‘I am proud that I surrendered to poetry in the ways I did’—Katleho Kano Shoro in conversation with Makhosazana Xaba
This is the second in a series of long-form interviews by Patron Makhosazana Xaba to be hosted on The JRB,…
Category: South Africa
‘How does one truly listen, as a writer, in South Africa? How does one write?’ Kyle Allan reviews Kelwyn Sole’s latest collection of poetry Skin Rafts
Kyle Allan reviews Skin Rafts by Kelwyn Sole, a collection of poems that wrestle with a world that is connected…
‘One travels in ideas as well as trains’—Simon van Schalkwyk interviews PR Anderson on his new collection of poetry, Night Transit
Academic Editor Simon van Schalkwyk talks to PR Anderson about travelling to places you’ve never been, the viciousness of history,…
‘Death walks everywhere with people’—Siphokazi Magadla reviews Mxolisi Mchunu’s Violence and Solace: The Natal Civil War in Late-Apartheid South Africa
Siphokazi Magadla reviews Violence and Solace: The Natal Civil War in Late-Apartheid South Africa by Mxolisi R Mchunu, a book…
[The JRB exclusive] Read Keith Oliver Lewis’s short story ‘Blue Boy Lagoon’, the winner of the 2023 Short.Sharp.Stories Awards
The JRB presents ‘Blue Boy Lagoon’ by Keith Oliver Lewis, the winning short story from this year’s Short.Sharp.Stories Awards. The…
Poetry by Mxolisi Nyezwa, from Bhlawa’s Inconsolable Spirits
The JRB presents an excerpt from Mxolisi Nyezwa’s new collection of poetry, Bhlawa’s Inconsolable Spirits. Mxolisi NyezwaBhlawa’s Inconsolable SpiritsDeep South,…
Poetry by PR Anderson, from Night Transit
The JRB presents an excerpt from PR Anderson’s new collection of poetry, Night Transit. Read Simon van Schalkwyk’s interview with…
[The JRB exclusive] Read an excerpt from K Sello Duiker’s Inkwenkwezi efihlakeleyo, a new isiXhosa edition of The Hidden Star, translated by Xolisa Guzula
The JRB presents an excerpt from Inkwenkwezi efihlakeleyo, the new isiXhosa translation of the late K Sello Duiker’s modern South…
[Photo Editor] A portrait of Don Mattera by Victor Dlamini
Victor Dlamini is The JRB’s Photo Editor. We feature his work on our Instagram channel. See this ten-year retrospective of his portraits. View this…
A recent, and very suspicious, lack of loadshedding—A playlist compiled by Tymon Smith
As the brief respite offered by a recent, and very suspicious, lack of loadshedding ends and we are reminded by…
‘Grace is not to walk on water, but to sink without resistance’—Read an excerpt from Lethokuhle Msimang’s debut novel, The Frightened
The JRB presents an excerpt from The Frightened, the debut novel from Lethokuhle Msimang. The Frightened Lethokuhle MsimangKaravan Press, 2023…
What surfaces when a library is burnt? What emerges from the ashes and ruins? Read an excerpt from Lost Libraries, Burnt Archives
The JRB presents an excerpt from Lost Libraries, Burnt Archives, an edited volume of short stories, artworks, poems and essays…
‘He’d had a home once in Johannesburg, until his father was murdered’—Read an excerpt from Sihle Qwabe’s debut novel, The Resurrection
The JRB presents an excerpt from The Resurrection, the debut novel from Sihle Qwabe. The ResurrectionSihle QwabeKwela, 2023 Read the…
‘iCuriosity kubelungu iningi kabi’—Read an excerpt from Written Out: The Silencing of Regina Gelana Twala by Joel Cabrita
The JRB presents an excerpt from Joel Cabrita’s new book Written Out: The Silencing of Regina Gelana Twala. Written Out:…
‘Riotous Deathscapes charts a course of black life in vast deathscapes. It is a portrait of life among the dead’—an excerpt from Hugo ka Canham’s new book
The JRB presents an excerpt from Hugo ka Canham’s forthcoming book Riotous Deathscapes, to be published mid-May. Riotous DeathscapesHugo ka…
[The JRB Daily] 2023 Commonwealth Short Story Prize shortlist announced—including six new writers from Africa
Header image: Africa Region shortlistees Buke Abduba, Josiah Mbote, HB Asari, Michael Boyd, Hana Gammon, Matshediso Radebe The shortlist for…
[The JRB Daily] 2023 Island Prize for a Debut Novel from Africa longlist announced
The writers longlisted for the 2023 Island Prize for a Debut Novel from Africa have been announced. This literary prize,…
The Johannesburg Review of Books Vol. 7, Issue 1 (February 2023)
Makhosazana Xaba • Maneo Refiloe Mohale • Wamuwi Mbao • Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu • Sindi-Leigh McBride • Carina Venter •…
‘Where else is history but in the stories people tell?’ Wamuwi Mbao reviews The Inheritors by Eve Fairbanks
The Inheritors by Eve Fairbanks is historical storytelling done well, writes Wamuwi Mbao. The InheritorsEve FairbanksJonathan Ball Publishers, 2023 David…
Portrait of the poet as a genius—Sindi-Leigh McBride reviews Koleka Putuma’s Hullo, Bu-bye, Koko, Come In
Sindi-Leigh McBride reviews Koleka Putuma’s Hullo, Bu-bye, Koko, Come In, a joy to behold even when the subject is devastating….
