KREST PUBLISHERS BLOG PAGE

  Ignite - Naadiya Ismail (cover) The KREST House was founded under rebellious circumstances - that the world insisted artistic pursuits were not 'real careers', that they were just hobbies, and that we wanted to prove them wrong. Much of our team unshackled themselves from very traditional careers (everything from real estate, to financial planning) to join this mission and prove it true. It was only natural, then, that we should be drawn to Naadiya Ismail's work.  Naadiya Ismail's poetry is laced with the same kind of brazen spirit, the energy of someone who is ready to unabashedly reveal themselves for the artist that they are - without all the embarrassment that previously surrounded creative careers. As she says in the preface of her new book, "I finally confess it, then. I am accountant and wordsmith, scientist and romantic. I am unreason and optimism, and logical entanglement. And in both worlds – all worlds – I am conservative and modern, old-fashioned and ...

KREST ANNUAL SHORT STORY COMPETITION RUNNING FROM 1 NOVEMBER 2022 - 21 NOVEMBER 2022 KREST Publishers  is excited to announce the annual short story competition in which a talented South African can win the grand prize of R12500, and have their story published on our blog. This year, thanks to our sponsor Newtown Express, there will also be a second prize of R750. It’s simple: 1.       Pick a topic from the list below 2.       Write a short story in less than 2000 words. 3.       Submit your story to  submissions@krestpublishers.co.za  between 1 November 2022 and 21 November 2022, telling us a little about yourself and your topic choice (include contact details). Only one entry per person. READ ON FOR MORE DETAILS WHO CAN ENTER ·         South African residents of any age and from any province. ·         ...

KREST Publishers CEO, Keli Hariparsad   It was an iconic moment for a local publisher this Saturday the 15 th of October, when they scooped 3 trophies at the 2022 Book Behind Awards. Earlier this year Umhlanga-based company KREST Publishers was informed that they had been nominated in 6 categories at the book award event of the year, which takes place annually in Durban, a UNESCO city of literature. The categories of nomination were: Best Biography, Best Educational Book, Best Fiction, Best Poetry, Best Upcoming Female Author, and Best Publishing Company in SA. The CEO of the publishing company, Keli Hariparsad, noted that it was a surreal surprise as KREST is one of the youngest publishers in the industry. At just two years old, the publisher found themselves competing against heavyweights in each category – veteran names like Penguin Random House, Jonathan Ball, and NB Publishers. Months of campaigning culminated in the formal awards ceremony this past weekend. KREST was p...

    KREST Publishers CEO, Keli Hariparsad, spoke to national financial news platform Fin24 about the wildly ambitious dream that is the KREST storytelling empire.  Read the full article HERE .

 The KREST House CEO, Keli Hariparsad, had the wonderful opportunity of appearing as a guest on the Nesan Pather Podcast. Keli talked about the current growth and larger-than-life future of KREST with Nesan, a marketing expert.  The podcast can be found on Spotify or listened to as a YouTube video below:

  To celebrate the one year anniversary of Laura Tippins' novel We Bought a Village, we share with you a fun short story she wrote in 2021. The submission was part of our KREST annual short story competition. A year later, Laura is the proudly published author of a full length novel. THE INVITATION - LAURA TIPPINS It came in such an unassuming package, mixed in with the Christmas cards, postcards and party invitations, that I hadn't noticed it until I held the brightly coloured paper. “No, no,” I muttered to myself as my heart began to pound. I put my other post down on the kitchen island and stumbled to the nearest living room chair. “No, please no.” My hand shook as I blinked at the name at the bottom and let out a groan. But the groan I heard was not mine. It sounded like it was coming from the next room. My roommate, Josey, poked her head into the room. “Did you get one of these too?” she asked as I heard her rattling the rainbow invitation behind me. I responded by lifting...

  To celebrate the one year anniversary of Laura Tippins' novel We Bought a Village, we share with you an immersive story she wrote in 2020. The story was submitted as part of our KREST annual short story competition and placed in the top 10. It was, in fact, the story that made us sit up and take notice of this exceptionally talented writer, who also lectures in literature.  Enjoy! A WILD ADVENTURE - LAURA TIPPINS Dr Jenny Johnson hated her job. She loved being a veterinarian. The monotony of going out and treating endless cows and sheep all day, though, when all she really wanted to do was get her hands on a sick hippo would drive even the most resolute vet insane. After a particularly fruitless visit to Farmer Wessel one early morning, though, Jenny came across a man waiting for her outside the barn. “Are you Dr Johnson?” the man asked anxiously. He didn’t give her time to do more than nod. “I’m Matt Bower, a ranger at the reserve. We need your help. Would you come with me,...