[The JRB Daily] The Johannesburg Review of Books’s Book of the Year
The JRB’s Editor takes a look back at 2017 and picks out the single work that left the biggest impression….
Category: Africa
[The JRB Daily] The JRB 2017 Top Fifty: Our fifty most popular posts from Vol. 1
Since our launch in May, we have published eight issues of reviews, interviews, essays, poetry, photography and short fiction. From…
[The JRB Daily] Shortlist announced for the 2017 Gerald Kraak Award for writing and photography on gender, human rights and sexuality in Africa
The shortlist for the 2017 Gerald Kraak Award has been announced, including The JRB Francophone and Contributing Editor Efemia Chela….
[The JRB Daily] Judging panel announced for 2018 Caine Prize
The Caine Prize for African Writing has announced the five judges for the 2018 edition of the award. Dinaw Mengestu,…
[The JRB Daily] ‘This is unlike any other literary festival’—Sifiso Mzobe and Shubnum Khan talk writing at the Abantu Book Festival
Sifiso Mzobe and Shubnum Khan were in conversation with Sihle Mthembu at the Abantu Book Festival in Soweto last weekend….
[The JRB Daily] 2017 Abantu Book Festival focuses on legacy: Libraries, free books for children, and plans to rotate around South African cities
The second annual Abantu Book Festival kicked off in Soweto today, and festival director Thando Mgqolozana emphasised the event’s focus…
[The JRB Daily] 2018 9mobile Prize for Literature longlist announced
The longlist for the 2017 9mobile Prize for Literature (formerly the Etisalat Prize for Literature) has been announced. South African…
[The JRB Daily] 2017 Short Story Day Africa Prize longlist announced
The longlist for the Short Story Day Africa Prize for Short Fiction has been announced. The prize is worth $1,000…
The Johannesburg Review of Books Vol. 1, Issue 8 (December 2017, The Fiction Issue)
Welcome to the eighth issue of The Johannesburg Review of Books. In South Africa, there’s December, and there’s Dezemba—the latter…
[Fiction issue] ‘Snake Story’, new short fiction by Henrietta Rose-Innes
The JRB presents new short fiction by Contributing Editor Henrietta Rose-Innes. Author’s note: I began to write this Twitter story…
[Fiction issue] ‘Lolwethu Oluthando’, a short story by Julie Nxadi
Exclusive to The JRB, a new short story by Julie Nxadi. This story is excerpted from Cutting Carrots the Wrong Way,…
‘I don’t believe in showing off’: Nthikeng Mohlele chats about his award-winning novel Pleasure and future artistic pursuits
Nthikeng Mohlele’s Pleasure was recently longlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award—this after winning two major South Africa literary prizes in 2017. The…
[Fiction issue] ‘I am here, Amor Swart, 1986. May tomorrow never come.’ Exclusive excerpt from a work in progress by Damon Galgut
The JRB presents an exclusive excerpt from a novel in progress by Damon Galgut. ~ ~ ~ By the time…
[Fiction issue] ‘Boy’, new short fiction by Yewande Omotoso
Exclusive to The JRB, new short fiction by Editorial Advisory Panel member Yewande Omotoso. ~~~ Boy They were the sort…
The Visiting Hours: A dispatch from Harare by Tonderai Munyevu
The author visited Harare, Zimbabwe shortly after the military intervention that led to President Robert Mugabe’s resignation on 21 November,…
[Fiction issue] ‘Some Men’, a new short story by SJ Naudé
Exclusive to The JRB, new short fiction from SJ Naudé. ~~~ Some Men Jakob leaves the gift on the roof…
[Fiction issue] ‘Forgiveness’, new short fiction by Perfect Hlongwane
Exclusive to The JRB, an excerpt from a work in progress by Perfect Hlongwane. ~~~ Forgiveness They put me in…
‘I was interested in being present at the moment when truth revealed itself’—JM Coetzee’s childhood photography
Childhood photographs by JM Coetzee are currently on exhibition at the Irma Stern Gallery in Cape Town. The exhibition, titled…
[Fiction issue] ‘Child’s Play’, a short story by Gloria Mwaniga Minage
The JRB presents an original short story by Gloria Mwaniga Minage. ~ ~ ~ Child’s Play We are seating up….
