‘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…
Tag: Book Excerpts
‘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…
New poetry by Kopano Maroga, from Jesus Thesis and Other Critical Fabulations
The Johannesburg Review of Books presents new poetry by Kopano Maroga, from their volume Jesus Thesis and Other Critical Fabulations,…
‘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…
New poetry by Simon van Schalkwyk, from Transcontinental Delay
The Johannesburg Review of Books presents new poetry by Academic Editor Simon van Schalkwyk, from Transcontinental Delay, published by Dryad…
‘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 ~~~…
In search of Ken Saro-Wiwa—Read an excerpt from Ken Saro-Wiwa’s Shadow, a new book by Sanya Osha
The JRB presents an excerpt from Sanya Osha’s new book, Ken Saro-Wiwa’s Shadow: Politics, Nationalism and the Ogoni Protest Movement….
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….
[Fiction Issue] ‘I enjoyed occupying blurred lines. Ambiguity was an unsettling yet exhilarating space.’—Read an excerpt from Zaina Arafat’s debut novel, You Exist Too Much
The JRB presents an excerpt from You Exist Too Much, the debut novel from Zaina Arafat. You Exist Too Much…
[Fiction Issue] ‘Were there places in the world where neighbours would have greeted us instead of turning away?’—Read an excerpt from Yaa Gyasi’s new novel Transcendent Kingdom
The JRB presents an excerpt from Transcendent Kingdom, the new novel by Yaa Gyasi. Transcendent KingdomYaa GyasiViking, 2020 Read the…
[Fiction Issue] ‘i feel like my heritage is obstinate’—Read an excerpt from Masande Ntshanga’s new book, Native Life in the Third Millennium
The JRB presents an exclusive excerpt from Native Life in the Third Millennium, a limited edition poetry and short story…
[Fiction Issue] ‘This is my house! I just paid the money. I showed you the receipt.’—Read an excerpt from TJ Benson’s highly anticipated debut novel, The Madhouse
The JRB presents an excerpt from TJ Benson’s forthcoming debut novel, The Madhouse. The Madhouse TJ BensonPenguin Random House South…
[Fiction Issue] ‘Yho mme we! What am I going to do with you two? You look like a farmer going to his first business meeting.’—Read an excerpt from Angela Makholwa’s Critical But, Stable
The JRB presents an excerpt from Critical But, Stable, the new novel from Angela Makholwa. Critical But, StableAngela MakholwaPan Macmillan…
[Fiction Issue] ‘No one knew what to call the place that was halfway between dreams’—Read an excerpt from Abubakar Adam Ibrahim’s book, Dreams and Assorted Nightmares
The JRB presents an excerpt from the title story of Dreams and Assorted Nightmares, the new collection by Abubakar Adam…
[Fiction Issue] ‘Oyinbo pepper, leave the Bush of Ghosts! Muzungu, go back to England!’—Read an excerpt from The Trial of Cecil John Rhodes by Adekeye Adebajo
The JRB presents an excerpt from Adekeye Adebajo’s forthcoming novella, The Trial of Cecil John Rhodes. The Trial of Cecil…
[Fiction Issue] ‘But what if I give birth to a girl?’—Read an excerpt from Helen Moffett’s debut solo novel, Charlotte
The JRB presents an excerpt from Helen Moffett’s debut solo novel, Charlotte. CharlotteHelen MoffettBonnier Zaffre, 2020 Read the excerpt: Mrs…
[Fiction Issue] ‘Like his mother, Emile Oliphant has always collected men.’—Read an excerpt from Lester Walbrugh’s debut short story collection Let It Fall Where It Will
The JRB presents an excerpt from Let It Fall Where It Will, Lester Walbrugh‘s debut short story collection. Lester WalbrughLet…
[Fiction Issue] ‘That’s how evenings in Nawa went.’—Read an excerpt from The Ardent Swarm, the English debut from award-winning author Yamen Manai
The JRB presents an excerpt from The Ardent Swarm, the third novel from award-winning Tunisian author Yamen Manai, but the…
‘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…
‘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…
‘Oppression and thwarted aspiration are no bar to an appreciation of nature’—Read an excerpt from Jacob Dlamini’s new book Safari Nation: A Social History of the Kruger National Park
The JRB presents an excerpt from Safari Nation: A Social History of the Kruger National Park by Jacob Dlamini. Safari Nation:…
‘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:…
‘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…
New poetry by Sihle Ntuli, from Rumblin’
The Johannesburg Review of Books presents new poetry by Sihle Ntuli, from his chapbook, Rumblin’, published by uHlanga Press. ~~~…
[The JRB exclusive] ‘God withdrew from helping black people nearly thirty years ago’—Read an excerpt from Niq Mhlongo’s forthcoming novel, Paradise in Gaza
The JRB presents an excerpt from City Editor Niq Mhlongo’s new novel, Paradise in Gaza, out on 20 October 2020…
Read ‘Ugly Noo-Noos and Suburban Nightmares’ by Nicky Falkof, excerpted from Anxious Joburg: The Inner Lives of a Global South City
Nicky Falkof considers the Parktown prawn as a metaphor for the anxieties of apartheid and post-apartheid suburban life, in an…
‘Never before have both the past and the future seemed so out of reach’—Read an excerpt from Zoë Wicomb’s new novel Still Life
The JRB presents an excerpt from Still Life, the latest novel from Zoë Wicomb. Still LifeZoë WicombUmuzi, 2020 Read the…
‘The beginning of an adventure’—Read the late George Bizos’s account of his escape from Nazi-occupied Greece as a child, from his memoir Odyssey To Freedom
The JRB presents an excerpt from Odyssey To Freedom, the memoir of the late George Bizos. Bizos passed away in…
‘Lines and images stick in the mind years after they have been heard or read’—Read Ivan Vladislavić’s Introduction to My Mother’s Laughter, a new collection of poems by the late Chris van Wyk
The JRB presents an excerpt from My Mother’s Laughter: Selected Poems by Chris van Wyk, edited by Ivan Vladislavić and…
‘Bessie Head’s work jolted me awake … I had not thought it possible that a black woman could be a writer’—Read an excerpt from Barbara Boswell’s new book, And Wrote My Story Anyway
The JRB presents an excerpt from the Author’s Preface of And Wrote My Story Anyway: Black South African Women’s Novels…
‘We didn’t fight a revolution to stay inside’—Read an excerpt from Mark Gevisser’s new book The Pink Line: Journeys Across the World’s Queer Frontiers
The JRB presents an excerpt from The Pink Line: Journeys Across the World’s Queer Frontiers, the new book by Mark…
‘The idea of literary imagination as a kind of violation’—Imraan Coovadia considers JM Coetzee’s Disgrace, excerpted from his new book Revolution and Non-Violence in Tolstoy, Gandhi, and Mandela
The JRB presents an excerpt from Imraan Coovadia’s new book Revolution and Non-Violence in Tolstoy, Gandhi, and Mandela. Revolution and…
[Exclusive] Read an excerpt from Sex and Lies, the first work of non-fiction in English from award-winning Moroccan author Leïla Slimani
The JRB presents an exclusive excerpt from Leïla Slimani’s new book Sex and Lies. Sex and LiesLeïla Slimani (translated by…
‘The brown man in a white man’s city who is watching other brown men.’ Read an excerpt from Amnesty, the new novel from Man Booker Prize winner Aravind Adiga
The JRB presents an excerpt from Aravind Adiga’s new novel Amnesty, a riveting, suspenseful and exuberant novel about a young…