortverhaalkompetisie.

AFRI-Allegaartjie kan bestel word via e-pos (en behoort later op Ns. Skrywershuis se webtuiste ook beskikbaar te wees):

Groete vir eers!

MK.

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ENGLISH TRANSLATION:

Two of my short stories, “Ontkoppel” and “Charlie”, will be published in NS Skrywershuis’s new short story anthology, Afri-Allegaartjie.

In 2023 and 2024, NS Skrywershuis, through their magazine Naskrif, ran a short story competition on their Facebook page that challenged readers to write short stories inspired by photographic images.

I entered the competition three times and was fortunate to have my story published twice in the magazine. After the competition ended, NS Skrywershuis compiled all the winning stories from each month that were published in the magazine into a collection called Afri-Allegaartjie.

Allegaartjie – noun [plural: -s] A collection of many (diverse) kinds of things (people or objects); mixture; jumble; medley.

The 100th anniversary of Afrikaans is currently being celebrated, and the Afri-Allegaartjie collection will be donated to the Afrikaans Language Monument, as well as the FAK Museum at the Voortrekker Monument, as part of this celebration.

I feel very honoured to be part of this anthology. Naskrif was the first magazine in which I ever had a story published (September 2023). It meant a great deal to me to see my name for the first time in a magazine next to a story I had written — it’s quite a surreal experience! It gave me the confidence to keep writing. I am very grateful to Nico Schamrel of NS Skrywershuis for his encouragement and the opportunity he has given to me, and to many other emerging writers, through the Naskrif short story competition.

Afri-Allegaartjie can be ordered via email (and should later also be available on NS Skrywershuis’s website):

Send an email to: bets.adminco@gmail.com

Specify the number of books, and attach proof of payment, your phone number, and your nearest PEP Store code.

The price is R280.00 per book (Paxi included). If you order more than one book (up to a maximum of 4 per parcel), you only pay R60.00 for Paxi and R220.00 per book. For more than 4 books, an extra parcel must be added.

BANK DETAILS:

Capitec Bank
Account Name: Allegaartjie
Account Number: 2459281737
Branch Code: 470010

By the way, I would love to write more in Afrikaans and plan to publish a few Afrikaans short stories in the coming year.

Cheers for now!

MK.