‘The final chapter was the most difficult’—Read an interview with Peace Adzo Medie and an excerpt from her debut novel His Only Wife
Ghanaian author Peace Adzo Medie chatted to The JRB about writing, reading and her debut novel His Only Wife. His…
Author: The JRB
[Sponsored] Watch Rešoketšwe Manenzhe in conversation with Jennifer Malec about her award-winning novel Scatterlings
‘Some stories start in the middle because no one wants to hear the beginning.’ Rešoketšwe Manenzhe chatted to Jennifer Malec recently…
Read ‘Seasons Change’, a short story by the late Phumlani Pikoli, from his book The Fatuous State of Severity
Multidisciplinary artist and award-winning author Phumlani Pikoli passed away tragically this week, aged thirty-three. Phumlani was an inspiring and passionate…
Poetry by Ayanda Billie, Siza Nkosi Mokhele, Maneo Mohale and Masai Sepuru from Years of Fire and Ash: South African Poems of Decolonisation
The JRB presents a selection of poetry from Years of Fire and Ash: South African Poems of Decolonisation, a new…
‘Call me December, it’s my name at work.’—Read an excerpt from Kololo Hill, the debut novel by Neema Shah
The JRB presents an excerpt from Neema Shah’s debut novel Kololo Hill. Kololo HillNeema ShahPicador, 2021 Outside the train station…
‘If you must learn to love a man, he is probably not the man you should be loving.’—Read an excerpt from How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Cherie Jones
The JRB presents an excerpt from Cherie Jones’s debut novel How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House, recently longlisted for…
‘My mother does not remember how old she was when she buried the first of her children.’—Read an excerpt from Thenjiwe Mswane’s debut novel All Gomorrahs Are The Same
The JRB presents an exclusive excerpt from All Gomorrahs Are The Same, the debut novel from Thenjiwe Mswane. All Gomorrahs…
Chris Mann, 1948—2021, RIP
The noted South African poet, playwright, academic and performer Chris Mann has died, it has been reported. According to a…
[Sponsored] Read an excerpt from Catherine Menon’s Fragile Monsters, a spellbinding debut about what happens when secrets fester through the generations
Penguin Random House SA has shared an excerpt from Catherine Menon’s debut Fragile Monsters, a thrilling novel of war and…
[Sponsored] What does it take to be successful? Watch Carice Anderson reading an excerpt from her new book Intelligence Isn’t Enough
Intelligence Isn’t Enough: A Black Professional’s Guide to Thriving in the Workplace will empower young Black graduates entering the workforce and…
[Sponsored] ‘Great novels force us to think beyond our prejudices and to question where our empathies lie’—Brent Meersman
Brent Meersman ruminates on the power of a good novel. Meersman’s new book Rattling the Cage: Reflections On Democratic South Africa is…
[Sponsored] ‘Welcome to Eldorado Park.’—Read an excerpt from Those Who Live in Cages, the acclaimed debut novel by Terry-Ann Adams
Jacana Media has shared an excerpt from Terry-Ann Adams’s debut novel Those Who Live in Cages, a story about Coloured…
‘White male mediocrity harms us all.’—Read an excerpt from Ijeoma Oluo’s new book, Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male Power
The JRB presents an excerpt from Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male Power by Ijeoma Oluo, the bestselling author…
[Sponsored] Now available as audiobook—The Krugersdorp Cult Killings: Inside Cecilia Steyn’s Reign of Terror by Jana Marx
Great news for fans of true crime and real-life South African stories: Jana Marx’s explosive exposé of convicted murderer Cecilia…
‘Calls for television grew louder in 1969, after the rest of the world got to see Neil Armstrong walk on the moon’—Read an excerpt from William Dicey’s new book 1986
The JRB presents an excerpt from 1986, the new book by William Dicey. 1986William DiceyPenguin Random House SA, 2021 ~~~…
Read an excerpt from ‘Buchi Emecheta: The Burden of Exile’ by Louisa Uchum Egbunike, from The Pan-African Pantheon: Prophets, Poets and Philosophers
The JRB presents an excerpt from Louisa Uchum Egbunike‘s chapter examining the life and work of Buchi Emecheta from the…
‘August winds, unlike those of other months, always came armed with a purpose’—Read an excerpt from Lindiwe Nkutha’s debut short story collection 69 Jerusalem Street
The JRB presents an excerpt from the title story of 69 Jerusalem Street, the debut collection of short fiction by…
‘The water in the buckets was as dark as tar’—Read an excerpt from Real Life, the acclaimed debut novel by Brandon Taylor
The JRB presents an excerpt from Brandon Taylor’s debut novel Real Life, which was shortlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize….