A book about embrace, but also about the chokehold of segregation—Carina Venter reviews Mr Entertainment: The Story of Taliep Petersen by Paula Fourie
Carina Venter reviews Paula Fourie’s Mr Entertainment: The Story of Taliep Petersen, finding a life that encompasses a country and…
‘I wanted to place myself in conversation with the living and the dead’—Maneo Refiloe Mohale in conversation with Makhosazana Xaba
I remember being eight and geeking out about iambic pentameter … —Maneo Refiloe Mohale This is the first in a…
‘I choose intersectionality, I choose diversity, I choose multiple perspectives.’—Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu chats to Jennifer Malec about her latest novel, The Quality of Mercy
The JRB Editor Jennifer Malec speaks to Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu about casting spells, writing with empathy, and winning one of…
‘Why so long and why now? … I suppose I forgot I was a writer’—Morabo Morojele chats to Lebohang Mojapelo about his forthcoming novel Three Egg Dilemma
Lebohang Mojapelo chatted to Morabo Morojele about his forthcoming novel, Three Egg Dilemma, to be published this month—fifteen years after…
New poetry by Simon van Schalkwyk
The Johannesburg Review of Books presents previously unpublished poetry by Simon van Schalkwyk. State rapture It’s always weird to see an ATM wrenched…
[Photo Editor] A portrait of Charl-Pierre Naudé by Victor Dlamini
Victor Dlamini is The JRB’s Photo Editor. We feature his work on our Instagram channel. See this ten-year retrospective of his portraits. View this…
[The JRB exclusive] ‘Papa Mzimkulu dared me to find a woman more beautiful than my mother, said it was impossible’—Read an excerpt from Nthikeng Mohlele’s new short story collection A Little Light
The JRB presents an excerpt from A Little Light, the forthcoming collection of short stories by Nthikeng Mohlele. A Little…
‘Michael stands at the edge of the world and looks up into the eternal stars’—Read an excerpt from David Ralph Viviers’s debut novel Mirage
The JRB presents an excerpt from Mirage, the debut novel by David Ralph Viviers. MirageDavid Ralph ViviersUmuzi, 2023 Read the…
Remember, with your noise cancelling headphones on, you can’t hear anyone scream, a playlist compiled by Tymon Smith
The JRB presents tunes and accompanying editorial from our EAP member Tymon Smith. The Minister of Audioacity presents a first salvo in his…
[The JRB Daily] Nathan Trantraal wins 2023 Philida Literary Award for ‘oeuvre of literary excellence’
Nathan Trantraal has been announced as the winner of the 2023 Philida Literary Award. The prize, established by Karina M…
[The JRB Daily] Yewande Omotoso and NoViolet Bulawayo longlisted for 2023 Dublin Literary Award—the world’s richest annual literary prize
Yewande Omotoso and NoViolet Bulawayo are among a number of writers from Africa longlisted for this year’s Dublin Literary Award….
The Johannesburg Review of Books Vol. 6, Issue 6 (December 2022, the Fiction Issue)
Morabo Morojele • Yewande Omotoso • Imraan Coovadia • Makhosazana Xaba • Wamuwi Mbao • Eckard Smuts • Jarred Thompson…
[Fiction Issue] Read ‘The Auction’, a new short story by Makhosazana Xaba
The JRB presents new short fiction by Makhosazana Xaba. I am telling the life story of a blue wedding suit…
[Fiction Issue] Read ‘Let The Worms Have It’, a new short story by Eckard Smuts
The JRB presents new short fiction by Eckard Smuts. Let The Worms Have It By Eckard Smuts 8-45 When using…
[Fiction Issue] ‘The first child I born my legs still swung free on the odd occasion I had reason to sit ’pon a chair’—Read an excerpt from Yewande Omotoso’s work in progress
The JRB presents an exclusive excerpt from Nine Lives of The General, a work-in-progress by Yewande Omotoso. I only ever…
[Fiction Issue] Read ‘Sebenza’, a new short story by Wamuwi Mbao
The JRB presents new fiction by Wamuwi Mbao. Sebenza Sebenza brought recruiters to our villagesAnd took men far away to…
[Fiction Issue] ‘The night leaves a lot of room for the imagination’—Read an excerpt from Morabo Morojele’s forthcoming novel, Three Egg Dilemma
The JRB presents an excerpt from Three Egg Dilemma, the forthcoming novel from Morabo Morojele. Three Egg Dilemma,Morabo MorojeleJacana Media,…
[Fiction Issue] Read ‘Let That Sink In’, a psest by Ben Williams
The JRB presents a psest by Ben Williams. Let That Sink In A writer once told me he carried around…
[Fiction Issue] ‘The night leaves a lot of room for the imagination’—Read an excerpt from Po Bhattacharyya’s work in progress, Animal Behavior
The JRB presents an excerpt from Animal Behavior, a work in progress by Po Bhattacharyya. 1. In the beginning, I’m…
[Fiction Issue] ‘About guilt, if you spoke about guilt, there was no doubt’—Read an excerpt from Imraan Coovadia’s work in progress, An Enemy of the People
The JRB presents an exclusive excerpt from An Enemy of the People, a work-in-progress by Imraan Coovadia. So here too…