Fiction
Monday – 18th September 2017
Half historic epic, half thriller: The spectacular new book from Ken Follett
The third installment in Ken Follet’s captivating Kingsbridge series will be hitting South African shelves on 21 September!
Friday – 15th September 2017
Mwinji Siame pens a love letter to Under the Udala Trees
Writing for The Afro Vibe, Mwinji Siame has written a love letter to Chinelo Okparanta’s 2015 debut novel Under the Udala Trees:
Win a copy of the ‘ingenious and thrilling’ new John le Carré novel!
Three winners stand a chance to receive a copy of A Legacy of Spies – the new book from John le Carré.
Achmat Dangor says he hopes young people will read his new book, Dikeledi
‘For young people there will be resonances – about how young people cope with the heritages of the past but also with the challenges of the future – and with traditions.’
Thursday – 14th September 2017
How to manipulate a blesser – Read an excerpt from Angela Makholwa’s new novel The Blessed Girl
I barely scraped through matric and I have never spent a single day in a university lecture hall. What I lack in academic qualifications, I more than make up for in my street smarts. My role model is Donald Trump.
Wednesday – 13th September 2017
70-year-old debut author’s novel sold in major deal 48 hours after she submits it to publisher
70-year-old writer Anne Youngson has proved it is never too late to get your big break in books.
2017 Man Booker Prize shortlist announced
The shortlist for the 2017 Man Booker Prize for Fiction has been announced.
Judging the Man Booker Prize: how I read 145 novels in seven months
A daunting prospect. Thomas Hawk, CC BY-NC-SA Back in 2014, Dinah Birch explained what it was like to be a Man Booker …
Read a first excerpt from Origin, the new novel by Dan Brown
Penguin Random House SA has shared an excerpt from Origin – the spellbinding new Robert Langdon novel from the author of The Da Vinci Code.
Tuesday – 12th September 2017
2017 Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Award for all South Africa’s official languages – longlist announced
The Jacana Literary Foundation has announced the 63 poets who have been selected for publication in the 7th annual Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Anthology.
Yewande Omotoso will be chatting to Fiona Melrose about her new book Johannesburg at Love Books
Jonathan Ball Publishers and Love Books are thrilled to invite you to the launch of Johannesburg, the new novel by Fiona Melrose.
Monday – 4th September 2017
An interview with bestselling author Ali Land ahead of her SA tour
Ali Land, the author of Good Me Bad Me – ‘one of the most extraordinary, controversial and explosive literary debuts of 2017’ – is in South Africa.
Jonathan Ball Publishers is giving away a book a day in September
For the whole month of September Jonathan Ball Publishers will be giving away one book every day on Twitter! All you have …
Friday – 1st September 2017
Remember Can Themba on the 50th anniversary of his death at the launch of The House Of Truth by Siphiwo Mahala
The House of Truth by Siphiwo Mahala – a play inspired by the life of Can Themba – will be launched this month.
New isiZulu publishing company Kwasukela Books launches with call for submissions
New isiZulu fiction publishing company Kwasukela Books is launching with a call for submissions for its first anthology of short stories.
Thursday – 31st August 2017
Love between slave and master: Maxine Case chats about the family story behind her new novel Softness of the Lime
Maxine Case’s new novel is based on a true family story, about a love story between slave and master.
‘A unique, powerful voice in African literature’ – catch Iman Verjee at Open Book
Iman Verjee will be a guest at the Open Book Festival in Cape Town from 6-10 September.
Find out about Achmat Dangor’s new novel Dikeledi at Open Book
Award-winning author Achmat Dangor’s new novel, Dikeledi, is out just in time for the Open Book Festival.
Wednesday – 30th August 2017
Moving, authentic, compelling: Marcus Low contemplates the Karoo in 2022 in his debut novel Asylum
Marcus Low’s book is timely and important as it presents a human story behind untreatable infectious disease. Low places incarcerated people who have the dimmest hopes for the future and little consolation at the story’s center. Low movingly describes the mental state of Barry James in a way that seems entirely authentic. A compelling read!
Stephen King’s End of Watch: The terrifying final episode in the Bill Hodges trilogy
Stephen King’s End of Watch – out now! – is the spectacular finale to the New York Times bestselling trilogy that began with Mr. Mercedes and Finders Keepers.