WHEN WATER WANTS TO: VOICES OF THE DALRO CAN THEMBA MERIT AWARD FINALISTS

When Water Wants To is a collection of stories edited by Neil Coppen and published by Wits University Press. The stories range from the deeply personal to the wildly allegorical, playing with genre conventions and inhabiting a multitude of perspectives and unruly voices. Confirming the preeminence of the short story, and its oral antecedents in our culture, the stories delve into the national psyche in the conversations they have, the connections and parallels they make and the themes, concerns and water-soaked imagery they share.

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Meet the Top 10 Finalists

When Water Wants To follows the launch of the Can Themba Merit Award at the Time of the Writer festival in March 2025. More than 250 submissions were received from new and aspiring writers from across the country. A jury comprised of Niq Mhlongo, Shafinaaz Hassim, Lynn Joffe, Lorraine Sithole, Greg Homan, Neil Coppen and Tiisetso Mashifane, whittled down the entries to the top ten stories published in When Water Wants To.

The Top 10 Finalists stories stood out for their originality, strong voices, and compelling storytelling, representing a diverse range of themes and perspectives.

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The Dramatic, Artistic and Literary Rights Organisation, together with Wits University Press and The Market Theatre in partnership with the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts are proud to present the DALRO Can Themba Merit Award’s

Runner up

Lerato Mahlangu

Author of Zombie

Winning Author

Dyondzo Kwinika

Author of Mr. Suiker Sang The Blues

The Market Theatre will appoint a dramaturge to assist Dyondzo Kwinika to adapt their Short Story into a stage play, more details about this will follow.

More about the DALRO Can Themba Merit Award

The DALRO Can Themba Merit Award will run on a two-year developmental cycle. 2025 will focus on the literary component, mentorship, story refinement, and publication, and 2026 will focus on the dramatic adaptation of the award-winning short story into a stage play. By creating cross-disciplinary creativity and supporting emerging talent, the DALRO Can Themba Merit Award ensures that South African storytelling thrives, on the page, on stage and beyond, reflecting Can Themba’s journey.

The DALRO Can Themba Merit Award is more than just a callout for short stories, it is a career accelerator for emerging South African writers. This initiative offers strategic support, mentorship and publishing opportunities for a shortlist by ten outstanding authors, giving them the recognition and tools they need to thrive in the literary sector.

Honouring Can Themba’s Legacy

This prestigious competition aims to celebrate the legacy of one of South Africa’s literary giants, Can Themba, while at the same time creating a platform for emerging short story authors. Can Themba’s writing remains a powerful force in South African literature, known for its bold storytelling and keen social commentary. The DALRO Can Themba Merit Award seeks to uphold his legacy by bridging literature and the dramatic arts, offering an innovative extension of storytelling into theatre.

A legacy of storytelling excellence

Can Themba, a graduate of Fort Hare University, made his mark in the literary world by winning a short story competition with his iconic piece, ‘Mob Passion’, published in the then-renowned Drum magazine. Reflecting on his achievement, Themba once said,

“I feel inspired to go on writing and writing, until one day, perhaps, I’ll be a really famous author. “

Place your order now:

https://witspress.co.za/page/detail/When-Water-Wants-To/?k=9781776149797