Litnet

"Metelerkamp is careful not to turn her biography into an abject lesson on the ravages of a patriarchal society on individual lives. She steers through her complex subject with a careful and steady rudder – a class journalistic act."

"South Africans and others who want to, need to or ought to have an understanding of rural black South African life under the apartheid system can do no better than to read or reread Lauretta Ngcobo’s searing, moving and profoundly probing account enshrined in the unforgettable narrative of her 1990 novel, And they didn’t die."

The Nigerian-German writer Efua Traoré was announced the regional winner for Africa in the world’s most global literary prize. Traoré, who grew up in a little town in the south of Nigeria, wins with a first person narrative that sees a 13-year-old boy wrestle with the question of what it means to find "True Happiness".

"Bongani Ngqulunga received the Alan Paton award for non-fiction for The Man Who Founded the ANC: A Biography of Pixley ka Isaka Seme, while Harry Kalmer was named the recipient of the Barry Ronge Fiction Prize for A Thousand Tales of Johannesburg."

You are invited to the launch of The Summit Syndrome on 23 June in Stellenbosch. The author, Owen Dean, will be in conversation with Cobus Jooste.

Media24 Books Literary Prizes: The Herman Charles Bosman Prize for English fiction was awarded to Ken Barris for The Life of Worm & Other Misconceptions. Read the motivations for the winning novel as well as the other finalists.

Media24 Books Literary Prizes: The Recht Malan Prize for Nonfiction was awarded to Jacques Pauw for The President's Keepers. Read the motivations for the winning book as well as the other finalists.

Media24 Boeke-pryse: Die MER-prys vir geïllustreerde kinderboeke is vanjaar aan Rosamund Haden en Tony Pinchuck vir The All Africa Wildlife Express toegeken. Lees hier die motiverings vir die wenboek en ander finaliste.

"Winging it illuminates the entire undertaking of what an egg donation, IVF, surrogacy, and solo parenting entails. None of it is for the faint-hearted."

You are invited to the launch of You have to be gay to know God on 26 June in Johannesburg.

"The aim is to fund the research and writing of an original work of nonfiction on a subject of importance in the South African context, irrespective of genre. The closing date for entries is 31 July 2018."

You are invited to the launch of The Coroner's Wife on 20 June in Newlands, where Joan Hambidge will be in conversation with the publisher, Michèle Betty. The Coroner's Wife is a selection of the poems of Joan Hambidge in translation.

"Reading a biography such as Petrovna Metelerkamp’s Ingrid Jonker: ’n biografie provides a fine example of what I am talking about. This is a nice fat book, chock-full of stories and reported data about the enigma that is Ingrid Jonker. Apart from anything else, it is clear that Metelerkamp’s 437-page tome is the product of many years of unstinting work ..."

You are invited to the launch of Who will rule in 2019? on 2 June in Stellenbosch, where the author, Jan-Jan Joubert, will be in conversation with Tony Leon.

Colour me yellow by Thuli Nhlapo was shortlisted for the Sunday Times Alan Paton award 2018. Join the celebration on 2 June in Newtown, Johannesburg.

"As well as being open to entries translated into English from any language, it is the only literary prize in the world where entries can be submitted in Bengali, Chinese, Malay, Portuguese, Samoan, Swahili, and Tamil."

A discourse about this book will take place at the Stellenbosch University Museum on 31 May 2018. 

Sindiswa Busuku-Mathese’s debut collection of poetry, Loud and yellow laughter, published by Botsotso, is the winner of the 2018 Ingrid Jonker prize for poetry. The Ingrid Jonker Prize is awarded in alternate years to the best debut collection in English or Afrikaans.

"The shortlist for the 2018 Caine Prize for African Writing has been announced, showcasing a diversity of themes and a wealth of literary talent."

Here is the six-strong shortlist for the 2018 Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize, Best Published Novel.