Books and writers
Information about the latest books and the people behind them
Fresh off the press: 40 years of iconic food by Dorah Sitole
2021-01-13Each chapter features various stages of Dorah’s fascinating life, with recipes to match: traditional African, Township, Pan-African and Western.
Gus Ferguson: Old poets never die, they simply decompose
2021-01-11"Gus’s totem, the snail, holds the key to a less well-known aspect of his make-up. He was a closet scientist; for him, science had a beauty and patterning that made it mystical."
A book of friends: In honour of JM Coetzee on his 80th birthday, edited by Dorothy Driver: reader impression
2020-12-21"What will stay with me for a long time after reading this multilayered collection is the deep sense of curiosity which runs through A book of friends – it is an expression of care which the authors and artists share with the man they pay tribute to."
The Afrikaners: a concise history by Hermann Giliomee: a book review
2020-12-18"Now running to just over 200 pages, and wearing his immense learning much more lightly, the author’s new Concise history is more of a tapas-trek through the topic than his original pièce de résistance."
African library: The Lotus people by Aziz Hassim
2020-12-14"The impressive and morally valuable account that Hassim has produced should, in my view, be honoured as a classic of anti-apartheid literature. It is a complex work rich in meaning and serves as an act of commemoration, but one which never preaches or flags in its breathtaking pace."
First sip: The Afrikaners, a concise history by Hermann Giliomee
2020-12-14"On 1 January 1827 English became the only official language in the courts. Evidence in Dutch or Afrikaans was translated. The British jury system was imported and members of the jury were required to be proficient in English."
People don’t read crime if they don’t have hope
2020-12-11“People don’t read crime if they don’t have hope.” So said Jessica Powers, head of Catalyst Press, quoting the South African author Andrew Brown, during a panel discussion hosted by Micheal Sears on Wednesday 9 December 2020.
Searching for Simphiwe by Sifiso Mzobe: a book review
2020-12-09"Mzobe is a consummate storyteller, and it is easy to lose oneself in the tales he shares so compellingly. My hope is that we won’t have to wait another decade for his next book to hit our bookshelves and hearts."
Die stoute Corona / The naughty Corona: ’n resensie
2020-12-08"Hierdie mooi, insiggewende teks is deur ’n mediese dokter vir sy kleinkinders geskryf. Die idee was aanvanklik om seker te maak dat hulle nie onnodig vir hulle eie veiligheid hoef te vrees nie."
Press release: Launch event of Liberty Books cancelled
2020-12-08Due to the surging number of COVID-19 cases in the Western Cape, the manager and owner of Liberty Books and the management of the Peregrine Farm Stall have decided to cancel the launch event that would have taken place on 10 December 2020.
Fresh off the press: Paradise in Gaza by Niq Mhlongo
2020-12-04"When Mpisi Mpisani travels to his home village for the burial of his mother and a visit to his first wife, he is anxious to hurry back to Johannesburg."
Three women providing a catalyst for African literature: An interview
2020-12-02"I just began to feel excited about the possibility of bringing African literature of all genres to a North American readership – not scholarly work, which I think has some real champions, but crime novels, thrillers, literary fiction, children’s fiction and graphic novels."
Press release: You are invited to the Liberty Books launch at Peregrine Farm Stall
2020-11-27Join us to celebrate our new home and engage with our speakers who will ponder the question “What’s so blêrrie belangrik ‘bout books anyway?”
Hazara, elegy for an African farm by John Conyngham: reader impression
2020-11-26"Hazara, taken from the name of Conyngham’s lost dynastic family sugar farm in KwaZulu-Natal (in turn taken from the name of his grandfather’s regiment in the British Indian Army), tackles the torment of confused identity in the ambivalent context of the old Anglo-South African relationship."
The history of man by Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu, a review
2020-11-26"This novel is no less than an act of extraordinary grace by the author."
Press release: Join us for two special events during #ReadingAfrica
2020-11-26"You are invited to join us for two exciting zoom discussions on the joys of #ReadingAfrica. #ReadingAfrica week is an annual event to celebrate African literature. This year it will take place from 6 – 12 December."
Joburg noir, edited by Niq Mhlongo: reader impression
2020-11-23"Joburg noir is a present-day attempt to capture and reflect the people, images, architectural forms, footprints, aspirations, fears, dreams, cuisine, culture and memories of the City of Gold in contemporary times and for the modern reader."
A promised land by Barack Obama – Win a copy!
2020-11-19You could win a copy of A promised land by Barack Obama with the compliments of LitNet and Penguin Random House South Africa. Click on this link, then scroll down to see how!
Reader impression: Going home by Sophia Lindop
2020-11-19"Going home not only celebrates the stories behind the rich food culture of Lebanon – both historical and contemporary – but also highlights the true meaning of life, which is found in togetherness, sharing, laughter and good food."
The Madibaland World Literary Festival: an interview with Darryl David
2020-11-19"We may be divided by oceans. We may be divided by time zones, and circumstances, and more. But we are linked by stories, by our desire to dialogue – and I think this festival will be the perfect chance to celebrate that."
