Cape Town hosts 2025 Writing Competition at Central Library 

Cape Town: The Library and Information Services Department hosted the annual writing competition and received over 200 entries. Young writers at city impressed judges with their writing skills.  

Considering the competition, the results were announced at the Open Book Festival which was held at the Central Library.  

This year’s theme for the competition required writers to craft a short story around a mysterious box that they stumbled upon while exploring their school or local library. The box is adorned with strange symbols which emits a faint humming sound. 

A creative prompt sparked a diverse array of captivating tales. The stories ranged from magical discoveries to thrilling adventures. The participants were able to submit their stories in only English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa languages.  

Member of the Mayoral Committee for Health – Councillor Francine Higham said that the City of Cape Town officials are extremely proud of the participants of this year. In year 2025, the organisers has introduced a new category for the Best Artwork or Illustrations. It has been introduced to recognise the creativity and artistic talent shown by the learners. 

Higham said that the judges were surprised by the imaginative visuals that accompanied many stories, added depth and vibrancy to their storytelling. She said that this competition is just one out of many ways, by which the Community Services and Health Directorate is creating opportunities for the youth and is supporting creativity and literacy. 

The 2025 Writing Competition was judged by a panel that included representatives from Nal’ibali. The contest also welcomed local authors such as Dr. Alicia English, Phindile Memani and Lonwabo Mabele who brought their expertise and passion for storytelling to the process. 

In addition, the competition also recorded participation of 40 libraries, with several libraries such as Tokai, Brackenfell, Southfield, Langa, and Mfuleni hosting the writing workshops which are led by the invited guests, including Nal’ibali and local authors. 

Furthermore, these sessions provided learners with valuable inspiration and guidance as they crafted their stories. In total 68 schools took part in the competition, alongside 13 home-schooled learners who submitted their entries via their local libraries.  

Notably, most of the submissions were written in English, 10 stories were written in Afrikaans and over 20 were written in isiXhosa, which reflected the multilingual richness of the young writers of the City of Cape Town. 

As prize, the winners received an exclusive Writing Masterclass with Dr. Alicia English and their winning story is going to be featured on the Nal’ibali website, which will give them a platform to inspire other young readers and writers. The prizes were accolade according to different languages and selected age categories.