Mentoring Our Future Writers

The FunDza Literacy Trust, with funding from the National Arts Council, has completed a special project: Mentoring Our Future Writers. In this five emerging young writers were paired with, and mentored by, five establised South African authors.

Both the professional writer and the emerging writer wrote a short story to be published on FunDza’s mobi network, which is accessed by thousands of readers through their cellphones. Each pair of stories had to be connected in some way. In some instances, writers continued the story but using a different character as the main voice; in others, the location became the connection point.

The pairs of writers worked together to develop their stories. The emerging writers gained invaluable experience in writing and in having a platform through which they could showcase their work. Mentors were also challenged by their young mentees to keep their stories fresh, and to give authenticity to their characters.

FunDza is proud of the final product: 10 fabulous and uniquely South African short stories that have already been enjoyed by thousands of readers. The writers wrote across a variety of themes from romance to crime and human drama. What makes this anthology so interesting is the range of writing styles. The writers’ voices really shone through their work and they weren’t scared to tackle some difficult issues.

FunDza is grateful to the National Arts Council for their support in providing young writers with an opportunity to be both developed and also published.

 

Rosamund Haden, the project manager and editor for this anthology, is the content developer for the FunDza Literacy Trust. She has years of experience as a writer and editor and has published novels, short stories and children’s stories. She is passionate about developing young writers to a level where they can become commissioned, published authors.

“Working on this project with such talented writers was exciting and rewarding. The journey of working together with mentors to create stories that were linked in an original and interesting way really focused young writers and challenged them to hone their skills and develop their craft. For the mentors it was refreshing and fun to work with new writers with different perspectives and ideas, who brought a fresh vibrancy to the process and the work.”

 

– Rosamund Haden