
POWER OF AUTHORS
29-30 APRIL 2021 09:00 - 13:00 Daily
A conference among authors, about authors
#PowerOfAuthors
Join us as we celebrate the Power of Authors
The Academic and Non-Fiction Authors’ Association of South Africa (ANFASA) is hosting a two-day virtual international conference, to explore and debate the role and status of authors in society.
Why attend?
Knowledge production and the voice of the author has never been more important. Authors need to continue writing as they observe and reflect on humanity and the ways of the world. They are the ones we will rely on to record and narrate the stories for generations to come.
But In South Africa, imported knowledge far outstrips what we produce ourselves. We need more authors writing, especially more scholars writing and producing African scholarship.
Who should attend?
This high-level conference aims to attract published authors and thought leaders able to question and reflect on how authors can influence the course of events in the world.
ANFASA is hoping for, and expecting a strong presence from the academy, from both established and emergent scholarly authors.
Programme Details
Thursday 29 April 2021 09:00-13:00
Opening of the conference and welcoming the attendees.
A brief introduction to the discussion among authors, about authors.
SPEAKER
Elinor Sisulu
We explore the role of authors and their status in society today, in South Africa and elsewhere in the world. How are authors responding today to these changed times, to the pandemic, to climate change, to political upheaval? Have we made our voices heard? What provokes us to write? How affected are we, as authors, by external circumstances, beyond the world of the self? Do our societies respect authors’ contribution to collective knowledge? Could authors have the power to change the world?
SPEAKERS
Dr Divine Fuh
Fred Khumalo
Prof Wangui wa Goro
Barbara Hayes
The author has had many voices: as opposition to oppressive regimes and to crime and brutality; as a source of information, entertainment and wisdom; as a record keeper for oral histories; as a creator and a disseminator of knowledge. Authors have been bridges between societies and, at times, they have been respected and even venerated. We look back to West Africa and the Griots, bearers of knowledge in ancient times, and the respect they received from their societies.
SPEAKERS
Prof Andries Oliphant
Francis Gbormittah
Mũkoma wa Ngũgĩ
The history of the world tells us that whereas times of peace and comfort largely give rise to works of elegance and wit, it is war, upheaval and strife that most often stir the spirit and are catalysts for surges of creativity. We look at authors who dig into the dark corners and authors who strike out against the ills of their societies.
SPEAKERS
Njabulo Zwane
Rehana Rossouw
Richard Poplak
Siphiwo Mahala
Friday 30 April 2021 09:00-13:00
Authors are creators of knowledge and what they create has economic value. Rather than asking if authors can make a living from their work, we pose the question – are authors adequately rewarded for what they produce? And if not, why? We explore ways of strengthening the economic value of authors and protecting their incomes.
SPEAKERS
John Degen
Luke Alcott
Maggie Gee
Public Lending Right and other incentivised programmes
Having asked the questions about authors’ rewards, we explore the pros and cons of copyright, collective management of reprographic reproduction rights, Public Lending Right and other incentivised programmes that can encourage authors to keep creating and remove them from the list of endangered species.
SPEAKERS
Arjen Polman
Geoffroy Pelletier
Maureen Duffy
Pierre Lesburgueres
Monica Seeber
Humankind has had the desire to communicate through writing for thousands of years, from scratchings on stone, bone and wood to elaborately illustrated manuscripts on parchment. Then, with the invention of the printing press: the printed book. Now, the 4th Industrial Revolution is seeing an enormous increase in the availability of free information across digital platforms and in an abundance of different formats. Throughout the pandemic, digital media has been a prevalent voice and has guided conversations on current issues, in real-time. Does the digital transition threaten the existence of the author? Or does it hold the promise of new ways of generating and communicating ideas, growing readership – and more power for authors?
SPEAKER
Dr Duduzile Zwane
This programme is subject to change without prior notice.

The conference is presented by the Academic and Non-Fiction Authors’ Association of South Africa (ANFASA), in proud association with the Royal Norwegian Embassy and the Norwegian Non-Fiction Writers and Translators Association (NFF) and in partnership with the International Authors Forum.