[Fiction issue] ‘Thirty’, a short story by Wamuwi Mbao
Exclusive to The JRB, a new short story by our Editorial Advisory Panel member Wamuwi Mbao. ~ ~ ~ Thirty…
[Fiction issue] ‘Return of the Afringers’, an allegory by Bongani Madondo
The JRB presents ‘Return of the Afringers’, an allegory by Contributing Editor Bongani Madondo. ~~~ A country’s soul is captured…
[Fiction issue] Exclusive excerpt from Lying Perfectly Still, a work in progress by Laura Fish
The JRB presents an exclusive excerpt from Lying Perfectly Still, Laura Fish’s novel in progress, which is set in Swaziland….
[Fiction issue] ‘1. This Is The Title’, a short story by Richard de Nooy
Exclusive to The JRB, a new short story by our Editorial Advisory Panel member Richard de Nooy. ~ ~ ~ 1. This…
[Fiction issue] Excerpt from Moan of the Marabou by Akbar Hussain
The JRB presents an excerpt from Akbar Hussain’s unpublished novel Moan of the Marabou, a literary thriller set in the…
[Photo Editor] Original portraits of Wole Soyinka, Gcina Mhlophe and Athol Williams by Victor Dlamini
Victor Dlamini is The JRB’s Photo Editor. We feature his work on our Instagram channel. Don’t miss the ten-year retrospective…
‘Should we let fiction die a natural death? No.’—Andrew Miller argues for the importance of writing stories in a time of digital disorder
Comment for The JRB’s inaugural Fiction Issue by novelist Andrew Miller. ~ ~ ~ One of the most interesting aspects…
Two new poems by Fiona Zerbst
The Johannesburg Review of Books presents previously unpublished poetry by Fiona Zerbst. Homestead She imagines her future in this…
New poetry by Jim Pascual Agustin: ‘Fire, the King Who is Called’
The Johannesburg Review of Books presents previously unpublished poetry by Jim Pascual Agustin. Fire, the King Who is Called…
New poetry by Simon van Schalkwyk: ‘Hay-on-Wye’
The Johannesburg Review of Books presents previously unpublished poetry by Simon van Schalkwyk. Hay-on-Wye I. We drive there on…
[Fiction issue] ‘Four Blocks Away’, a short story by Niq Mhlongo
The JRB presents City Editor Niq Mhlongo’s short story ‘Four Blocks Away’. The story is excerpted from Mhlongo’s most recent book,…
[Fiction issue] An excerpt from Imagine Ghosts Telling Tales in front of Smoky Mirrors, the debut novel by SL Masunda
Exclusive to The JRB, an excerpt from the debut novel of Zimbabwean author SL Masunda. Imagine Ghosts Telling Tales in…
Letter: Sarah Ruden responds to David van Schoor’s review of her translation of Augustine’s Confessions
Sarah Ruden responds to David van Schoor’s review of her translation of Augustine’s Confessions, ‘Translation as nuclear arms race’, published in the November…
Theatre and family trees: A new short story by Moroccan writer Driss Ksikes
Driss Ksikes gives us a vivid intergenerational short story in ‘Fuckin’ Family’ (‘Putain la famille’). For a long time, family…
The JRB Vol. 1, Issue 8 cover image features a photograph from Johannesburg. Made in China
The JRB cover image this week comes from Johannesburg. Made in China, the ninth book of Fourthwall Books’s acclaimed series Wake Up,…
[The JRB Daily] The Caine Prize wasn’t what I thought it would be: Efemia Chela traces the real value of big literary prizes
In a piece for the Caine Prize blog titled ‘An Unexpected Prize’, Efemia Chela describes how losing out on the…
[The JRB Daily] He seemed invincible: Petina Gappah reflects on Robert Mugabe’s rule
Writing for the New Yorker, The JRB Editorial Advisory Panel member Petina Gappah contemplates ‘How Zimbabwe Freed Itself From Robert Mugabe’. Mugabe’s resignation…
[The JRB Daily] Dove, Lifebuoy and apartheid: Panashe Chigumadzi considers soap’s hidden significance in the control of black bodies
The New York Review of Books has featured an article by Panashe Chigumadzi, titled ‘Soap and South Africa’s “Fatal Intimacy”‘….
[The JRB Daily] 2017 South African Literary Awards winners announced
The winners of the 2017 South African Literary Awards (SALAs) have been announced. The SALAs are awarded annually by the…
[The JRB Daily] Six African authors up for world’s richest annual literary prize, the International Dublin Literary Award
Six African authors have made the longlist for the International Dublin Literary Award, the world’s most valuable annual literary prize for…
The Johannesburg Review of Books Vol. 1, Issue 7 (November 2017)
Welcome to the seventh issue of The Johannesburg Review of Books. This month, it gives me great pleasure to announce…