‘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…
Category: Book excerpts
‘Race and history are essential twins’—Read an excerpt from Corinne A. Kratz’s award-winning book, Rhetorics of Value
The JRB presents an excerpt from Rhetorics of Value: Exhibition Design and Communication in Museums and Beyond by Corinne A….
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…
‘Its redness diluted the way a moment dilutes into an age’—Read an excerpt from Faraaz Mahomed’s new novel, Mother/Land
The JRB presents an excerpt from Mother/Land, the new novel by Faraaz Mahomed. Mother/LandFaraaz MahomedCatalyst Press, 2026 ~~~ I took…
‘Nobody blinks twice at a woman digging a hole’—Read an excerpt from An Archaeology of Holes, the new collection by stacy hardy
The JRB presents an excerpt from An Archaeology of Holes, the new short story collection by stacy hardy. An Archaeology…
‘When new parenthood is stormy, it is only mothers who get wet’—Read an excerpt from Michelle Kekana’s debut novel, The Fragile Mental Health of Strong Women
The JRB presents an excerpt from The Fragile Mental Health of Strong Women, the debut novel by Michelle Kekana. The…
‘He surprised them when he didn’t immediately take the Tambo–Huddleston–Gwangwa position [on Graceland]’—Read an excerpt from Zakes Mda’s new biography of Chris Hani
The JRB presents an excerpt from Chris Hani: A Life of Courage and Compassion, the new authorised biography by Zakes…
‘As soon as he saw me, I was the one for him’—Read an excerpt from Martha Evans’s new biography of Lilian Ngoyi
The JRB presents an excerpt from Lilian Ngoyi: A Life, the new biography by Martha Evans. Lilian Ngoyi: A LifeMartha…
‘There are many other things for which he deserves to be remembered’—Read an excerpt from Brian Willan and Brown Maaba’s new biography, Isaiah Bud-M’belle: The Life of Isaiah Budlwana M’belle, 1870–1947
The JRB presents an excerpt from Isaiah Bud-M’belle: The Life of Isaiah Budlwana M’belle, 1870–1947, the new biography by Brian…
‘No one appears to have truly known him’—Read an excerpt from Original Apartheid Hustler: The fiction and fabrications of Dugmore Boetie by Benjamin N. Lawrance and Vusumuzi R. Kumalo
The JRB presents an excerpt from Original Apartheid Hustler: The fiction and fabrications of Dugmore Boetie, the new biography by…
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…
‘His father was also a traveller, indeed a determined one’—Read an excerpt from Khumisho Moguerane’s Sunday Times Literary Award-winning biography Morafe
The JRB presents an excerpt from Morafe: Person, Family and Nation in Colonial Bechuanaland, 1880s–1950s by Khumisho Moguerane, winner of…
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…
‘Keep the mzungu out of trouble’—Read an excerpt from ‘Piss Corpse’ by Muthi Nhlema, the debut publication from ZamaShort
The JRB presents an excerpt from Muthi Nhlema’s ‘Piss Corpse’, the debut short story of the ZamaShort imprint series of…
‘I sliced his neck open early on Christmas morning’—Read an excerpt from Kopano Matlwa’s new novel Bosadi
The JRB presents an excerpt from Bosadi, the new novel by Kopano Matlwa. BosadiKopano MatlwaJacana Media, 2025 Naledi I killed…
Read ‘The Nazi Insurgence Reaches Blairgowrie’, from Lone Wolf Living, the debut short story collection by Werner Pretorius
The JRB presents an excerpt from Werner Pretorius’s debut collection of short fiction, Lone Wolf Living. Lone Wolf Living Werner…
Read ‘Mr Duiker Sang the Blues’ by Dyondzo Kwinika, winner of the inaugural DALRO Can Themba Short Story Award
The JRB presents Dyondzo Kwinika’s DALRO Can Themba Merit Award-winning short story, excerpted from When Water Wants To. When Water…
‘Little by little, he makes out the forms of things’—Read an excerpt from Wilderness of Mirrors, the debut novel by Caine Prize-winning writer Olufemi Terry
The JRB presents an excerpt from Olufemi Terry’s debut novel, Wilderness of Mirrors. Wilderness of MirrorsOlufemi TerryLes Fugitives (UK), March…
‘Violence would be part of Johannesburg’s lingua franca from the outset’—Read an excerpt from Deborah Posel’s personal journey through forgotten history, Darker Shade of Pale
