[Photo Editor] A Portrait of Lauren Beukes 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. The adaptation…
Category: South Africa
[The JRB Daily] 2022 Humanities and Social Sciences Awards winners announced—‘casting a celebratory light on those whose work often goes unnoticed’
Image: The 2022 HSS Awards winners. Back, from left: Aryan Kaganof, Natalia Molebatsi, Napjadi Letsoalo, Thulasizwe Simpson, Nthikeng Mohlele, Mandla…
[The JRB Daily] ‘You have changed my life!’ Three African writers among the winners of the 2022 Windham–Campbell Prizes
Header image: Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu, Tsitsi Dangarembga and Emmanuel Iduma. The winners of the 2022 Windham–Campbell Prizes have been announced, including three…
The Johannesburg Review of Books Vol. 6, Issue 1 (February 2022)
Shayera Dark • Timothy Wright • Wamuwi Mbao • Nozuko Siyotula • Joanne Joseph • Abbey Khambule • Athambile Masola • Nkiacha…
‘No reprieve from the myriad invisible cuts inflicted by a society hostile to the colour of their skin’—Shayera Dark reviews Lọlá Ákínmádé Åkerström’s In Every Mirror She’s Black
Shayera Dark reviews In Every Mirror She’s Black by Lọlá Ákínmádé Åkerström. In Every Mirror She’s BlackLọlá Ákínmádé ÅkerströmHead of Zeus,…
A much needed corrective to the literary canon’s rural bias—Timothy Wright reviews Claiming the City in South African Literature by Meg Samuelson
Timothy Wright reviews Meg Samuelson’s new book, Claiming the City in South African Literature, which argues that only through writing…
‘You are simulating what happened to real people and that’s a searing thought’—Joanne Joseph discusses her historical novel, Children of Sugarcane
The JRB’s Editor Jennifer Malec chats to Joanne Joseph about her debut novel, Children of Sugarcane. Children of SugarcaneJoanne JosephJonathan…
The Granta emails, or How to Write About Africa revisited—notes on catalysing a moment of literary reparations, by Nkiacha Atemnkeng
I cannot count the number of times I’ve read the late Binyavanga Wainaina’s viral Granta essay, ‘How to write about…
‘They wrote to each other frequently, exchanged intellectual banter, confided in each other’—Siphiwo Mahala chats about his new play, Bloke and His American Bantu
The JRB presents an interview with Siphiwo Mahala about his new play, Bloke and His American Bantu. Bloke and His…
New flash fiction: The Burning Fruit by Abbey Khambule
The JRB presents a new short story by Abbey Khambule. The Burning Fruit The family room is wreathed in white…
‘To my mind, the family is the most important political space’—Nozuko Siyotula chats about her debut novel, Christopher
The JRB Editor Jennifer Malec talks to Nozuko Siyotula about her debut novel, Christopher. ChristopherNozuko SiyotulaJacana Media, 2021 Jennifer Malec…
New poetry by Jacques Coetzee
The JRB presents new poetry by Jacques Coetzee. ~~~ Pushing and Pulling Time Dearest, these are the days of maintenance,of keeping strict tempo….
‘A manifestation of what it means to show up for one another as Black women writers’—Read an excerpt from Makhosazana Xaba’s new collection The Art of Waiting for Tales: Found Poetry from Grace
The JRB presents an excerpt from The JRB Patron Makhosazana Xaba’s new collection of poetry, The Art of Waiting for…
Don’t mention Ukraine, a playlist compiled by Tymon Smith
The JRB presents tunes and accompanying editorial from our EAP member Tymon Smith. It is a new year and that means more issues…
Francis B Nyamnjoh and the pleasant ironies of conviviality, by Sanya Osha
For Francis on the occasion of his sixtieth birthday. I met Francis B Nyamnjoh, now a world-renowned professor of social…
[Photo Editor] A Portrait of NoViolet Bulawayo 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…
Three poems by Athambile Masola, from Ilifa
The JRB presents an excerpt from Ilifa, Athambile Masola’s new isiXhosa collection of poetry. IlifaAthambile MasolauHlanga Press, 2021 Isifebe NgeCawa…
‘Mama never told me she loved me. Mama couldn’t even say happy birthday to me’—Read an excerpt from Lebo Mazibuko’s debut novel, Bantu Knots
The JRB presents an excerpt from Bantu Knots, the debut novel from Lebo Mazibuko. Lebo MazibukoBantu KnotsKwela Books, 2021 Read…
‘A dark, vast emptiness within, as boundless as the universe outside’—Read an excerpt from Alistair Mackay’s debut novel It Doesn’t Have to Be This Way
The JRB presents an excerpt from It Doesn’t Have to Be This Way, the debut novel from Alistair Mackay. It…
[The JRB Daily] Mary Watson wins 2022 Philida Literary Award for ‘an oeuvre of literary excellence’
Mary Watson has been announced as the winner of the 2022 Philida Literary Award. The prize, established by Karina M…
[The JRB Daily] 2022 English Academy of Southern Africa Awards winners announced
The full list of winners of the English Academy of Southern Africa Awards for writing have been announced. Founded in…
[The JRB Daily] Top 10 of 2021—a look back at our most popular articles of the year
With our last issue of 2021, the Fiction Issue, The JRB reached the milestone of publishing our 200th individual contributor….
