Latest news with #IndieAuthorsRiseUpBookFestival
IOL News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Author Alvin Witten's Incredible Journey: From South Africa to 1,328 churches in Mozambique
Author Alvin Witten is set to shares his journey from Mozambique to the page at the Indie Authors Rise Up Book Festival. Image: Supplied When Alvin Witten and his wife, Jean, set off for Mozambique in their 60s, they left behind the comfort of home in South Africa to face an unknown future. Five years, 1,328 churches, and countless life-changing experiences later, Witten returned with a story he knew had to be told. 'My journey as an author began long before the first words were written; it started with a calling that took my wife, Jean, and me to Mozambique for five years,' Witten said. 'We were both in our 60s at the time, leaving behind the comfort of family, friends, and familiar surroundings to move into an environment where we didn't know the language or the culture, and had no clear idea of what awaited us.' That calling became Searching for Churches, Witten's debut work and the centrepiece of his participation in the upcoming Indie Authors Rise Up Book Festival, taking place in the Helderberg region from August 16 to 24. Alvin Witten and his wife, Jean, in one of the churches they visited. Image: Supplied Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ The book recounts a mission to visit every one of Mozambique's 1,328 churches, a journey that took the couple from remote villages to bustling towns, often in challenging conditions. 'There were long days on dirt roads in sweltering heat, nights in places with no electricity or running water, and the constant challenge of communicating in Portuguese, which we had to learn from scratch,' he said. 'Yet, despite the uncertainty and discomfort, our commitment never wavered.' Witten chose to self-publish to preserve the authenticity of his story. 'I didn't want the heart of that story to be filtered through the lens of someone deciding whether it was commercially viable,' he explained. 'By self-publishing, I could retain full creative control and ensure the story was handled with the care and authenticity it deserved.' At its heart, Searching for Churches explores faith, resilience, cultural exchange, and 'the beauty of shared humanity, moments where language barriers disappear, and what remains is understanding, kindness, and mutual respect.' For Witten, the festival is more than just a chance to promote his book. 'I'm most excited about connecting with other self-published authors and exchanging ideas, stories, and lessons learned,' he said. With a background in people development, he sees the event as a space to 'mentor and encourage new writers who may be facing the same doubts and challenges I once did.' He also believes festivals like this are vital for the visibility of independent authors. 'Bookstores can be reluctant to stock independently published titles, and marketing is usually a personal expens, Events like this change that. They provide authors with a platform to showcase their work directly to readers,' Witten said. For readers, he added, the benefit is equally significant. 'They get to meet the storytellers behind the books, hear the 'why' behind the words, and discover books that might otherwise go unnoticed. It's a space where stories and readers meet without gatekeepers, and that's something truly worth celebrating.' The Indie Authors Rise Up Book Festival will feature over 34 authors, panel discussions, workshops, and special events at venues across Gordons Bay, Somerset West, and Strand. For more details and to reserve tickets, visit [ IOL News
IOL News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Indie Authors Rise Up book festival: A celebration of independent writing in Helderberg
The Indie Authors Rise Up Book Festival celebrates independent voices with a unique fringe festival format. Image: supplied The Helderberg region is set to host the third annual Indie Authors Rise Up Book Festival from August 16 to 24, 2025, offering a fresh, inclusive platform for independent authors across all genres to connect with readers and fellow creatives. Unlike traditional book festivals, this event is modelled as a fringe festival, meaning participation is open to any indie author, writing in any genre. Authors take the reins in planning their own events, selling their books independently or through a centralised book table. 'The festival is unlike other traditional book festivals, as it is structured as a fringe festival. This unique model means that participation is open to any indie author writing in any genre," Festival organiser Leslie Downie explains. "This is a bottom-up festival, with authors responsible for planning their own events. Authors sell their own books for their own account, and can also put their books on a centralised book table.' The festival will feature 34 authors this year, including a special collaborative book created by dozens of Imibala Trust scholars, supported by an Arts & Culture grant. With genres spanning children's books, romance, thrillers, self-help, cookery, academic works, human rights, travel, conservation, memoirs, and more, the festival welcomes all literary voices. Downie highlights the festival's commitment to fostering emerging talent. 'The festival provides a platform for independent authors to promote their own work. Listing the participating authors' books on the Clowder Bookstore website helps indie authors to professionalise their output. The festival invites self-publishing service providers to the festival to drive healthy competition in this space.' The festival also supports disadvantaged authors by assisting them to find free venues, while other authors pay venue fees. 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Next Stay Close ✕ One of the festival's key highlights is the Imibala Trust event on Saturday, 16 August, which showcases the collaborative writing efforts of disadvantaged scholars. The event is free and takes place in Imibala's new café, run by tourism trainees. A variety of workshops and talks will be held throughout the festival, including a highly anticipated legal workshop for creatives by Spoor & Fisher on 22 August at the Drama Factory. Tickets for most events are R60, which include a glass of Poetry wine, while some events are free. 'The Friday morning, 22 August, legal workshop for creatives by Spoor & Fisher is an absolute must. At R60 (including a glass of wine) it is the most exciting event at the festival,' Downie says. Self-publishing service providers like printers, distributors, illustrators, and ISBN assistants will also be available at the Drama Factory that day, offering writers a 15% discount on their first print run. Other exciting features include the launch of Owen Dean's controversial new book Echoes of Injustice, which challenges the Netflix documentary on the Lion King court case, and inspiring talks by well-known speakers such as Dean Allen. The festival spans multiple venues throughout Gordons Bay, Somerset West, and Strand, including pubs, wine farms, clubs, coffee shops, and theatres, creating a community-focused celebration of local independent publishing. Indie Authors Rise Up is 'celebrating indie self-expression and the beauty of the Helderberg'. For more details and to reserve tickets, visit [ IOL News
