Fiction
Wednesday – 12th June 2019
Dead at First Sight by Peter James – full of suspense and twists you won’t see coming
Dead at First Sight, the 15th Roy Grace novel from the highly acclaimed, number one bestselling author Peter James, is out this month!
Tuesday – 11th June 2019
The bestselling books in South Africa – May
This list represents the bestselling books in South Africa from the previous four weeks to 2 May 2019, and combines fiction and non-fiction bestsellers.
Bridget Jones’s Diary meets Americanah in Candice Carty-Williams’s sharp, relatable and evocative debut novel Queenie
Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams is a disarmingly honest, boldly political and inclusive novel that will speak to anyone who has gone looking for love and found something very different in its place.
The lottery of life and love in Lagos – find out more about Toni Kan’s new short story collection Nights of the Creaking Bed
Corruption, religious intolerance, gratuitous violence and the importance of joy are some of the big themes that underlie Toni Kan’s memorable collection, Nights of the Creaking Bed.
Monday – 10th June 2019
Something’s gone sour in the Winelands … Read an excerpt from Double Echo by François Bloemhof
Penguin Random House has shared an excerpt from Double Echo by François Bloemhof.
John Connolly is in South Africa to launch his novel A Book of Bones, the thrilling new instalment of the Charlie Parker series!
Jonathan Ball Publishers invites you to the launch of A Book of Bones by John Connolly, the latest in his popular Charlie Parker series.
Friday – 7th June 2019
Ready to take the UK by storm! Angela Makholwa’s novel The Blessed Girl is out from Bloomsbury in June
Bloomsbury will publish the United Kingdom edition of Angela Makholwa’s The Blessed Girl on 13 June 2019!
Thursday – 6th June 2019
Writers! Pan Macmillan SA is accepting unsolicited manuscripts in June – take advantage of the opportunity
Good news for prospective authors! From 18–24 June 2019, Pan Macmillan SA is accepting unsolicited manuscripts.
Wednesday – 5th June 2019
Footnotes, June 2019: Book links from around the web
At The Reading List, we’re trainspotters when it comes to interesting book links, and here are a number that caught our eye …
As You Like It, anthology featuring African LGBTQI+ voices and allies, wins international Lambda Literary Award
Jacana Media and the Other Foundation are thrilled to announce that the Gerald Kraak Anthology As You Like It has won the 2019 Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ Anthology – Fiction.
Lucinda Riley has a special message for her South African readers!
Lucinda Riley’s latest book The Butterfly Room has just gone to number one in South Africa, and she has a special message of thanks for her fans!
Tuesday – 4th June 2019
Find out which authors will be at the 2019 Open Book Festival in Cape Town
The Open Book Festival has announced the first group of authors that will be at the event this year!
Monday – 3rd June 2019
A seminal boyhood moment played out against the backdrop of political upheaval – Read an excerpt from Tony Peake’s North Facing
Jonathan Ball Publishers has shared an excerpt from North Facing by Tony Peake. About the book Peake’s first novel for 20 years is …
Friday – 31st May 2019
The Friday Night Book Club: Read ‘My Beautiful Little Boy’ from Phumlani Pikoli’s book The Fatuous State of Severity
The Fatuous State of Severity is a fresh collection of short stories and illustrations that explores themes surrounding the experiences of a generation of young, urban South Africans coping with the tensions of social media, language insecurities and relationships of various kinds.
Wednesday – 29th May 2019
‘Smart plots, brilliant characters and juicy romance’ – The Spanish Promise by Karen Swan
The next sizzling novel from bestselling author Karen Swan, set in the vibrant streets of Madrid, for fans of Victoria Hislop and Santa Montefiore.
Tuesday – 28th May 2019
The Dinaane Debut Fiction Award has extended its submissions period until 30 June 2019
Good news for aspiring writers: The Dinaane Debut Fiction Award has extended its submissions period until 30 June 2019.
Cover reveal! The Confession, the powerful new novel by Jessie Burton, the bestselling author of The Miniaturist and The Muse
Get excited for The Confession – a sensational new novel from Jessie Burton, the bestselling author of The Miniaturist and The Muse – out in September from Pan Macmillan!
‘Isabella Hammad is an enormous talent and her book is a wonder’ – Zadie Smith. Read an excerpt from The Parisian here
‘The Parisian is a sublime reading experience: delicate, restrained, surpassingly intelligent, uncommonly poised and truly beautiful….That this remarkable historical epic should be the debut of a writer in her twenties seems impossible, yet it’s true. Isabella Hammad is an enormous talent and her book is a wonder.’ – Zadie Smith
Friday – 24th May 2019
Friday Night Book Club: Read an excerpt from Lucy Diamond’s compelling and beautifully written novel Something To Tell You
‘Come on, then, she said to herself. This is your moment. The one you’ve been thinking about for the last six months. Are you going to knock or what?’
Thursday – 23rd May 2019
What kind of books does BlackBird Books publish? Find this out and more in a video chat feat. Thabiso Mahlape and Esinako Ndabeni
BlackBird Books recently launched a series of YouTube chats with your favourite authors!