New Poetry by Kelwyn Sole: ‘The Honourable Skin’
The JRB presents previously unpublished poetry by Kelwyn Sole. ~~~ The Honourable Skin Hello, dumela, it’s been a while, how’s…
Tag: Poetry
‘All poems live and die by having a rhythm’—Nondwe Mpuma in conversation with Makhosazana Xaba
This is the eleventh in a series of long-form interviews by Patron Makhosazana Xaba to be hosted on The JRB,…
‘Grief is fertile soil’—Read an excerpt from Malika Lueen Ndlovu’s UJ Prize-winning Griefseed
The JRB presents an excerpt from Griefseed, Malika Lueen Ndlovu’s collection of poems, essays and reflections on grief, which won…
Poetry by Simon van Schalkwyk, from Zero Summer
The JRB presents an excerpt from Zero Summer, the new poetry collection by Academic Editor Simon van Schalkwyk. Zero SummerSimon…
Poetry by Lesego Rampolokeng, from When the Fires Go Down
The JRB presents an excerpt from When the Fires Go Down by Lesego Rampolokeng. When the Fires Go DownLesego RampolokengBlack…
New Poetry by Diane Awerbuck, from her collection Fishwife
The JRB presents an excerpt from Fishwife, the new poetry collection by Diane Awerbuck. FishwifeDiane AwerbuckModjaji Books, 2026Order here ~~~…
Poetry by Aryan Kaganof, from We Who Are Not Dead Yet
The JRB presents an excerpt from We Who Are Not Dead Yet by Aryan Kaganof. We Who Are Not Dead…
Poetry (and sound) by Thando Fuze, from Fluent in the Language of Burial
The JRB presents an excerpt from Fluent in the Language of Burial, the debut poetry collection by Thando Fuze. Fluent…
‘Always in search of uncompromising honesty in a compromised and compromising world’—Kevin Goddard reviews Kelwyn Sole’s latest collection of poetry, What is Owed?
Kevin Goddard reviews What is Owed? by Kelwyn Sole—a poet’s summing up of a life dedicated both to verse and…
‘Performing poetry is a naked affair, but I’d rather be naked than take up residence behind a mask’—Khadija Tracey Heeger in conversation with Makhosazana Xaba
This is the tenth in a series of long-form interviews by Patron Makhosazana Xaba to be hosted on The JRB,…
Poetic translation and transnational Cold War cultural exchange—read an excerpt from Simon van Schalkwyk’s new book Robert Lowell’s Imitations and the Cold War
The JRB presents an excerpt from Robert Lowell’s Imitations and the Cold War: Containment, Leakage, Anarchy, the new book by…
New poetry by Sandile Ngidi
The Johannesburg Review of Books presents previously unpublished poetry by Sandile Ngidi. ~~~ Let someone hold saliva, go slow on broken souls Three…
Poetry by Dawn Garisch, from The Consulting Room
The JRB presents an excerpt from The Consulting Room by Dawn Garisch. The Consulting Room Dawn GarischKaravan Press, 2025 ~~~…
Poetry by Deborah Seddon, from Magnitude
The JRB presents an excerpt from Magnitude by Deborah Seddon. MagnitudeDeborah SeddonDryad Press, 2025 ~~~ Visitations Sliding for cover right…
‘Without the right words, one has failed, which is a devastating feeling’—Jennifer Malec chats to Karen Jennings about her latest novel, Crooked Seeds
The JRB Editor Jennifer Malec chats to Karen Jennings about her new novel, Crooked Seeds, and making your reader’s skin crawl….
‘English is a language I acquired. To make it mine, I had to collapse its rules’—Thabile Makue in conversation with Makhosazana Xaba
This is the ninth in a series of long-form interviews by Patron Makhosazana Xaba to be hosted on The JRB,…
New poetry by Rustum Kozain
The Johannesburg Review of Books presents previously unpublished poetry by Rustum Kozain. ~~~ The greatest love I believe the children are our future,…
New poetry by Sarah Uheida, from Not This Tender
The JRB presents an excerpt from Not This Tender, a new poetry collection by Sarah Uheida. Sarah UheidaNot This TenderDryad…
‘To read a collection this accomplished is to wonder anew at how poems are made’—Finuala Dowling reviews Ingrid de Kok’s Unleaving
Unleaving, Ingrid de Kok’s seventh collection of poetry, speaks of private grief, personal loss, ambiguity and hope, writes Finuala Dowling….
