Zola: A Novel, the debut novel by Johan Jack Smith, is out now in English and Afrikaans from Penguin Random House.
A cryptic killer is cruising the streets of Johannesburg. He’s picking up young women to torture and mutilate, and it’s down to Captain David Majola and Warrant Officer Jason Basson to follow the trail of blood and find him.
‘When does a city become more than glass and concrete, more than the Brutalist towers that remind us of our European ancestors? When does it become a potter that creates with blood and flesh and shit, till he creates an imperfect creation that thumps and cuts and deforms, just like his creator. Where we have to pick up the pieces in this trail of blood, and where we put them down, kneeling in front of their loved ones, begging them to forgive us. The creator and his creation have become one, and spat on everything that was once pure.’
Watch the book trailer here:
Smith is the editor of the ATKV’s corporate magazine Taalgenoot and his writing has appeared in Op die spoor van (2017) and Nuwe Stemme 6 (2017).
He’ll be in conversation with Jo Prins at the book’s launch at Love Books on Thursday 22 August 2019.
Briljante boek, ek het hom wel in engels gelees maar ek ken Jack vir sy Afrikaanse werk, naelbytend tot die einde met sy kenmerkende swart bitter formaat wat hy voor bekend is. Bindende karakters van blatsy een af, goeie mengsel van die meesters King, Koontz maar ook baie uniek tot SA, eerste werklike unieke Suid Afrikaanse griller