Fiction
Friday – 16th August 2019
The Friday Night Book Club: ‘The streets of Joburg are paved with gold, but they will have to dig deep to get close to it’ – Read an excerpt from Sue Nyathi’s The Gold Diggers
‘It was close to midnight when they finally drove into Beitbridge.’
What does it mean to have visions, to be mentally ill within a South African context? Masande Ntshanga discusses his new novel Triangulum
‘I was interested in this idea of exploring mental illness in a way that looked outside of its formulations by the West. What does it mean, actually, to have visions, and what does it mean to be mentally ill within an African context, or even a South African context?’
Wednesday – 14th August 2019
Why do South Africans find crime fiction so fascinating? Listen to author Amy Heydenrych share a deeply personal story
Shame on You author Amy Heydenrych speaks out about a personal experience that shaped her writing.
Tuesday – 13th August 2019
New book alert! Zadie Smith’s dazzling, first-ever short story collection Grand Union
Grand Union: Stories by Zadie Smith will be published in October 2019 by Penguin Random House.
Monday – 12th August 2019
Ghost Fire – the brand new novel by Wilbur Smith – an epic story of tragedy, loss, betrayal and courage
Ghost Fire by Wilbur Smith is out from Jonathan Ball Publishers on 22 August 2019!
International bestselling author Sarah Ladipo Manyika is coming to South Africa!
Save the date! International bestselling author Sarah Ladipo Manyika will be at the Open Book Festival and South African Book Fair this year.
Thursday – 8th August 2019
The Office of Gardens and Ponds – A mesmerising fable with a difference, set in Japan over 1000 years ago
Didier Decoin’s exquisite and captivating mystery The Office of Gardens and Ponds is out soon from Jonathan Ball Publishers.
Cover reveal! Fred Khumalo’s new historical novel The Longest March – based on an incredible event in South African history
The Longest March by Fred Khumalo – a historical novel inspired by a little-known incident from South African history – is out in September 2019 from Umuzi.
The bestselling books in South Africa – July 2019
Our list is compiled from print sales data and other sources. It represents the bestselling books in South Africa from the previous …
Listen to an excerpt from the audiobook of The Dream House, the riveting and unforgettable novel by Craig Higginson
Listen to an excerpt from The Dream House by Craig Higginson, read by Terry Lloyd-Roberts.
Wednesday – 7th August 2019
It’s competition time! Win a Women’s Day book hamper with Jacana Media (enter before 11 Aug)
In celebration of Women’s Day on Friday, 9 August, Jacana Media is giving away a hamper of three books by three phenomenal women.
Carol Campbell’s third Karoo novel, The Tortoise Cried its Only Tear, to be published in Dutch by Mozaïek
Exciting news! Carol Campbell’s third Karoo novel, The Tortoise Cried its Only Tear, will soon be published in Dutch by Uitgeverij Mozaïek in The Netherlands.
Pan Macmillan South Africa makes an exciting investment into local children’s books
Pan Macmillan South Africa is delighted to announce its new publishing initiative focused on contributing to the growth and development of the local children’s book industry:
Tuesday – 6th August 2019
Toni Morrison, celebrated novelist and Nobel Laureate, has died
Toni Morrison, celebrated novelist and Nobel Laureate, has died, aged eighty-eight.
Monday – 5th August 2019
A cryptic killer cruising the streets of Joburg – Don’t miss the launch of Johan Jack Smith’s debut novel Zola at Love Books (22 Aug)
Penguin Random House and Love Books invite you to the launch of Zola, the debut novel by Johan Jack Smith.
Jonathan Ball Publishers joins the audiobook revolution: Now you can listen to your favourite South African books!
A leader in the field of local publishing in history, politics and current affairs, Jonathan Ball Publishers has now joined the audiobook revolution!
Friday – 2nd August 2019
The programme for the 2019 Open Book Festival has been revealed!
The full programme has been announced for the ninth Open Book Festival!
New book alert! Women take centre stage in Perfect Imperfections by Makanaka Mavengere-Munsaka
Perfect Imperfections, the debut novel by Makanaka Mavengere-Munsaka, is out mid-August 2019 from BlackBird Books!
You can’t escape this ride from hell! Watch the book trailer for Zola, the debut novel by Johan Jack Smith
Zola: A Novel by Johan Jack Smith is out now in English and Afrikaans from Penguin Random House.
Sign up for Read This! – a new voice note show, hosted by The JRB and Volume
The Johannesburg Review of Books and Volume have launched a new books show called Read This!, where you can discover what’s hot in the world of literature.