Litnet

"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 The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is awarded annually for the best piece of unpublished short fiction from any of the Commonwealth’s 54 member states.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 ban on alcohol does not come without harsh social consequences: substance users who go cold turkey face a real fatality risk; liquor stores have been looted; and shebeen and tavern owners, as well as their employees, are going without income. Furthermore, alcohol is being traded illicitly, which could result in a black market being established."

"Most of us are under lockdown and turning to online entertainment. Some nights I don’t even know what to watch, and I write about film and series for a living. So, I thought it would help sift through the jumble, to compile a list of every title that a) I have ever reviewed positively and b) is available online."

"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.

"I consider it an invaluable guide to equip children with the right skill sets, attitudes and world views to enable them to identify future opportunities and thrive, no matter what tomorrow may or may not hold."

The 2020 National Arts Festival (NAF) will go down in our history as the first ever South African virtual festival, taking place from 25 June to 5 July. Marli van Eeden chats to Monica Newton (CEO, NAF) to find out more.

This biography does not only investigate Kirsch’s role as Afrikaans Jewish poet but also examines her as an example of a cross-cultural, multi-lingual immigrant poet. 

Brent Meersman’s memoir of a humble yet eccentric upbringing in a Milnerton, Cape Town, flat in the 1970’s and 1980’s reads as a stirring eulogy to his schizophrenic mother, yet also as a vivid snapshot in time.

"No. I don’t think we are ever going to go back to the 'unconscious normal' we were in just a few weeks ago. I think that after lockdown, the world and South Africa will, in many ways, be in pieces; in many ways, the systems we knew will be broken, and we will all have to readjust and start again."

"If you are serious about treating the COVID-19 lockdown as a time for regrouping, for getting back to what is important, then grow a spine and start with this film."

"This precious guide is said to make a thoughtful and wonderful gift to professional entomologists, gardeners and nature enthusiasts alike."

"In a post-apartheid South Africa bedevilled by a paucity and deficit of value-based and selfless leadership, with leadership that uses its struggle credentials for self-enrichment, one wonders how Biko would have reacted."

"To my delight, I found Boel a patient and eloquent coach, and his writing clear, to the point and interlaced with examples I could understand and relate to."

"There is an art in finding and lifting the real story from the day-to-day facts. Dolley may not quite be there yet, but she's certainly on her way."

"The individual contributions focus on a fascinating and relevant selection of primary sources, mostly novels and short stories, reaching as far back as Sol Plaatje’s Mhudi (1930) and incorporating contemporary texts into the diverse readings of the South African literary canon."