Lindiwe Mabuza, 1938—2021, RIP
‘Poetry is part of the Struggle. You use the armed Struggle; you use political methods … You recite a poem….
The Johannesburg Review of Books Vol. 5, Issue 6 (December 2021, the Fiction Issue)
Abdulrazak Gurnah • Kiprop Kimutai • Barbara Boswell • Patrick Flanery • Glenn Diaz • Zanta Nkumane • Keletso Mopai • Simon van Schalkwyk • Nick Mulgrew •…
[Fiction Issue] ‘A Second Mowing’, a new short story by Simon van Schalkwyk
The JRB presents a new short story by Simon van Schalkwyk. A Second Mowing Alan was the gardener. I found him…
[Fiction Issue] ‘The Wood Carving’, a new short story by Kiprop Kimutai
The JRB presents a new short story by Kiprop Kimutai. The Wood Carving On the bus to Donholm, I sat next…
[Fiction Issue] ‘Petite Mort’, a new short story by Zanta Nkumane
The JRB presents a new short story by Zanta Nkumane. Petite Mort. When your father dies on a Friday night,…
[Fiction Issue] ‘Miss Johns’, a new short story by Barbara Boswell
The JRB presents a new short story by Barbara Boswell. Miss Johns The 06:55 train is late again. I groan…
[Fiction Issue] ‘The Boy and Other Disasters’, a new short story by Keletso Mopai
The JRB presents a new short story by Keletso Mopai. The Boy and Other Disasters Papa’s face was fat and…
[Fiction Issue] ‘Waving and Drowning’, a new short story by Jarred Thompson
The JRB presents a new short story by Jarred Thompson. Waving and Drowning after Stevie Smith The door was barricaded….
[Sponsored] Find out more about the collaborative novel by Amy Heydenrych, Qarnita Loxton, Pamela Power and Gail Schimmel—coming in 2022
Pan Macmillan South Africa will be publishing a collaborative novel by Amy Heydenrych, Qarnita Loxton, Pamela Power and Gail Schimmel…
[Fiction Issue] ‘From the Air’, a new short story by Wamuwi Mbao
The JRB presents a new short story by Wamuwi Mbao. From the Air Fare forward, you who think that you…
[Fiction Issue] ‘You wake up on a spaceship’s operating table surrounded by strange creatures’, a new short story by Byron Loker
The JRB presents a new short story by Byron Loker. You wake up on a spaceship’s operating table surrounded by strange…
Two poems by Nick Mulgrew
The JRB presents new poetry by Nick Mulgrew. ~~~ Siam, in some other place Still the cane waves on the hills like an…
Beware the ides of Dezemba, a playlist compiled by Tymon Smith
The JRB presents tunes and accompanying editorial from our EAP member Tymon Smith. It’s the end of the year as we count it…
[Fiction Issue] ‘The falling man appeared out of nowhere, in the middle of the air, right before Petra’s eyes’—Read an excerpt from Louis Greenberg’s Exposure
The JRB presents an excerpt from Exposure, the new novel from Louis Greenberg. ExposureLouis GreenbergTitan, 2021 Read the excerpt: The…
[Fiction Issue] ‘In anger, my words poisoned my bloodline. I can hear their echoes still’—Read an excerpt from Nokuthula Mazibuko Msimang’s new novel Daughters of Nandi
The JRB presents an excerpt from Daughters of Nandi, the debut work of adult fiction by Nokuthula Mazibuko Msimang. Daughters…
[Fiction Issue] ‘Did I know who my father was? Who he really was?’—Read an excerpt from Chinenye Emezie’s debut novel Glass House
The JRB presents an excerpt from Glass House by Chinenye Emezie. Glass HouseChinenye EmeziePenguin Random House, 2021 Read the excerpt:…
[Fiction Issue] ‘The past was home. Home meant facing the past’—Read an excerpt from Colleen van Niekerk’s debut novel A Conspiracy of Mothers
The JRB presents an excerpt from A Conspiracy of Mothers by Colleen van Niekerk. A Conspiracy of MothersColleen van NiekerkLittle…
[Fiction Issue] Read ‘The Widow of Marabastad’ an excerpt from the new graphic novel All Rise: Resistance and Rebellion in South Africa
The JRB presents an excerpt from All Rise: Resistance and Rebellion in South Africa, a new graphic novel by Richard…