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Wednesday – 5th April 2017

2017 Hugo Award finalists announced

The finalists for the 2017 Hugo Awards have been announced.

Is travel writing dead? Thoughts from Geoff Dyer, Colin Thubron and others

Granta’s latest issue includes some fifteen reflections on the question of whether travel writing still has relevance.

Are indexers the “unsung heroes” of publishing?

Sam Leith considers the importance of indexers in a Google age. The best indexes, he writes, “are works of art”.

“Visionary” Wolf Erlbruch wins prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award

With his focus on “darker” subject matter, Wolf Erlbruch is an interesting choice for this year’s Astrid Lindgren memorial award.

Tuesday – 4th April 2017

Diane Awerbuck shortlisted for 2017 Commonwealth Short Story Prize

South African author Diane Awerbuck has been shortlisted for the 2017 Commonwealth Short Story Prize. The shortlist includes 21 from stories, chosen …

Chimurenga Chronic – Food

Latest Chronic out now. This edition considers food from various angles. And of course: books, music, politics, photography and more.

You needed money to study at ‘Robben Island University’ – Ahmed Kathrada in Conversations with a Gentle Soul

It’s a little-known fact that prisoners needed family money to study at “Robben Island University” – which is why Jacob Zuma didn’t receive any academic certificates.

The I.O.U. by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The New Yorker’s March 20th fiction piece is a previously unpublished story by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Imbolo Mbue wins 2017 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction for debut novel Behold the Dreamers

Imbolo Mbue has won the 2017 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction for her debut novel Behold the Dreamers.

Tymon Smith reviews new Craig Williamson book

Spy: Uncovering Craig Williamson by Jonathan Ancer is in the spotlight at the Sunday Times.

Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀̀ shortlisted for 2017 Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction

The 2017 Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction shortlist has been announced.

Extract from The Relatively Public Life of Jules Browde by Daniel Browde

Daniel Browde is one of several authors longlisted for this year’s Alan Paton Award. The Relatively Public Life of Jules Browde stands out as a moving memoir of his relationship with his grandfather, Jules.

Monday – 3rd April 2017

How to use this site

The Reading List is a new place to find and share the best in books. Hooray! On this site, you can submit …

The 2017 Sunday Times Literary Awards: Alan Paton Award longlist

The longlist for the Sunday Times Alan Paton Award for non-fiction has been announced.

The 2017 Sunday Times Literary Awards: Barry Ronge Fiction Prize longlist

The 2017 Barry Ronge Fiction Prize longlist has been announced.

Stranger than fiction: How a forbidden book was smuggled out of North Korea

The harrowing story of how the work of a dissident writer made it out of North Korea.

Need a read? Have a browse of Penguin Random House SA’s book club selection

If you love to read and belong to a book club then this is where you can discover our latest suggestions. In this section, we pick the perfect book club reads; those books we know will delight and enthrall anyone who’s passionate about reading.

African Book Trust launched: Giving South African books to South African libraries

Griffin Shea has launched the African Book Trust, a new non-profit dedicated to donating local books to South African libraries and schools.

Meet the Black Mambas – South Africa’s all-female anti-poaching unit

In 2013, six young women recruits signed up to become Black Mambas: a pilot anti-poaching project on the Olifants West region of Balule Nature Reserve near the Kruger National Park.