Litnet

"Wisani Mushwana’s debut novel addresses disturbing themes; he does not shy away from difficult matters, nor does he force the reader to confront them. He leads us through the narrative with a clear, natural and at times melodious tone, which makes for pleasant reading."

"All the same, I commend the book for delineating well the pathological symptoms of worshiping Mammon, even if it doesn’t provide pressure valves to let off the steam. We may, as I indicated, argue that the artist’s duty is only to mirror our society back on itself. Alas, that attitude is easier said until, like me, you become a parent. Then you worry about the tremendous influence art has in depicting to overly impressionable youth misdirected shortcuts of success."

"What is so special about this book is the hope and belief among the interviewees that there can be a solution that will free all the inhabitants to live free from fear and war."

"Razzano has engaged with a number of controversial aspects of historical and contemporary South African society in the telling of an exciting story. His insights and observations are striking, provocative, humorous and unique."

"We often get asked why we are focusing on animals, children, education and the environment – instead of possibly just one or two of these. When we consider the case of Phoebe, it is impossible to separate out the animal cruelty from the child welfare issues and the overarching need for people to be educated around incorrect superstitions, animal sentience and the psychological welfare of the children involved."

Lovers of books and of meaningful conversations can get ready for the next edition of the Open Book Festival. This much beloved item on Cape Town’s literary calendar returns in early September.

"There was just a clear flow of eloquence, with lessons obviously learned over years through the trial and error of applying ancient wisdom to living situations. Within no time, I was hooked."

The winner and the two runners up of The Island Prize 2023 have been announced.

For now, love, talk, write, have toast and tea – or bubbly – and live. If you want to explore the wonders of other lives, read.

"In a way, for me, writing is another kind of view of the world, with words and sentences and stanzas that seem to have allowed me to redefine myself under the trees: to re-see."

"I wanted to express the differing textures of space in South Africa, the different backgrounds that brush up against each other in all kinds of spaces."

"You cannot leave parts of yourself at the door as you enter the places where you spend most of your time."

"I had no idea that I would ever get to mix with presidents and Hollywood stars."

"Space doesn’t allow for a much longer review than this, but suffice it to say that Mouton’s treatment of Zach de Beer’s career covers all the high and low points."

"Two biographies of Sir Ernest are both out of print, and Harry has, until this month, eluded biography."

"On a thematic level, Recessional deals with the inexorable need for institutions together with us as individuals to grapple with the world and society as it changes, and what happens when institutions and those who run them fail to understand the need for change."

"I often want to look away from all that is broken here, and often still do, but there is something that makes looking away in South Africa particularly haunting, I find. If you look away with your eyes, does it mean you look away with your mind, your heart, etc?"

"He challenged us as a country and individually, to think and write and reason and argue better, and to be better."

From 15 to 18 June story lovers and love stories will mingle with academics, movie makers and robot coders to make the 2023 edition of the Schreiner Karoo Writers Festival unforgettable.

"I’m interested in writing queer South African stories and normalising these experiences. I write about intimacy, gender and sexuality, and I would love it if my writing could really give a voice to intersectional people, often ignored or overlooked."