The Johannesburg Review of Books Vol. 1, Issue 4 (August 2017)

The fourth issue of The Johannesburg Review of Books has arrived—and not a moment too soon, in our humble opinion.

Highlights this month include Contributing Editor Bongani Madondo’s review of Maakomele ‘Mak’ Manaka’s neglected collection of poetry, Flowers Of A Broken Smile, Contributing Editor Efemia Chela’s chat with Edwige-Renée Dro about the Abidjan Lit phenomenon, and Richard Ali’s contemplation of where Peter Kimani’s East African epic Dance of the Jakaranda fits into the world of modern African letters.

In other big new book news, Imraan Coovadia weighs up Haruki Murakami‘s new book, Men Without Women, and Mbali Sikakana appraises Zinzi Clemmons‘s debut novel What We Lose (we are expecting a lot more to come from Sikakana’s entirely fresh, new critical voice).

It is also The JRB’s pleasure to publish, for the first time, new poems by Francine Simon, whose debut volume was published earlier this year. New Yorker, eat your heart out!

Our Photo Editor Victor Dlamini has submitted an exquisite portrait of Sisonke Msimang, while our City Editor Niq Mhlongo tells the tale of how he met James Joyce in Switzerland. In a literary interview with a difference, Masande Ntshanga talks us through the many publishing deals of his novel The Reactive.

We also feature an important new resource for African literature: the online archive of Dambudzo Marechera‘s estate, which houses interview transcripts, school records, manuscripts, photographs and other material relating to the Zimbabwean author’s life and work.

Finally, you won’t want to miss our Editor‘s report of Binyavanga Wainaina‘s recent talk in Johannesburg, or new fiction from Nick Mulgrew and Editorial Advisory Panel member Richard de Nooy.

There’s also some news from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie …

Here’s the complete breakdown of Vol. 1, Issue 4, which you will also find on our issue archive page:

Reviews

Interviews

Travel