AFDA Johannesburg’s third-year Bachelor of Creative Writing cohort recently celebrated a significant milestone with the launch of their original anthologies at Book Circle Capital as part of the 2026 AFDA Experimental Festival. The event marked the culmination of months of intensive writing, editing, critical engagement, and creative development, showcasing the next generation of South African storytellers.
This year’s anthologies were developed around the theme “After the Rainbow”, inviting students to interrogate and reimagine post-colonial narratives within contemporary South Africa. Through fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, and experimental forms, the writers explored questions of identity, memory, belonging, history, and the realities of life beyond the ideals of the so-called Rainbow Nation.
The resulting collections offer nuanced, personal, and thought-provoking perspectives that challenge readers to engage with the complexities of modern South African experience.
The anthology launch formed part of AFDA’s annual Experimental Festival, a platform that encourages third-year students to push creative boundaries, experiment with new forms of expression, and present their work to public audiences. The festival serves as an important learning milestone, providing students with valuable opportunities to share their creative voices while gaining practical experience in presenting and promoting original work.
A special acknowledgement goes to the FunDza Literacy Trust for its invaluable partnership in publishing the anthologies and supporting the promotion of the launch event. Through its commitment to encouraging reading, writing, and literacy among young South Africans, FunDza continues to create meaningful opportunities for emerging writers to develop their voices and reach wider audiences.
The successful launch is a testament to the dedication of the students, lecturers, editors, and collaborators who continue to cultivate spaces where young writers can experiment, publish, and engage with audiences beyond the classroom.
As the authors celebrated the publication of their work, the event also served as a reminder of the power of storytelling to question, reflect, and imagine new futures. For many of the students, this publication represents the completion of a major academic project and the beginning of their professional journeys as writers.
The launch stands as another example of AFDA’s commitment to nurturing original voices and preparing graduates to contribute meaningfully to South Africa’s creative and cultural landscape.
Here’s to the next chapter of storytelling.