Achmat Dangor’s new novel, Dikeledi, is out in September from Pan Macmillan.

An evocative and finely detailed novel of ordinary life under apartheid that follows the lives of a family, particularly the women of various generations, who are named Dikeledi, who together form the backbone of the story.

Dikeledi captures, carefully and movingly, the essence of the turbulent days in which it is set. The focus on family drama within an incredibly difficult social situation, the small daily struggles rather than the huge challenges that conventionally make for ‘good’ archival footage, are what sets the novel apart from other literature that deals with the period.

Dangor is an award-winning poet and novelist whose titles include Kafka’s Curse (1997) and the 2004 Booker shortlisted title Bitter Fruit, which was recently rereleased in a new edition. Until recently Dangor was the Chief Executive of the Nelson Mandela Foundation. He lives and works in Johannesburg.

Read an excerpt from Bitter Fruit here.

For more about Dikeledi, click on the link above!

Categories Fiction South Africa

Tags Achmat Dangor Bitter Fruit Dikeledi New releases Pan Macmillan SA