Books and writers
Information about the latest books and the people behind them
A Reading of Claudius’s "State of the Nation Address" in Hamlet
2014-09-02 Shakespeare Against Apartheid: "Those of us who seek an equitable, just and democratic South Africa ... need to recognise that there is no neutral territory for Shakespeare studies in present-day South Africa."
18th Poetry Africa International Poetry Festival
2014-09-01 The Poetry Africa festival, from 13 to 18 October, brings some of the world’s finest poets and musicians to Durban.
African Library: The Case of the Socialist Witchdoctor and Other Stories by Hama Tuma
2014-08-29 "In his author’s note to this text, Hama Tuma declares his belief 'that Ethiopian reality is stranger (and more horrible) than fiction'."
Whoever fears the sea by Justin Fox
2014-08-29 Gerrit Rautenbach reviews this book by an intrepid traveller and travel writer.
The Midlands Literary Festival – a veritable feast
2014-08-28 "The crowds left the festival with smiles on their faces. Many who had planned to attend only some of the Saturday sessions drove all the way back to Howick on Sunday as well, some from a fair distance away."
Queer Movements: Sexual Desire, Space and Home in Damon Galgut’s In a Strange Room and Phaswane Mpe's Welcome to Our Hillbrow
2014-08-27Writing South Africa Now: Twenty Years On is a graduate conference on South African literature that took place at the University of York, UK, in June 2014. Read Sanja Nivesjö, "Queer Movements: Sexual Desire, Space and Home in Damon Galgut’s In a Strange Room and Phaswane Mpe's Welcome to Our Hillbrow".
Invisible Others by Karina Szczurek
2014-08-20 "In the time that Cara ekes out to Konrad she reveals little about herself and her 'invisible others', Lucas and Dagmar, who have marked her."
Review: Garden of Dreams by Melissa Siebert
2014-08-20 Karina Szczurek reviews Garden of Dreams by Melissa Siebert.
Interview: Garden of Dreams by Melissa Siebert
2014-08-18 Melissa Siebert discusses her debut novel with Jonathan Amid.
Inexplicable Present: Post-Apartheid Subjectivity in Vladislavic?’s City
2014-08-14 Writing South Africa Now: Twenty Years On is a graduate conference on South African literature that took place at the University of York, UK, in June 2014. Read Thando Njovane's abridged paper, "Inexplicable Present: Post-Apartheid Subjectivity in Vladislavic?’s City".
Sinister Surfaces: Contemporary South African Horror (On Stage and Off)
2014-08-14 Writing South Africa Now: Twenty Years On is a graduate conference on South African literature that took place at the University of York, UK, in June 2014. Read Esthie Hugo's abridged paper, "Sinister Surfaces: Contemporary South African Horror (On Stage and Off)".
Interview: I See You by Ishtiyaq Shukri
2014-08-13 "I am the people I know, the books I have read, the countries in which I have lived – and very nearly died. In January I visited the Yemeni island of Socotra. It is truly the most remarkable place I’ve even been to."
Ken Barris + Michael Cope = Cope Barris
2014-08-12 "We worked the way we did because we’re the personalities we are, and we approach writing as we do, and the alchemy came from that wonderful unlikely combination."
Interview: Frankie Murrey on the Open Book Festival 2014
2014-08-11 "Really, though, for me success is seeing people coming out of events looking like the world has opened up to them ..."
Literary Trials: Janet Malcolm, Narrative Journalism and the Courtroom in South Africa and the United States
2014-08-07 Writing South Africa Now: Twenty Years On is a graduate conference on South African literature that took place at the University of York, UK, in June 2014. Read Anneke Rautenbach's abridged paper, Literary Trials: Janet Malcolm, Narrative Journalism and the Courtroom in South Africa and the United States.
Drawing South Africa Now: Writing Urban Environments in the Graphic Novel Form?
2014-08-07 Writing South Africa Now: Twenty Years On is a graduate conference on South African literature that took place at the University of York, UK, in June 2014. Read Dominic Davies's abridged paper, "Drawing South Africa Now: Writing Urban Environments in the Graphic Novel Form?".
Writing South Africa Now 2014: The online edition
2014-08-07 Writing South Africa Now: Twenty Years On, a one-day colloquium on South African literature, recently took place at the University of York, UK. This week, read Sanja Nivesjö's abridged paper.
Launch: Dare We Hope? by Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela
2014-08-01 Launch of Gobodo-Madikizela's new book, Dare We Hope?, 18 August at The Book Lounge.
Overview: Man Booker Prize longlist 2014
2014-07-31 "Complete whitewash for African writers as Americans join the Man Booker Prize longlist party," writes Jonathan Amid.