‘I realised a long time ago that not everyone appreciates expressive or creative honesty’—Sihle Ntuli interviews Seitlhamo Thabo Motsapi
Sihle Ntuli talks to Seitlhamo Thabo Motsapi about subverting language, the beauty of Black creativity, and his seminal poetry collection,…
New poetry by Abigail George
The JRB presents previously unpublished poetry by Abigail George. ~~~ In a lonely city searching for Walt Whitman and Chris Abani (for…
New poetry by Seitlhamo Thabo Motsapi
The JRB presents previously unpublished poetry by Seitlhamo Thabo Motsapi. ~~~ ~~~ araifal we crossed the river this morning the camels had…
‘Poetry as an act of clairvoyance’—Finuala Dowling reviews Heart’s Hunger, a selection of poetry by Karen Press
To read Karen Press’s Heart’s Hunger is not just to know where we have come from, but to feel in…
‘Poetry has always been a way for me to process life’—Saaleha Idrees Bamjee in conversation with Makhosazana Xaba
This is the eighth in a series of long-form interviews by Patron Makhosazana Xaba to be hosted on The JRB,…
Poetry by Joan Metelerkamp, from Under dark under branches
The JRB presents an excerpt from Under dark under branches, the new poetry collection by Joan Metelerkamp. Under dark under…
Three newly translated poems by Athambile Masola, from Ilifa
The JRB presents a selection of poetry by Athambile Masola. The poems were originally published in her award-winning 2021 collection…
‘The trees of the city provide a subtext for many things’—Salimah Valiani talks to Anna Stroud about her new poetry collection, IGoli/EGoli
Salimah Valiani chats to Anna Stroud about maps, trees and all the ingredients for love one can find in Johannesburg—and…
‘Unlike any other South African poem I have come across’—Read Kelwyn Sole’s Introduction to Angifi Proctor Dladla’s epic poem Maxwell the Gorilla and the Archbishop of Soshanguve
The JRB presents Kelwin Sole’s Introduction to Maxwell the Gorilla and the Archbishop of Soshanguve, an epic poem by the…
‘Before I even believed in myself, women writers older than me held my hand’—Busisiwe Mahlangu in conversation with Makhosazana Xaba
This is the sixth in a series of long-form interviews by Patron Makhosazana Xaba to be hosted on The JRB,…
On identity, poetry, diaspora and Afropessimism—Kweku Abimbola in conversation with Sreddy Yen
Gambia-born poet Kweku Abimbola, whose award-winning first collection of poetry Saltwater Demands a Psalm was published by Graywolf Press in…
New poetry by Daniel Moss
The JRB presents five poems by Daniel Moss. Who Wants. To Go On. A Drive? I Would. For a While. Wake…
[Conversation Issue] ‘Poetry refuses the abstraction of theory’—danai mupotsa in conversation with Makhosazana Xaba
This is the fifth in a series of long-form interviews by Patron Makhosazana Xaba to be hosted on The JRB,…
[Conversation Issue] The world ends several times for Black people—A conversation with Uhuru Portia Phalafala and critical reading of her book Mine Mine Mine
Kim M Reynolds considers the historical and the personal in Uhuru Portia Phalafala’s new book Mine Mine Mine, in discussion…
New poetry by Kelwyn Sole
The JRB presents previously unpublished poetry by Kelwyn Sole. The leader’s speeches 1 The leader’s speeches slide into our ears like…
Poetry by iyra e m maharaj, from earth-circuit
The JRB presents an excerpt from earth-circuit by iyra e m maharaj. earth-circuitiyra e m maharajDryad Press, 2023 Ouroborous dear…
[The JRB Daily] Henrietta Rose-Innes wins 2023 UJ Prize for Literary Translation
Henrietta Rose-Innes has been awarded the prestigious UJ Prize for Literary Translation, for her translation of Etienne van Heerden’s novel…
‘I believe poetry is how my ancestors found me’—vangile gantsho in conversation with Makhosazana Xaba
This is the fourth in a series of long-form interviews by Patron Makhosazana Xaba to be hosted on The JRB,…
An enigma called Christopher Okigbo—Sanya Osha reflects on the visionary and paradoxical poet (including an interview with his biographer Obi Nwakanma)
Once one experiences the phenomenal power of Christopher Okigbo’s poetry, it seems the reverberations persist throughout one’s creative life, writes…
Poetry by Isobel Dixon, from A Whistling of Birds
The JRB presents an excerpt from A Whistling of Birds by Isobel Dixon. A Whistling of BirdsIsobel DixonHuman & Rousseau,…
‘As an immigrant, family photos are elegies to a lost world’—Sarah Lubala in conversation with Makhosazana Xaba
This is the third in a series of long-form interviews by Patron Makhosazana Xaba to be hosted on The JRB,…