Books and writers

Information about the latest books and the people behind them

Your ultimate personal finance guide by Johan Gouws: a review

Barend van der Merwe Books and writers 2024-10-15

"In Your ultimate personal finance guide, the key, as in much else in life, seems to be self-exploration and self-knowledge. Defining your own ideals, vision and boundaries, identifying strengths and addressing weaknesses can set one on a path of success. Having a plan, even if it is not a good plan, is always preferable to having no plan, particularly when it comes to personal finances."

Press release: SALA announces the 2024 shortlisted nominees

LitNet Books and writers 2024-10-15

The 19th South African Literary Awards will celebrate a literary milestone when more than 30 authors are honoured for their contributions to South African literature at a gala dinner at the Ditsong National Museum of Cultural History in Tshwane on 7 November 2024.

PenAfrican: Place by Justin Fox and places of the heart

Mphuthumi Ntabeni Books and writers 2024-10-14

"Sitting at the fireplace of Victorian Manor Hotel on one of those rather bitterly cold Karoo nights, I flattered my imagination with the idea that Schreiner once sat before the same fire or on the stoep of the hotel, where, according to Fox, the farmers used to come for gossip and a sip of brandy; this made things come alive in a special way for me."

Uitnodiging: Boektoer van Die Waterplek: Gabriëllië deur Carina Stander | Pretoria-bekendstelling, 24 Oktober

LitNet Boeke en skrywers 2024-10-11

Kom vier die einde van Die Bergengel-boekreeks deur Carina Stander. Word betower deur ’n aand van stories, musiek, Gabriëllië-geïnspireerde kos en wyn. Kom in feesklere, soos ’n karakter uit Die Bergengel-boekreeks. Dit vind plaas by Kleinkaap Boutique Hotel in Centurion, Pretoria, op 24 Oktober om 18:00 vir 18:30.

Invitation: Book launch – What Nelson Mandela taught me by Zelda la Grange on 17 October in Somerset-West

LitNet Books and writers 2024-10-11

You are invited to the book launch of What Nelson Mandela taught me by Zelda la Grange. Adriaan Basson will be in conversation with Zelda la Grange on Thursday, 17 October 2024 at 18:00 for 18:30 at Exclusive Books (Somerset Mall) in Somerset-West.

Invitation: Book launch – What Nelson Mandela taught me by Zelda la Grange on 15 October in Cape Town

LitNet Books and writers 2024-10-09

Siv Ngesi will be in conversation with Zelda la Grange for the launch of her book, What Nelson Mandela taught me, on Tuesday, 15 October 2024 at 17:30 for 18:00 at Exclusive Books Cavendish (Claremont) in Cape Town.

Press release: Shortlist Announcement – Otto Foundation Children’s Book Award

LitNet Books and writers 2024-10-02

The Otto Foundation is excited to reveal the shortlists for its inaugural Children’s Book Award. The award was conceived with the aim to support local publishers, promote new authors and illustrators, and to recognise quality South African storytelling.

Single minded by Marina Auer: an inter-review

Annette Havenga, Marina Auer Books and writers 2024-10-01

"When desperate needs outpace scarce resources, a young doctor gets caught up in a deadly trinity of medicine, corruption and superstition. Murphy Meyer, the fictional doctor in the novel, has her own reasons for coming to work at Eden, and she will soon figure out whether Eden is a safe haven or hell. Will she be alive long enough to learn the truth and unravel the mystery she has tasked herself with?"

Press release: AVBOB Poetry Project introduces a new competition category

LitNet Books and writers 2024-09-27

The AVBOB Poetry Project embarks on an inspiring journey with the addition of a brand-new competition theme, "New beginnings". At least one poem entered under this theme in each of South Africa’s 11 official written languages will be selected for publication in the eighth annual AVBOB poetry anthology, which will be published in 2025. Additionally, one commissioned poem per language will be written on this theme.

Slaying the dragon by Antonio Iozzo: The bravest book you’ll read this year

Surene Esterhuizen Books and writers 2024-09-26

"The book tells the story of a strong man going through hell, from Johannesburg to San Antonio, Texas, with one operation after the other. Boxes of pills from OxyNorm to Suboxone, each one worse than the others."