Gus Ferguson, 1940—2020, RIP
The publisher, poet, cartoonist and humourist Gus Ferguson has died in Cape Town. Born in 1940 in Scotland, Ferguson moved…
[The JRB Daily] Top 10 of 2020—a look back at our most popular articles of the year
This December marked the The JRB’s forty-second issue, the final issue of our fourth volume. With the new year just…
[Sponsored] Listen to an excerpt from the audiobook of Shuggie Bain, the Booker Prize-winning debut novel by Douglas Stuart
Douglas Stuart’s Shuggie Bain is the talk of the town, after it was recently awarded the 2020 Booker Prize. ‘This heartfelt and…
[Sponsored] Listen to an excerpt from Susanna Clarke’s new novel Piranesi, read by Chiwetel Ejiofor
Jonathan Ball Publishers has shared an excerpt from the audiobook of Piranesi—the new novel from Susanna Clarke, the bestselling author of Jonathan…
[Sponsored] Read an excerpt from Miss Benson’s Beetle—a funny, heartwarming and magical read that’ll lift your spirits
Penguin Random House SA has shared an excerpt from Miss Benson’s Beetle, an uplifting and redemptive story of a glorious female…
[Sponsored] Career opportunity: LAPA Publishers is hiring a Christian publisher! Apply before 23 December 2020
LAPA Publishers (a division of Penguin Random House South Africa), has a vacancy for a qualified and dynamic individual to…
[Sponsored] The how-to-self-publish guide—a Jacana Masterclass (12 Dec)
Jacana Media brings you The How-to-Self-Publish Guide—a Masterclass for those looking to do it for themselves, but who are too…
[Sponsored] Listen to an excerpt from Mantel Pieces—a collection of essays and memoir from twice Booker Prize winner and international bestseller Hilary Mantel
Mantel Pieces by Hilary Mantel is out now from Jonathan Ball Publishers. In 1987, when Hilary Mantel was first published in…
‘This is where all the light in the world has settled’—Read an excerpt from The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste
The JRB presents an excerpt from Maaza Mengiste’s novel The Shadow King, shortlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize for Fiction. The…
[Sponsored] Find out more about ‘superstar author’ Angela Makholwa’s new novel Critical But, Stable
Critical But, Stable, the new novel from bestselling author Angela Makholwa, is out now from Pan Macmillan. ‘It’s Angela’s wit…
‘A unique trick of the combination of love and time; the ability to keep one young’—Read an excerpt from Bolu Babalola’s debut collection of short stories, Love in Colour
The JRB presents an excerpt from Love in Colour, the debut collection of short stories by Bolu Babalola Love in…
‘We touch down, and I pray for the land of my ancestors to be good to me’—Read an excerpt from No Be From Hia by Natasha Omokhodion-Kalulu Banda
The JRB presents an excerpt from No Be From Hia, the debut novel by Natasha Omokhodion-Kalulu Banda. No Be From…
[Sponsored] Watch Barack Obama introducing his presidential memoir A Promised Land
A Promised Land is a riveting, deeply personal account of history in the making—from the president who inspired us to believe…
[Sponsored] Celebrate African literature across social media during #ReadingAfrica Week 2020 (6–12 Dec)
LAPA Publishers and Catalyst Press invite you to join in and share the best in African literature this 2020 Reading…
‘As much as you want to have sex with a stranger, this is mostly research’—Read an excerpt from ‘The Fool’, new writing by Nakhane, from Exhale: Queer African Erotic Fiction
The JRB presents an excerpt from ‘The Fool’ by Nakhane, from Exhale, a new anthology of queer writing. Exhale: Queer…
‘I had got involved with Dambudzo Marechera’—Read an excerpt from Flora Veit-Wild’s new memoir, They Called You Dambudzo
The JRB presents an exclusive excerpt from They Called You Dambudzo: A Memoir by Flora Veit-Wild. They Called You Dambudzo:…
[Sponsored] New book alert! Sol Plaatje’s Mhudi: History, Criticism, Celebration by Sabata-mpho Mokae and Brian Willan
Sol Plaatje’s Mhudi: History, Criticism, Celebration by Sabata-mpho Mokae and Brian Willan is out in November from Jacana Media! Celebrating the…
‘Sometimes I would think, They had better interrogate me. At least there was contact.’—Read an excerpt from Women in Solitary: Inside the Female Resistance to Apartheid by Shanthini Naidoo
The JRB presents an excerpt from Shanthini Naidoo’s book Women in Solitary: Inside the Female Resistance to Apartheid. Women in…
‘The morning that followed was crisp and clear. The air was sweet as only after slaughter’—Read an excerpt from Shanice Ndlovu’s debut collection of short stories, The Pride of Noonlay
The JRB presents an excerpt from The Pride of Noonlay, the debut collection of short stories by Shanice Ndlovu. The…
[Sponsored] ‘This story is bigger than me, it’s bigger than all of us’—Read an excerpt from So, for the Record: Behind the Headlines in an Era of State Capture by Anton Harber
Jonathan Ball Publishers has shared an excerpt from So, for the Record: Behind the Headlines in an Era of State Capture by…
[Sponsored] Read an exclusive excerpt from A Family Affair, the new novel from bestselling author Sue Nyathi
A Family Affair, the new novel by bestselling author Sue Nyathi, will be out from Pan Macmillan in October 2020! ‘A…
[Sponsored] New book alert! VBS: A Dream Defrauded by Dewald van Rensburg—a compelling account of the epic VBS Mutual Bank heist
VBS: A Dream Defrauded by Dewald van Rensburg is out now from Penguin Random House. Originally the Venda Building Society, VBS…