[The JRB Daily] Rešoketšwe Manenzhe wins the 2020 Dinaane Debut Fiction Award for her novel manuscript Scatterlings
Rešoketšwe Manenzhe has been announced as the winner of the 2020 Dinaane Debut Fiction Award, for her novel manuscript Scatterlings….
Category: South Africa
[The JRB Daily] Mohale Mashigo receives the inaugural Philida Literary Award
Mohale Mashigo has received the inaugural Philida Literary Award, named in honour of the late author André Brink’s final published…
The Johannesburg Review of Books Vol. 4, Issue 2 (February 2020)
JM Coetzee • Fred Khumalo • Abdelaziz Baraka Sakin • Lebohang Mojapelo • Khadija Tracey Heeger • Khanya Mtshali •…
[Sponsored] Photo profile: A day in the life of wildlife guide, musician and author James Hendry
Author James Hendry takes us behind the scenes in the bush, where he lives, makes music and writes his books….
Contemplating South Africa’s coalition of traumas through the idea of lost language—Khanya Mtshali reviews Phumlani Pikoli’s Born Freeloaders
In Born Freeloaders, Phumlani Pikoli seeks to provide a meditation on how empire is constructed through language. But the language…
[City Editor] Conjuring his images out of darkness—Lidudumalingani reflects on how the late Santu Mofokeng’s photographs are a kind of visual metaphor for Johannesburg
Johannesburg is a city that dances on the edges of elusive, and yet somehow Santu Mofokeng managed to contain it…
New short fiction: ‘Mr Big Stuff’ by Fred Khumalo
The JRB presents a new short story by Fred Khumalo. ~~~ Mr Big Stuff 1. Harry is butchering Barry White’s…
‘I come from’, a new poem by Khadija Tracey Heeger
The Johannesburg Review of Books presents a new poem by Khadija Tracey Heeger. ~~~ I come from I come from…
[Sponsored] ‘Your birth mother didn’t want you.’ Read an excerpt from Sacrificed, Chanette Paul’s US debut
Catalyst Press has shared an excerpt from Chanette Paul’s novel Sacrificed. Paul is a prolific Afrikaans author, and has written forty-one…
‘You look fancy for a girl who’s just going to the TAB.’ Read ‘The Outsider’ by Isabella Morris, excerpted from Fool’s Gold: Selected Modjaji Short Stories
The JRB presents an excerpt from Fool’s Gold: Selected Modjaji Short Stories, edited by Arja Salafranca. Since its inception in…
[The JRB exclusive] ‘This is not a game of football, it is a slaughter of the innocents!’—Read an excerpt from JM Coetzee’s new novel The Death of Jesus
The JRB presents, exclusively in South Africa, an excerpt from The Death of Jesus, the newly published final novel of…
[The JRB Daily] The AKO Caine Prize announces 2020 judging panel—and major new sponsorship deal
The AKO Caine Prize for African Writing has announced its panel of judges for 2020, and a new sponsorship deal. …
The Johannesburg Review of Books Vol. 4, Issue 1 (January 2020, The Conversation Issue)
Jason Reynolds • Itumeleng Molefi • Nicole Dennis-Benn • Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan • Lauren Michele Jackson • Ebrahim Essa •…
[Conversation Issue] ‘I know what lurks in the bushes. And that’s how I write the stories’—Jason Reynolds talks to Tony Eprile about resistance and the imagination
As part of our January Conversation Issue, author and Editorial Advisory Panel member Tony Eprile is in conversation with Jason…
[Conversation Issue] ‘I won’t be polite, because there’s nothing polite about patriarchy’—Mona Eltahawy inspires (and triggers) at the Abantu Book Festival, reports Itumeleng Molefi
As part of our January Conversation Issue, Itumeleng Molefi reflects on Mona Eltahawy’s keynote address and conversation with Pumla Dineo…
[Conversation Issue] ‘I seek out women who make unpopular decisions in my writing because they’re more interesting to me’—Nicole Dennis-Benn chats to Wamuwi Mbao about her bestselling novel, Patsy
As part of our January Conversation Issue, Wamuwi Mbao chats to Nicole Dennis-Benn about her work, the process of writing…
[Conversation Issue] New creative non-fiction—‘The End of a Conversation’ by Julie Nxadi
Exclusive to The JRB, a new short story by Julie Nxadi. ~~~ The End of a Conversation I remember the first…
[Conversation Issue] [City Editor] Is it possible, or necessary, to write a friendlier and prettier Johannesburg? A conversation between Lidudumalingani and Outlwile Tsipane
As part of our January Conversation Issue, guest City Editor Lidudumalingani chats to Outlwile Tsipane about the literatures of Johannesburg….
