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Wednesday – 26th April 2017

‘Poverty porn’ debate raging around Fiston Mwanza Mujila’s award-winning novel Tram 83

Have you heard about the heated conversation taking place about Congolese author Fiston Mwanza Mujila’s award-winning novel Tram 83? Brittle Paper has got you covered.

Rutanang Book Fair moves online – participants revealed

The Rutanang Book Fair has announced a move online, and has also announced this year’s line up!

Two Cape Town launches for Dawn Garisch’s 6th novel – Accident

Dawn Garisch has a brilliant disquieting new novel coming out in May, Accident. For Cape Town people, catch her at one of two launches – The Book Lounge on the 9th May and Kalk Bay Books on the 10th May.

How one family managed to transform an entire country into the Republic of Gupta

The Guptas rose to national infamy when a commercial airliner packed with guests for a family wedding was allowed to land at Air Force Base Waterkloof in 2013, sparking an onslaught of public outrage. Since then, they have become embroiled in allegat

Tuesday – 25th April 2017

New JM Coetzee book coming this September

A new collection of JM Coetzee’s essays has been announced by Penguin.

Alan Muller reviews Dan Wylie’s The Wisdom of Adders

This is a review of Dan Wylie’s recent post-apocalyptic speculative fiction novella. It was featured on Aerodrome on 25 April 2017.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance author Robert Pirsig dies at 88

“Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values” sold 50,000 copies in three months and more than 5 million in the decades since. The dense tome has been translated into at least 27 languages. A reviewer for the New Yorker likened

African comic book writers to watch – including Loyiso Mkize and Lauren Beukes

The Arcade has compiled a list of must-read African comic books, including Nigeria’s Comic Republic, Loyiso Mkize’s Kwezi and Lauren Beukes’s All the Pretty Ponies.

Mongane Wally Serote to receive honorary doctorate from University of Johannesburg

Struggle poet and novelist Professor Mongane Wally Serote will receive an honorary doctorate from the University of Johannesburg.

Monday – 24th April 2017

Bookanista share an excerpt from Henrietta Rose-Innes’s Nineveh – out now in the UK and US

Henrietta Rose-Innes’ Nineveh, first published by Umuzi in 2011, was released late last year in the United States (Unnamed Press) and United Kingdom (Aardvark Bureau).

Writers pay tribute to Kojo Laing: ‘Africa’s best novelist, by far’ – Binyavanga Wainaina

Ghanaian novelist and poet Kojo Laing passed away on Thursday, 20 April 2017 in Ghana, according to reports.

Musa Okwonga reviews Irenosen Okojie’s Speak Gigantular

Irenosen Okojie is a remarkable writer. I discovered this late last year, when her second book Speak Gigantular, a collection of extraordinary short stories – was submitted by Jacaranda Books for the Jhalak Prize, a literary award for writers from et

NPR reread Margaret Atwood’s dystopian classic The Handmaid’s Tale ahead of new TV series

As you’ve probably heard, dystopian literature is having something of a resurgence with old favorites by George Orwell and Aldous Huxley flying off shelves and into op-ed pages. Margaret Atwood’s book “The Handmaid’s Tale” is among them. And with a m

Friday – 21st April 2017

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Achille Mbembe elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences has elected 228 new National and International Scholars, Artists, Philanthropists, and Business Leaders.

2017 Man Booker International Prize shortlist announced

The 2017 Man Booker International Prize shortlist of six books has been revealed.

Win a signed copy of Delilah Now Trending!

Three winners will each receive a signed copy of Delilah Now Trending by Pamela Power!

Thursday – 20th April 2017

Do Not Go Gentle into North America

Futhi Ntshingila’s Do Not Go Gentle is coming out later this year as one of four South African titles for new Catalyst Press in the US. New title: We Kiss Them With Rain.

Deadline for open submissions to Modjaji Books – 30th April 2017

You have 10 days left till the current window for submitting to Modjaji Books closes. Don’t miss out on your chance for submitting.

Writers! Apply for the Short Story Day Africa 2017 Flow workshop series

Short Story Day Africa in partnership with the Goethe-Institut invite submissions to attend a series of one day workshops in the following cities:

Pamela Power chats to Morning Live about her new book Delilah Now Trending

Dark, but funny: Pamela Power’s latest novel Delilah Now Trending is out now.