Persverklaring: Wenner van die Helgaard Steyn-prys 2024 | Press release: Winner of the Helgaard Steyn Award 2024

LitNet Boeke en skrywers 2024-09-25

Dit is die tweede keer in die geskiedenis van die Helgaard Steyn-prys vir skryfkuns dat die wenwerk ’n digbundel is. | This is only the second time in the history of the Helgaard Steyn Award for Literature that the winning work is a volume of poetry. 

Nomad heart by Ian Roberts: an inter-review

Janet van Eeden, Ian Roberts Books and writers 2024-09-23

"Ian’s transition from stage to screen was made through his humility in taking on any work on a film set, from set-building to painting, and putting his hand to anything he was asked to do. This willingness to learn led to the incongruity of a man with the most English heritage one could ask for playing a role as an Afrikaner with a brei in Dokter Con se Overberg. The rest, as they say, is history."

Invitation: Book launch of Matriarchs, meze and the evil eye: a memoir by Costa Ayiotis – 26 September, Cape Town

LitNet Books and writers 2024-09-20

Eva Mazza will be in conversation with Costa Ayiotis for the book launch of Matriarchs, meze and the evil eye: a memoir on Thursday, 26 September at 18:00 for 18:30 at Exclusive Books, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town.

PenAfrican: Vagabonds! by Eloghosa Osunde: a book review

Mphuthumi Ntabeni Books and writers 2024-09-18

"Mythscape – the desire for interpreting reality through native mythology – as a narrative form is becoming common in books of our era. This is understandable in the case of African literature, since our continent’s sense of self and development of organic narrative structure was interrupted – almost truncated – by the occidental colonial project."

Uitnodiging: 18 September | Donker water deur Martin Steyn – bekendstelling by Oude Leeskamer

LitNet Boeke en skrywers 2024-09-17

Hoe om jou pad uit troebel water te vind is een van die temas wat Martin Steyn in sy eerste roman sedert 2018 ondersoek. Donker water is oudergewoonte uitmuntende misdaadfiksie en ’n boek waarvoor Steyn se aanhangers lank reeds wag. Sluit aan by Martin Steyn en Jonathan Amid by Oude Leeskamer in Stellenbosch op Woensdag 18 September om 15:30.

Press release: Winner of the 2024 Caine Prize for African Writing announced

LitNet Books and writers 2024-09-17

The Caine Prize for African Writing is delighted to announce this year’s winner.

Invitation: Lunch hour seminar – Charl-Pierre Naudé: "The dual roles of precision and re-imagination in literary translation"

LitNet Akademies en skole 2024-09-16

Charl-Pierre Naudé delivers a talk titled "The dual roles of precision and re-imagination in literary translation" relating to The equality of shadows, his English translation of his debut novel Die ongelooflike onskuld van Dirkie Verwey. The seminar will be in English and will take place in the Yellow Molteno room (5th floor, Arts and Social Sciences building) at Stellenbosch University on 19 September at 13:10.

Slices of heaven: Open Book Festival 2024

Karina Magdalena Szczurek Books and writers 2024-09-16

"The weekend of the Open Book Festival forced me to think a lot about life and death. And about heaven. This year, the brilliant scholar, writer and feminist Pumla Dineo Gqola officially opened the festival on Thursday evening at The Book Lounge, and called it her 'slice of heaven'. For many of us regulars, that is precisely what the Open Book weekend is: a slice of literary heaven."

Invitation: Book launch of The equality of shadows by Charl-Pierre Naudé – Oude Leeskamer, 18 September 2024

LitNet Books and writers 2024-09-16

You are invited to the book launch of The equality of shadows by Charl-Pierre Naudé at Oude Leeskamer in Stellenbosch on 18 September from 11:00 to 12:30.

New from Karavan Press: In other stories edited by Kerry Hammerton

LitNet Op die redakteur se lessenaar 2024-09-12

The themes in this flash anthology range from grief to hope; from love to unrequired love, divorce and murder (in a few different forms); from personal sacrifice to personal reflection. The stories vary from a fable to science fiction, and include a flashback to 1994 and South Africa’s first democratic election, fires, swimming in the sea, supernatural beings, the horrors of institutionalised elderly care and much more.

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