Category: Fiction

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Awards

[The JRB Daily] ‘A brilliant novel, full of irony and melancholy’—Georgi Gospodinov becomes first ever Bulgarian to win the International Booker Prize, for Time Shelter

Jennifer MalecLeave a Comment on [The JRB Daily] ‘A brilliant novel, full of irony and melancholy’—Georgi Gospodinov becomes first ever Bulgarian to win the International Booker Prize, for Time Shelter

Author Georgi Gospodinov and translator Angela Rodel have been announced as the winners of the 2023 International Booker Prize for…

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Africa

‘She sat at her dressing table, a plastic bag open on her lap, full of the hair that she had just scissored off her head’—Read an excerpt from Gothataone Moeng’s debut, Call and Response

The JRBLeave a Comment on ‘She sat at her dressing table, a plastic bag open on her lap, full of the hair that she had just scissored off her head’—Read an excerpt from Gothataone Moeng’s debut, Call and Response

The JRB presents an excerpt from Call and Response, the debut short story collection from Gothataone Moeng. Call and ResponseGothataone…

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Book excerpts

[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 JRB1 Comment on [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…

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Book excerpts

‘Immigrant women are bones to be pulverised into animal fodder’—Read an excerpt from María Fernanda Ampuero’s new short story collection Human Sacrifices

The JRBLeave a Comment on ‘Immigrant women are bones to be pulverised into animal fodder’—Read an excerpt from María Fernanda Ampuero’s new short story collection Human Sacrifices

The JRB presents an extract from ‘Biography’, excerpted from Human Sacrifices, the new short story collection by acclaimed Latin American…

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Awards

[The JRB Daily] ‘Celebrating the variety and diversity of literary production today’—2023 International Booker Prize longlist announced

Jennifer MalecLeave a Comment on [The JRB Daily] ‘Celebrating the variety and diversity of literary production today’—2023 International Booker Prize longlist announced

The thirteen novels longlisted for the 2023 International Booker Prize have been revealed, including Guadeloupian author Maryse Condé, described by…

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Awards

[The JRB Daily] ‘A glorious celebration of the boundless imagination and creative ambition of women writers’—2023 Women’s Prize for Fiction longlist announced, including Zimbabwean author NoViolet Bulawayo

Jennifer MalecLeave a Comment on [The JRB Daily] ‘A glorious celebration of the boundless imagination and creative ambition of women writers’—2023 Women’s Prize for Fiction longlist announced, including Zimbabwean author NoViolet Bulawayo

The longlist for this year’s Women’s Prize for Fiction has been announced, including Zimbabwean novelist NoViolet Bulawayo. The Women’s Prize,…

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Fiction

‘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 MojapeloLeave a Comment on ‘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…

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Book excerpts

[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

Nthikeng Mohlele3 Comments on [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…

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Book excerpts

[The JRB exclusive] ‘He could tell something else was coming, something he could not name.’—Read an excerpt from Abubakar Adam Ibrahim’s forthcoming novel, When We Were Fireflies

Abubakar Adam IbrahimLeave a Comment on [The JRB exclusive] ‘He could tell something else was coming, something he could not name.’—Read an excerpt from Abubakar Adam Ibrahim’s forthcoming novel, When We Were Fireflies

The JRB presents an excerpt from When We Were Fireflies, the forthcoming novel from acclaimed author Abubakar Adam Ibrahim. When…

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Africa

‘With all these familiar horrors, who in the hell was going to believe in zombies?’—Read an excerpt from Nana Nkweti’s debut short story collection Walking on Cowrie Shells

The JRBLeave a Comment on ‘With all these familiar horrors, who in the hell was going to believe in zombies?’—Read an excerpt from Nana Nkweti’s debut short story collection Walking on Cowrie Shells

The JRB presents an extract from ‘It Just Kills You Inside’, excerpted from Walking on Cowrie Shells, the debut short…

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Africa

[The JRB exclusive] ‘The boy’s eyes gleamed as if they were the only things in the entire world that belonged to him’—Read an excerpt from Troy Onyango’s debut For What Are Butterflies Without Their Wings

Troy OnyangoLeave a Comment on [The JRB exclusive] ‘The boy’s eyes gleamed as if they were the only things in the entire world that belonged to him’—Read an excerpt from Troy Onyango’s debut For What Are Butterflies Without Their Wings

The JRB presents an excerpt from For What Are Butterflies Without Their Wings, the debut short story collection from Troy…

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Book excerpts

‘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 JRBLeave a Comment on ‘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…

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Africa

[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

Yewande OmotosoLeave a Comment on [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…

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Book excerpts

[Fiction Issue] ‘The night leaves a lot of room for the imagination’—Read an excerpt from Morabo Morojele’s forthcoming novel, Three Egg Dilemma

Morabo MorojeleLeave a Comment on [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,…

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Africa

[Fiction Issue] ‘The night leaves a lot of room for the imagination’—Read an excerpt from Po Bhattacharyya’s work in progress, Animal Behavior

Po BhattacharyyaLeave a Comment on [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…

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Book excerpts

[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

Imraan CoovadiaLeave a Comment on [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…

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Book excerpts

[Fiction Issue] ‘No one had told him that the monsters had long since come out of the shadows’—Read an excerpt from Sebastian Murdoch’s work in progress

Sebastian Murdoch1 Comment on [Fiction Issue] ‘No one had told him that the monsters had long since come out of the shadows’—Read an excerpt from Sebastian Murdoch’s work in progress

The JRB presents an excerpt from a work-in-progress, Strange Vibrations, by Sebastian Murdoch. An hour later, Billy was back on the…

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Fiction

[Fiction Issue] Read an excerpt from Lidudumalingani’s new short story ‘Everywhere, Nowhere’, excerpted from the new edition of Imbiza

LidudumalinganiLeave a Comment on [Fiction Issue] Read an excerpt from Lidudumalingani’s new short story ‘Everywhere, Nowhere’, excerpted from the new edition of Imbiza

The JRB presents an excerpt from ‘Everywhere, Nowhere’, new short fiction by Lidudumalingani, excerpted from the new edition of Imbiza…

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Afrikaans

[Fiction Issue] ‘A Boer doesn’t flutter around a cloud of lightning bolts and thundercracks like a moth around a rotten apple’—Read an excerpt from Lodewyk G du Plessis’s debut novel The Dao of Daniel

Lodewyk G du PlessisLeave a Comment on [Fiction Issue] ‘A Boer doesn’t flutter around a cloud of lightning bolts and thundercracks like a moth around a rotten apple’—Read an excerpt from Lodewyk G du Plessis’s debut novel The Dao of Daniel

The JRB presents an excerpt from The Dao of Daniel by Lodewyk G du Plessis, translated from the Afrikaans by…