[Conversation Issue] ‘Dispossession is the backdrop to every South African story’—Henrietta Rose-Innes in conversation with Gail Fincham about her forthcoming novel, Stone Plant
As part of our January Conversation Issue, Gail Fincham interviews Henrietta Rose-Innes about her work, including her forthcoming fifth novel,…
[Conversation Issue] On writing about religion, childhood and insecurities: Azad Essa transcribes a conversation between father and son
As part of our January Conversation Issue, journalist and author Azad Essa is in conversation with his father Ebrahim Essa,…
Three new poems by Simon van Schalkwyk
The Johannesburg Review of Books presents new poetry by Simon van Schalkwyk. ~~~ A Question for the South Atlantic Ocean…
[Photo Editor] Original portraits of Sindiwe Magona, André Brink and Mongane Wally Serote by Victor Dlamini
Victor Dlamini is The JRB’s Photo Editor. We feature his work on our Instagram channel. Visit this ten-year retrospective of his work. Visit victordlamini.com. Header…
[The JRB Daily] Top 10 of 2019—A look back at our most popular articles of the year
This December marked the The JRB’s thirty-second issue, the final issue of our third volume. With the new year—but not…
The Johannesburg Review of Books Vol. 3, Issue 12 (December 2019, The Fiction Issue)
Abubakar Adam Ibrahim • Yewande Omotoso • Lelissa Girma • Sabata-mpho Mokae • Craig Higginson • Mphuthumi Ntabeni • Sifiso…
[Fiction issue] [The JRB exclusive] Read an excerpt from a work in progress by Yewande Omotoso
Exclusive to The JRB, an excerpt from An Unusual Grief, a work in progress by Editorial Advisory Panel member Yewande Omotoso. ~~~ Titus…
[Fiction Issue] ‘Mad About the Boy’, a new short story by Zanta Nkumane
The JRB presents a new short story by Zanta Nkumane. Mad About the Boy He comes to me one night,…
[Fiction Issue] ‘The Survivors Group’, a new short story by Khanya Mtshali
The JRB presents a new short story by Khanya Mtshali. The Survivor’s Group Every Friday morning, just before her earliest…
[Fiction Issue] ‘Letters to a Heart’s Chambers’, a new short story by Jarred Thompson
The JRB presents a new short story by Jarred Thompson. This is his second story to appear in The JRB….
[Fiction Issue] ‘Take Me Away’, a new short story by Franki Jenkins
The JRB presents a new short story by Franki Jenkins. Take Me Away Hannelie had been working at the Super…
[Fiction Issue] Read an excerpt from Sabata-mpho Mokae’s award-winning Setswana novel Moletlo wa Manong
The JRB presents an excerpt from Moletlo wa Manong, the award-winning Setswana novel by Sabata-mpho Mokae. Moletlo wa Manong was…
[Fiction issue] Read an excerpt from Craig Higginson’s forthcoming novel, The Book of Gifts
The JRB presents an excerpt from The Book of Gifts, the forthcoming novel from Craig Higginson. Higginson is the award-winning…
[Fiction issue] Read an excerpt from Sifiso Mzobe’s forthcoming short story collection, Searching for Simphiwe
The JRB presents an excerpt from ‘Ecstasy’, a short story from Sifiso Mzobe’s forthcoming collection, Searching for Simphiwe. Searching for…
[Fiction issue] Read an excerpt from All That Is Left, the forthcoming novel from Kirsten Miller
The JRB presents an excerpt from Kirsten Miller’s forthcoming novel, All That Is Left. All That Is Left will be…
[Fiction issue] Read an excerpt from Alastair Bruce’s forthcoming novel, The Weight of Skin
The JRB presents an excerpt from The Weight of Skin by Alastair Bruce. The Weight of Skin will be published…
[Fiction issue] Read an excerpt from The Eyes of the Naked, the forthcoming debut novel by Litha Hermanus
The JRB presents an excerpt from The Eyes of the Naked, the debut novel by Litha Hermanus. The Eyes of…
[Fiction issue] Read an excerpt from Mphuthumi Ntabeni’s forthcoming novel, The Wanderers
The JRB presents an excerpt from The Wanderers, a work in progress by Mphuthumi Ntabeni. Ntabeni’s debut novel, The Broken River…
[Fiction issue] Read an excerpt from Olivia M Coetzee’s ‘page turning, gender- and genre-bending’ Kaaps novel Innie Shadows
The JRB presents an excerpt from Innie Shadows, Olivia M Coetzee’s debut novel, written in Kaaps. Innie ShadowsOlivia M CoetzeeModjaji…
[Photo Editor] Original portraits of Unathi Magubeni and Aja Monet by Victor Dlamini
Victor Dlamini is The JRB’s Photo Editor. We feature his work on our Instagram channel. Visit this ten-year retrospective of…
[City Editor] Notes on migration, the city and home by Lidudumalingani
Those who temporarily abandon Johannesburg this December—and those who stay while pining for home—must know that the city is theirs,…
[The JRB Daily] Listen to the new episode of Read This!—featuring Siphiwo Mahala reading from his new book, Red Apple Dreams
The new episode of Read This! is out now—find out what’s hot in the world of books! In this episode, we listen…