Litnet

"Besides its wonderful historical detail, the book truly lives up to hope – but also hard work and commitment – to achieve and to serve."

Penguin Random House is proud to announce that Pieter-Louis Myburgh has won the 14th Taco Kuiper Award for Investigative Journalism. Myburgh’s bestseller, Gangster State, exposes the dealings of ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule. 

"Michael K, seen by others as a simpleton with a harelip, outwits those who capture him by his passive resistance and his search for survival in a world in which we are eminently alone."

"The story was very personal to me, which made it both difficult and easy to write. But I would say the most challenging part was not getting carried away with words and making it fit within the 5 000 word limit." Alboricah Tokologo Rathupetsane’s short story has been shortlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize.

"Though the sticker on the back may say 'Young adult', I am inclined to believe that the heroine’s age and childish mannerisms, as well as those of her friends, point towards a much younger target audience."

Afrolit Sans Frontières is an online literary festival started by author Zukiswa Wanner as a way to entertain people during the COVID-19 quarantine, which is affecting a large percentage of the world. Season three of the festival starts on 25 May (Africa Day) and continues until 1 June. 

"A life full of holes is the fruit of an illiterate man’s imagination and harsh experiences, reflecting a life from childhood to young adulthood that must closely resemble the author's, who was a street vendor and a lowly household employee, like the central character."

"To me, the anthology was a revelation. It achieves precisely the goal it sets out to: it consoles, enlightens, nourishes the grieving soul."

"The first step is to keep the book industry alive: to save jobs and preserve the space in which books provide information to South Africans. That is the main task of this initiative."

"Eb Koybie has all the elements of a riveting read: daredevil adventure, childhood reminiscences, mystery and mayhem."

"I think that there is always more room to explore a feminist life, and so I wanted to do that. In particular, I was interested in why so few pieces in Feminism is touched on the body and on what it meant to live in the world physically as a feminist, so I hoped to get more of those in this collection."

We do not ask that bookshops be open physically for business just yet. Rather, we ask for a simple addition to the current Level 4 regulations: that all books be available for purchase online or over the phone and for delivery, and that all booksellers, big and small, be allowed to trade.

"Phillips pointed out that in South Africa, the 1918 pandemic highlighted socio-political issues which demanded attention."

"This novel is full of the spirit of adventure and the desire for justice, which make for great storytelling."

When Rachel’s brother disappears under mysterious circumstances, she must come to terms with his apparent death, though there is no body. She travels to Joburg to support her sister-in-law, Maya, with the memorial – also to escape her stifling life as a wife and mother.

Twenty outstanding stories have been shortlisted by an international judging panel for the world’s most global literature prize. The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is awarded annually for the best piece of unpublished short fiction from any of the Commonwealth’s 54 member states. 

"The pages fly by. The journey over the ice is as ferocious as the pace its reading makes."

"It is a beautifully produced book that will surprise and enlighten even the most devoted Coetzee readers, but might also be an intriguing entry point for those yet unfamiliar with the Nobel Prize winner's work."

"The coronavirus has turned the world on its head. Every day, I hear echoes of Morgan Freeman’s voice from the movie Deep impact in my head. The coronavirus is indeed a deep impact moment. As an evangelist of the literary arts, I have agonised over what this moment means for us."

"Start with the determined decision to fight for your business. No matter how small or trivial it may seem, it is an important block in the foundation of our civilisation. It’s your baby, your dream – don’t let it go without a fight." Naomi Meyer and Cliffordene Norton interview Douglas Kruger about his latest book.