Dorothy de Kok skims author bios with mild suspicion—aware they matter, but quietly convinced they are proof that even the greatest writers have writer’s block when they have to write about themselves . . . and here we are. Her own storytelling journey began at twelve, when she attempted her first novel: an earnest and spectacularly terrible fan fiction of Enid Blyton’s Magic Faraway Tree series. She finished it, reread it proudly, then lost it, which is just as well, as it was a threat to great literature.

Since then, Dorothy has collected an unusually broad résumé: high school English teacher, academic editor, safe-house director, real estate agent, and hopeful but horrendous gardener. She has spent years listening to people’s stories—students, clients, and survivors—and those voices sometimes find their way into her fiction.

She now lives in the small Karoo village of Bedford, South Africa, where the power supply is erratic and the potholes are legislated, and where inspiration tends to wander in before the first morning screech of the hadeda. She is also, by her own admission, unofficially blacklisted from owning a library card in several provinces due to her unfortunate habit of becoming emotionally attached to borrowed books and “forgetting” to return them.

“Thickly,” her Writers of the Future entry, explores what happens when the desire to be seen becomes literal—a body horror tale about enhancement, erasure, and the price of visibility in a world that demands women transform themselves to matter. She crafted it in the quiet hours before sunrise, in a South African township setting she knows intimately, hoping to catch something magical before daybreak. This time, the magic stayed.

Jo-Anne Duffett is a medical doctor based in Cape Town, South Africa. Her stethoscope, camera, and notebook are never far away – tools of both her work and her imagination. Whether field-side, outdoors, or travelling with her husband, she finds inspiration to create romances that celebrate healing, love, and adventure.

joduffett.co.za

I’m Michelle; mom, wife, teacher and I am very passionate about reading and bringing books to life. I live in Hillcrest, KZN, South Africa. I started my online read-aloud platform during COIVD-19 lockdown, and it has grown in popularity and followers. I then through my passion for storytelling, decided to write my own book, as my daughters found sharing quite challenging.

My first book “A Big Plate of Kindness” was born. In 2024 I was afforded the opportunity to be one of four authors to contribute toward WIMPY SA Literacy campaign, and my second book “Ozzy saves the Shoal” was written. I have now recently completed my third book “The Duck who wished for Webbed Feet”, and there are definitely more to come. As an author, my goal is to inspire a love of reading by creating stories that spark imagination and joy. I want to help children discover the magic of words and the excitement that every page can bring. Happy Reading!