International Literacy Day is an opportunity to celebrate the power of reading, storytelling and the people who bring new stories into the world.
At 041Online, the written word has always been at the heart of what we do. This year, we are celebrating three members of our writing team whose work extends beyond online articles and into published fiction.
From fantasy and romance to stories exploring secrets and complicated relationships, Faziela Harris-Davids, Luna Hayes and Eleanor Douglas-Meyers are each carving out their own place in the literary world.
Faziela Harris-Davids selected for upcoming anthology
Writer and illustrator Faziela Harris-Davids has been selected as one of the contributing authors for Menagerie: New Stories from the Bestiary, an anthology set to be published by Mirari Press in March 2027.
Her story takes readers into an alternative Cape Town where dragons are feared as monsters and regarded as symbols of destruction.
Journalist Alia has made it her mission to uncover the truth about the city’s celebrated hero, known as the Slayer. However, when her investigation begins to challenge the accepted narrative surrounding the mysterious figure and the powerful KP Organisation, she finds herself questioning everything she thought she understood about justice, heroism and the dragons haunting the city.
As Cape Town prepares for its spectacular Full Moon Festival, Alia is caught between her responsibility to uncover the truth and the people she loves most.
In a world where everyone has their own version of what is right, the distinction between hero and villain may not be as clear as it initially appears.
Sometimes, the monsters are not the ones people were warned about.
Her selection for Menagerie marks another exciting step in Harris-Davids’s creative journey. She previously co-authored Born of Fire and Between Embers with Eleanor Douglas-Meyers.
Her illustrations were also featured in Of Swords and Roses and Of Love & Dragons this year, demonstrating the different ways in which she contributes to bringing stories and imagined worlds to life.
Luna Hayes celebrates the release of her sixth book
Romance writer Luna Hayes is marking another publishing milestone with Honey, Bee, Mine, her fifth book and the fourth instalment in her Lockhart Falls series.
Hayes has steadily built a catalogue of warm, character-driven romances, including Baking Me Crazy, the third book in the Lockhart Falls series. Her stories are known for combining small-town charm, family relationships and relatable romantic journeys.
Honey, Bee, Mine follows Melissa Watson, who has not returned to Lockhart Falls in 10 years. When her mother has a mishap, Melissa rushes home to help and finds herself drawn back into the life she left behind.
Single father Ryan Harris has had little luck in the dating department. He has given up on finding someone who will accept both him and his daughters, but Melissa soon begins to fit naturally into their ready-made family.
Family picnics, Halloween costumes, secret romantic escapes and stolen kisses follow as Melissa and Ryan begin falling in love.
However, Melissa must eventually choose between the safe and comfortable life she knows, giving up on her lifelong dream, or taking a risk and allowing fate to take over.
With its combination of small-town warmth, family life and second-chance romance, Honey, Bee, Mine continues the world Hayes has created through her Lockhart Falls series while adding a sixth title to her growing body of work.
Readers can learn more about the author and her books through the Luna Hayes Writes website.
Eleanor Douglas-Meyers returns to fiction with
The Confession Collector
041Online founder and Managing Editor Eleanor Douglas-Meyers has added a new chapter to her publishing journey with the release of The Confession Collector.
Douglas-Meyers is a journalist, digital publisher, former award-winning blogger and author who has spent much of her career telling the stories of others. Her latest book sees her return to fiction with a solo release after previously co-authoring Born of Fire and Between Embers with Faziela Harris-Davids.
The Confession Collector explores secrets, relationships and the things people reveal when they believe their words are safe.
The release represents more than the publication of another title. It marks Douglas-Meyers’s return to a creative identity that has continued alongside her work in journalism, digital media and community storytelling.
As a self-published author, she has managed every stage of the process, from developing and preparing a manuscript to producing, launching and marketing the finished book.
She is now using that experience to help aspiring authors navigate their own self-publishing journeys. This includes offering practical guidance through the different stages of turning a manuscript into a published book and helping writers better understand a process that can initially feel overwhelming.
The response to The Confession Collector has already included media coverage, a successful launch and growing interest from readers. It also represents the beginning of a new chapter in which Douglas-Meyers is not only publishing her own work, but helping other writers bring their stories into the world.
Celebrating the writers behind the bylines
The journeys of Harris-Davids, Hayes and Douglas-Meyers show that there is no single route into publishing.
Their work spans independent and traditional publishing, collaborative projects, illustration, anthologies and multiple genres. What connects them is a commitment to storytelling and a willingness to continue creating.
Their achievements also demonstrate that the writers behind 041Online’s articles, columns and community stories bring rich creative experience to the publication.
This International Literacy Day, 041Online celebrates not only the stories these three writers have already shared, but also the books and imagined worlds still to come.
Leave a Reply