NEWS
Monday, 16 August 2010 21:00
Believing What My Heart Is Telling Me
South African writer Abigail George talks to Karen Martin about staying true to herself as she negotiates her vocation as a writer, her patriotism as a South African, and her obligations as an African. "Being a writer, a poet, an artist is not a choice. You are either called to it, like service or the ministry, or not. Choice only comes in when you begin to doubt your destiny." Karen Martin: You've published very widely — in print in South Africa, and online from Finland to Nigeria. Do you have a preference for publishing in print or online? What are…
Friday, 06 August 2010 17:40
:) New Theme Announced :)
The theme for the next issue of ITCH has been decided. :) For more details, go here.
Tuesday, 27 July 2010 11:49
How We Ended Up Here
Kenya based writer Karest Lewela talks to Karen Martin about redefining what is African by listening to the past and mapping out the future. "I hope to inspire a reflection on how we ended up 'here', and whether being here is the right place to be if we are to achieve our best potential ... " Karen Martin: What do you mean by "African Renaissance"? What will be recovered from the past, and how will it respond to and shape the future? How does your work as a poet and storyteller contribute to the renaissance you imagine? Karest Lewela:…
Tuesday, 27 July 2010 11:34
Making Otherness Work
Heidi Sincuba talks to Karen Martin about seeing herself and being seen, and how rage fired a wide-eyed Zulu girl in the Netherlands to re-appropriate the African in her work. "As ridiculous as it is to be represented as anonymous and half-naked somewhere in Africa, that has still seeped into the way "Africans" perceive themselves." Karen Martin: You've moved around all your life. Why? Where have you been? And where are you going? Heidi Sincuba: I was born in a Christian mission where everything was sober, stable and "logical". We learned about the Bible and the consequences of not…
Tuesday, 20 July 2010 22:22
Finding my own way into how I act
Los Angeles based artist Martin Gantman talks to Karen Martin about directing his gaze both inward and outward to understand who he is in the globalising world. "I find that I must always remember to explore my biases when I approach a project and to allow them to evolve as the project does." Karen Martin: You made the Odalisque Suite between 1994 and 1997. What made you choose to publish it in ITCH in 2010? How does it speak to the theme "i"? Martin Gantman: It is interesting how certain issues re-circulate. These particular issues, I and self, were…
Saturday, 17 July 2010 19:57
Living in Translation
Amsterdam based writer Richard de Nooy talks to Karen Martin about moving between identities. "The broader relevance of my work lies in using South Africa as a metaphor for exploring the complexities and contradictions of a changing world." Karen Martin: ITCH describes itself as "South African rooted and internationally relevant". What does this mean to you in the context of the internet and other globalising forces? Where are you rooted? And where are you relevant? Richard de Nooy: Although I have lived in Amsterdam for almost 25 years, I will always remain firmly attached to South Africa. I recently…
Friday, 09 July 2010 14:23
Globalised Motherhood: Call for Submissions
Feminist Press (New York) is seeking submissions for a new anthology, titled Globalized Motherhood: a Short Story Collection, edited by Wendy Chavkin. The books aims to engage with a world in flux about the most intimate of human connections, a world wide open to a host of possibilities for reconfiguring family and parenthood, and perhaps of liberating women from the constraints of reproductive biology. The physical, emotional and caring aspects of motherhood are separable in new ways, pushed by demographic shifts, bio-technological innovations and global travel of babies, women, body parts, information, and technologies. Contemporary short stories, memoirs, and creative…
Wednesday, 16 June 2010 14:56
Thank you Vuyo, Welcome Karen!
ITCH is delighted to welcome its second e-intern, Karen Martin to the fold, who is taking over from the wonderful Vuyo Seripe, who excelled at networking ITCH with writers and literary collectives across the African continent and diaspora. Karen Martin is an emerging, recently published writer of short fiction. She is a professional editor and copy editor. She has also initiated and developed several books for Gay and Lesbian Memory in Action, the pioneering South African LGBTI archives. In 2010, she is driving and editing the archives' anthology of new queer African short fiction. She lives in the countryside outside…
Tuesday, 08 June 2010 11:55
Submissions i-interrupted
Thank you to the almost 100 writers and artists who submitted work for the next issue of ITCH Online. Submissions closed yesterday, and I am very excited about the quality of work that has come in. Those who sent their work through will hear the result soon, and anxious readers can expect the new issue of ITCH to be available by the end of June. Late submissions are sometimes considered. Contact me to plead your case.
Monday, 31 May 2010 17:45
Kwani Short Story Competition
Kwani Trust invites the submission of short stories of between 3000-8000 words that focus on Africa and the experiences of African people, with a particular focus on Africans born after 1978. The theme of the call out is 'THE AFRICA I LIVE IN'. Published authors will be paid a fee of $100.If you are interested in participating in this exciting initiative, please send your creative work in to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for consideration.The deadline is 30 June 2010. For more information, visit Kwani.