It's not often we welcome a poet to be WZ Book Club guest author of the month, but 26 year old Nondwe Mpuma was a real piece of treasure. She was heard reading at the Poetry in McGregor Festival by writer-publisher Karina Szczurek of Karavan Press who speaks to her about her debut anthology Peach Country published by uHlanga Press

'Strong female characters' was the topic up for discussion at the 2nd Cape Flats Book Festival held recently in Mitchell's Plain, with strong female writers, Qarnita Loxton, author of the series: Being Kari, Being Lily, Being Shelley and Being Dianne and Resoketswe Manenzhe whose debut novel is called Scatterlings. Nancy Richards spoke to them and you can listen in on the conversation here - but be sure to attend the Festival in person next year to hear a whole lot more. 

A joint project between Ilitha Labantu, CPUT (Cape Peninsula University of Technology), AWIF (African Women Independent Forum) and UN Women, Isisele Senyathi, translated as Reservoir of Knowledge has been conceived as a hub for African women's history and stories. A three-day conference was held at CPUT's Bellville Campus, where Woman Zone went along to listen in on the thinking, the stories - and the powerful singing. 

Her strong, assertive radio voice with it's undertone of humour,  belies the tough passage Sara-Jayne Makwala King has had in life. Like her first book, Killing Karoline, her second book Mad Bad Love (mf books), pulls no punches on the trauma she's had to work through. In this case, discovering that the things we love can nearly kill us. She speaks here to journalist Theresa Smith

Tragedy struck when Noel English, 45yr old father of two from Mitchell's Plain, died of COVID 19 in January 2021. A phoenix from the ashes however, was the book I Miss Daddy written by his son Matthew and wife Alicia. Despite her crushing grief, it also prompted Alicia to launch an initiative called The Olive Exchange - listen here to find out more... 

It's been a while coming, but Margie Orford's new book The Eye of the Beholder (Jonathan Ball) is strong stuff. In his cover shout, bestseller crime writer Ian Rankin calls it 'As powerful as it is elegant - grips like a vice.' He's not wrong. But Margie has many tales to tell about her journey with this title, and as a writer in general.  

London based writer Louisa Treger was in South Africa recently to launch her latest book, Madwoman (Bloomsbury). It tells the extraordinary, and shocking, story of American journalist, Nelly Bly who back in the late 1880's had herself admitted to a New York asylum for 'mad women' - so she could both write about it and expose the appalling conditions. At our Women's Library, Louisa was in conversation with writer- publisher Karina Szczurek.

Medical Dr Anne Biccard works in a very busy hospital in Johannesburg, But busy as she is, she also finds time to write. In her second book Holding My Breath: Further exploits of an ER doctor (Jacana)– she captures the challenges and the humour faced by her profession – specifically in the COVID years.  Intro music Beautiful Woman is by Tina Schouw

In her book Prison Notebook V2957/88, Human Rights activist and former Commissioner on Gender Equality, Gertrude Fester describes a life of struggle as well as the horrors of being a political detainee and spending 104 days in solitary confinement. Her book is published by Military Veterans. Song Beautiful Woman is by Tina Schouw

Whilst the stories of the ten women Home Food Gardeners are written and printed in Women of Soil - changing lives, at the launch of the book, which took place as part of Artscape's Women's Humanity Arts Festival, the women were invited to briefly tell us how being trained by Soil for Life had impacted their lives. It made for moving listening. (Both the launch and this podcast open with the voice of singer, storyteller Philippa Kabali-Kagwa)