Rounding off May at Bridge

May 30, 2026

Silent Reading Club

Our Silent Reading Club is back this Saturday. Spend your afternoon surrounded by other readers while you read what you like, at your own pace.

When: Saturday 30 May
Time: 14:00 - 16:00
Cost: R60 per person (includes a drink)
Where: Bridge Books Barbican, 89 Helen Joseph Cnr Rissik

Book here

Translating Ulysses into isiZulu

Last week, Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ, translated by Lin King won the International Booker Prize. In her acceptance speech, Yáng said: “There may be a time lag between the writing of a work and the translation of it but translation allows writing to transcend the limits of time and space.”

Since its publication in 1922, James Joyce’s Ulysses has been formally translated into at least 44 languages, first into German in 1927. The novel has been called “untranslatable” due its revolutionary stream-of-consciousness form, disregard for grammar, and extensive wordplay and references.

The list of translations is certainly impressive but there is a notable absence of African languages. For the novel’s centenary in 2022, the Embassy of Ireland in South Africa commissioned part of Ulysses to be translated into isiZulu. Rising to the challenge, Sandile Ngidi translated Molly Bloom’s soliloquy, the dense closing chapter of the novel, notorious for its unruly structure and linguistic complexity. A true feat of translation that certainly transcends “the limits of time and space” carrying readers right into Molly’s Dublin.

The isiZulu translation of Molly Bloom’s soliloquy will be read at our Bloomsday event on 13 June alongside passages from Ulysses in English, Dutch, French, and German.

Get tickets here

From the LitDistrict Team

Ntsako Neo Shingwenyana: Mapping Africa’s Forgotten Legacy

by Nkosinati Dube

Ntsako Neo Shingwenyana, known online as Leo Paul Bernstein, is an illustrator, animator, and artist whose work is deeply intertwined with history, memory, and cultural reclamation. We first encountered him through his involvement with the LitDistrict’s African Atlas project—a collaborative effort to research and visually represent Africa’s rich history and civilizations.

Through the Atlas, Neo has been uncovering stories of African kingdoms and legacies that have long been hidden, discarded, or distorted. “It’s not until you do the research that you realize how much of our legacy has been stripped away,” he explains. “Growing up, we were told lies, that we were just slaves carrying sticks. But the truth is, we were so much greater than that. That knowledge has been hidden from us for generations.”

Neo’s artistic journey is as unconventional as it is inspiring. A self-taught animator, he left the traditional school system after high school, realizing that it didn’t align with his creative spirit. “I started creating as a way to save myself,” he says. “Artists, in my eyes, were the only free people in society. Art is freedom, and once I saw that, I knew there was no turning back.”

His work is motivated not only by personal liberation but by the impact it has on others. Neo finds fulfillment in the connections his art fosters: “I’ve seen people light up when they see my work and talk about it. That feeling—the effect it has—is priceless. That’s what keeps me creating.”

Through the African Atlas, Neo combines artistic expression with historical research, reclaiming and celebrating Africa’s forgotten stories. His illustrations and animations serve as both education and inspiration, shedding light on the grandeur of African civilizations and challenging the myths that have obscured them.

Four Questions for Neo (Leo Paul Bernstein)

Q: What has working on the African Atlas taught you about your heritage?
A: It’s revealed how much of our legacy has been hidden and discarded. Learning about African kingdoms and histories has shown me the greatness of our ancestors and has challenged the lies we were told growing up.

Q: Why did you become an artist, and what drives your creativity?
A: Art saved me. I saw artists as the only free people in society, and I wanted that freedom too. Creating allows me to take what’s inside me and put it into the world, and seeing the impact it has on others keeps me going.

Q: How do you hope your art affects your audience?
A: I want people to feel inspired and to realize the depth and richness of African history. Even if they don’t know the full context, I hope the work sparks curiosity and pride.

Q: What does freedom in art mean to you?
A: Freedom in art is the ability to express yourself fully, without constraints, and to create something that can change perspectives or open minds. It’s about reclaiming stories, telling the truth, and inspiring others.

Explore Neo's work