The JRB presents an excerpt from Darker Shade of Pale: Shtetl to Colony by Deborah Posel. Darker Shade of Pale:…
‘Did you know that a head does bounce like a football?’ Read an excerpt from Shine Your Eye: In Search of West Africa by Adéwálé Májà-Pearce
The JRB presents an excerpt from Adéwálé Májà-Pearce’s forthcoming book Shine Your Eye: In Search of West Africa. Adéwálé Májà-PearceShine…
The impacts of women before, during and after coups—Read an excerpt from Blessing-Miles Tendi’s new book The Overthrow of Robert Mugabe: Gender, Coups, and Diplomats
The JRB presents an excerpt from The Overthrow of Robert Mugabe: Gender, Coups, and Diplomats by Blessing-Miles Tendi. The Overthrow…
‘An attempt to win back knowledge, even wisdom, from a world deluged by information’—Read an excerpt from The Interpreters: South Africa’s New Nonfiction
The JRB presents editor Hedley Twidle’s Introduction to The Interpreters: South Africa’s New Nonfiction. The Interpreters: South Africa’s New NonfictionEdited…
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…
‘This was the last thing she needed, and yet …’—Read an excerpt from Elleke Boehmer’s new novel, Ice Shock
The JRB presents an excerpt from Ice Shock, the new novel by Elleke Boehmer. Ice ShockElleke BoehmerKaravan Press, 2025 HERE 2010–2011…
‘Friendship has splendours that love knows not’—Read an excerpt from a new edition of Mariama Bâ’s So Long a Letter
The JRB presents an excerpt from So Long a Letter by Mariama Bâ, part of Apollo Africa’s new collection of…
‘My ultimate overpacked beach bite has to be a pilchard sandwich’—Read an excerpt from Pravasan Pillay’s offbeat new food memoir Curry and Bread
The JRB presents an excerpt from Curry and Bread, Pravasan Pillay’s new memoir. Curry and BreadPravasan PillayDye Hard Press, 2025…
‘They built a roaring, roistering town, and called it Johannesburg’—Read ‘The City of Gold’, from The Early Writings of Alex La Guma
The JRB presents an excerpt from The Early Writings of Alex La Guma: Reflections on Cultcha, Identity and Freedom in…
Does South Africa have a problem with occult crime? Read an excerpt from The Devil Made Me Do It by Nicky Falkof
The JRB presents an excerpt from The Devil Made Me Do It: Understanding Occult Crime in South Africa by Nicky…
Joburg’s biggest river, and its most charismatic (for better or worse)—Read an excerpt from Johannesburg from the Riverbanks: Navigating the Jukskei
The JRB presents an excerpt from Johannesburg from the Riverbanks: Navigating the Jukskei, edited by Mehita Iqani and Renugan Raidoo….
‘They say there is a bad spirit here.’—Read an excerpt from The Chaos Precinct: Johannesburg as a Port City by Tanya Zack
The JRB presents an excerpt from Tanya Zack’s new book The Chaos Precinct: Johannesburg as a Port City. The Chaos…
Read William Kentridge’s essay ‘It Will Always Be You’, excerpted from Your History with Me: The Films of Penny Siopis, edited by Sarah Nuttall
The JRB presents an excerpt from Your History with Me: The Films of Penny Siopis, edited by Sarah Nuttall. Your…
‘The centre of my world is going to be where I say it is’—An interview with Ellah Wakatama on African publishing, excerpted from Imprint Africa
The JRB presents an interview with Ellah Wakatama, facilitated by Joel Cabrita, excerpted from Imprint Africa: Conversations with African Women…
Read ‘Too Long for Home’, new short fiction by Yanjanani L Banda, from the 2024 Caine Prize anthology Midnight in the Morgue
The JRB presents new short fiction by Yanjanani L Band, which emerged from the Caine Prize workshops, excerpted from the…
‘They began to see that science was not isolated from politics but shaped by it’—Read an excerpt from Our Science, Ourselves by Christa Kuljian
The JRB presents an excerpt from Christa Kuljian’s new book, Our Science, Ourselves: How Gender, Race, and Social Movements Shaped…
What would Fanon say? Read the Preface to Frantz Fanon: Combat Breathing by Nigel C Gibson
The JRB presents an excerpt from Nigel C Gibson’s new book, Frantz Fanon: Combat Breathing. Frantz Fanon: Combat BreathingNigel C…