Litnet

"Dianne Stewart’s stories are effective because they, too, are rooted in the modern everyday experience of ordinary people with whom we can identify. We cannot predict their ending in most cases, because they are often left open-ended, but it is our imaginations that supply the denouement, depending on which door we open – it puts the reader in the position of being an arbiter of fate."

Lord Alfred Milner was a brilliant public servant and one of Britain’s most famous empire builders who left an indelible imprint on the history of South Africa.

"This is not merely a book about death and dying. All manner of reflection is included: the blunt, the prosaic, the truthful, the tragic, but through it all comes connection – even celebration – as the writers share memories and experiences that lend the stories universal appeal."

"This book could be a good start for someone who wants to get to know the work of Nigerian authors. I would recommend it for readers with a taste for family dramas with weighty topics and satisfying character growth."

In the sixth episode of his podcast series Full particulars, David Attwell discusses JM Coetzee's enigmatic Jesus trilogy with Robert Pippin (University of Chicago), Derek Attridge (University of York), and Elleke Boehmer (University of Oxford). With a reading from The death of Jesus by JM Coetzee.

"For the uninitiated, Cosmonauts do it in heaven might feel like an exploration of space itself, seemingly obscure and impenetrable at first, but the poetry is infused with a desire to take the great leap, to reach for the sky and to celebrate its wonders and 'mysteries,/ solved & sensuous' ('First light')."

Poets or their publishers are invited to submit entries for the Ingrid Jonker Prize for English poetry in 2022. The closing date for submissions is 15 March 2022. 

"While newspaper articles have often provided superficial reports on high-profile doping cases, Van der Berg provides detailed information that readers will find interesting and in some cases alarming."

"Ahmed and Zarga educates its readers concerning the reverence in which camels are held in this context, as it does in making clear the basis of this Bedouin attitude towards their beasts. Slahi’s novel’s natural, informal style and the impression of oral narrative that it establishes are extremely appealing, as well as elegant and aesthetically admirable."

Janet van Eeden interviews Michelle Edwards and also writes: "The novel is page-turningly good. The plot moves swiftly through the first-person voice of Skye, who is that most delicious of literary devices: an unreliable narrator."

The children’s picture book series, The Blanket Tree books (Die Kombersboomboeke in Afrikaans), were written and developed during the time of lockdown by Hélène Ferreira. "Blanket" refers to these comforting, inclusive fantasies, modern-day fairy tales for everyone. The word "tree" signifies growth, learning, renewal and development.

The promise, Damon Galgut’s 2021 Booker Prize winning novel, has been included in the shortlist for the Rathbones Folio Prize.

Starting on 3 February, the season continues to illuminate shared histories and values between South Africa and the USA, engaging with topics around social justice, racial equity and diversity. Coinciding with Black History Month in the USA, this series focuses on conversations inspired by this initiative.

Almal wil graag ryk word in dié myndorpie, maar dit is ’n liefde baie kosbaarder as goud wat almal in die dorp uiteindelik sal red. Sy is myne deur Francine Rivers is nou te koop by Bargain Books.

Spoilt ballots is as much about the people who voted in some of our most decisive elections as it is about those who didn’t get to make their mark.

The Philida Literary Award is awarded annually to a writer mid-career for an oeuvre of between three to five books of any genre.

"My heartfelt hope is that this book reaches those who are in toxic situations (whether at home or at work), where their boundaries are being transgressed, and that reading it helps them to see their situation with clearer eyes and take steps to protect themselves."

"Hear My Voice invites South African poets to a 4-day poetry retreat, calling for poets to explore the relationship between nature and the manifest in various art forms."

"On any given issue, how should we weigh up the different issues at stake? This is where we need arguments, including evidence. We need, in other words, to reason our way, as best we can, through the issues. That is exactly what I was doing in the book."

"The book is fabulous: ironic, moving, sacrilegious, shocking, painful, insightful."