New short fiction: ‘All Our Lives’ by Tochukwu Emmanuel Okafor, winner of the 2017 Short Story Day Africa Prize
The JRB is presents the three winning stories from this year’s Short Story Day Africa Prize. Nigerian writer Tochukwu Emmanuel…
Category: Short Stories
New short fiction: ‘The Piano Player’ by Agazit Abate, joint runner-up in the 2017 Short Story Day Africa Prize
The JRB presents the three winning stories from this year’s Short Story Day Africa Prize. Nigerian writer Tochukwu Emmanuel Okafor…
New short fiction: ‘God Skin’ by Michael Yee, joint runner-up in the 2017 Short Story Day Africa Prize
The JRB presents the three winning stories from this year’s Short Story Day Africa Prize. Nigerian writer Tochukwu Emmanuel Okafor…
[The JRB Daily] Harry Kalmer and Bongani Ngqulunga win Sunday Times Literary Awards
‘I dedicate this win to my mother and my father, who never went to school. It just shows what…
[The JRB Daily] 2017 Short Story Day Africa Prize winner announced
Nigerian writer Tochukwu Emmanuel Okafor has won the prestigious Short Story Day Africa Prize for his story ‘All Our Lives’. The…
[The JRB Daily] 2018 Commonwealth Short Story Prize shortlist announced, including Fred Khumalo and Michelle Sacks
The shortlist has been announced for the seventh annual Commonwealth Short Story Prize. The prize is awarded annually to ‘the best…
[The JRB Daily] Short Story Day Africa Prize shortlist announced, revealing ‘uncomfortable and fascinating truths about who we are’
The shortlist for the Short Story Day Africa Prize for Short Fiction has been announced. The prize is worth $800…
[The JRB Daily] 2018 Caine Prize for African Writing shortlist announced, showcasing the ‘complexity and diversity of Africa and African lives’
The five-writer shortlist for the 2018 Caine Prize for African Writing has been announced, featuring writers from South Africa, Nigeria…
New short fiction: ‘Gutting Instincts’ by Jarred Thompson
The JRB presents a new short story by Jarred Thompson. Gutting Instincts The ocean had always been a second skin…
New short fiction: ‘A Woman is her Hands’ by Wame Molefhe, from The Gods Who Send Us Gifts: An Anthology of African Short Stories
Exclusive to The JRB, read Wame Molefhe’s short story ‘A Woman is her Hands’, excerpted from The Gods Who Send…
[The JRB Daily] Henrietta Rose-Innes shortlisted for 2018 Nommo Award for her short story ‘Snake Story’, featured in The JRB
The African Speculative Fiction Society has announced the nominations for the 2018 Nommo Awards, including two stories by The JRB…
[The JRB Daily] Former Caine Prize director Lizzy Attree joins Short Story Day Africa
Lizzy Attree has joined the board of Short Story Day Africa. Attree stepped down as the director of the Caine Prize for…
[The JRB Daily] Queer Africa 2, edited by Makhosazana Xaba and Karen Martin, announced as a 2018 Lambda Literary Awards finalist
Queer Africa 2: New Stories, a short story collection edited by The JRB Patron Makhosazana Xaba and Karen Martin, has…
[City Editor] ‘I try to appreciate township solidarity without romanticising it’: Niq Mhlongo chats to Jennifer Malec about Soweto, Under the Apricot Tree
The JRB Editor Jennifer Malec chatted to City Editor Niq Mhlongo about the banning of Inxeba, writing to music, and his brand…
New short fiction: ‘Intimates’ by Mbali Sikakana
The JRB presents a new short story by Mbali Sikakana. Intimates One day she takes a plane to a small…
[The JRB Daily] Caine Prize for African Writing director Lizzy Attree stands down
The Caine Prize for African Writing has announced that director Lizzy Attree is leaving the organisation. Attree has served as director…
[City Editor] Read an exclusive excerpt from Niq Mhlongo’s forthcoming book: Soweto, Under the Apricot Tree
The JRB is proud to present new fiction from our City Editor, Niq Mhlongo, from his forthcoming short story collection,…
New short fiction: ‘The day the white people walked into the sea’ by Stacy Hardy
The JRB presents a new short story by Stacy Hardy. The day the white people walked into the sea As…
Snapshots of Death: Allegorical short fiction from Algerian writer Chawki Amari
Two men are talking in a smoke-filled room. On the carved table in the middle of the sitting room is…
New short fiction: Fred Khumalo’s debut isiZulu short story ‘Kwakungcono eGibhithe’, from the anthology Izinkanyezi Ezintsha
The JRB presents new fiction from novelist and memoirist Fred Khumalo. This a first for both The JRB and Khumalo:…
[The JRB Daily] ‘This is unlike any other literary festival’—Sifiso Mzobe and Shubnum Khan talk writing at the Abantu Book Festival
Sifiso Mzobe and Shubnum Khan were in conversation with Sihle Mthembu at the Abantu Book Festival in Soweto last weekend….
[The JRB Daily] 2018 9mobile Prize for Literature longlist announced
The longlist for the 2017 9mobile Prize for Literature (formerly the Etisalat Prize for Literature) has been announced. South African…
[Fiction issue] ‘Snake Story’, new short fiction by Henrietta Rose-Innes
The JRB presents new short fiction by Contributing Editor Henrietta Rose-Innes. Author’s note: I began to write this Twitter story…
[Fiction issue] ‘Lolwethu Oluthando’, a short story by Julie Nxadi
Exclusive to The JRB, a new short story by Julie Nxadi. This story is excerpted from Cutting Carrots the Wrong Way,…
[Fiction issue] ‘Boy’, new short fiction by Yewande Omotoso
Exclusive to The JRB, new short fiction by Editorial Advisory Panel member Yewande Omotoso. ~~~ Boy They were the sort…
[Fiction issue] ‘Some Men’, a new short story by SJ Naudé
Exclusive to The JRB, new short fiction from SJ Naudé. ~~~ Some Men Jakob leaves the gift on the roof…
[Fiction issue] ‘Forgiveness’, new short fiction by Perfect Hlongwane
Exclusive to The JRB, an excerpt from a work in progress by Perfect Hlongwane. ~~~ Forgiveness They put me in…
[Fiction issue] ‘Child’s Play’, a short story by Gloria Mwaniga Minage
The JRB presents an original short story by Gloria Mwaniga Minage. ~ ~ ~ Child’s Play We are seating up….
[Fiction issue] ‘Thirty’, a short story by Wamuwi Mbao
Exclusive to The JRB, a new short story by our Editorial Advisory Panel member Wamuwi Mbao. ~ ~ ~ Thirty…
[Fiction issue] ‘Return of the Afringers’, an allegory by Bongani Madondo
The JRB presents ‘Return of the Afringers’, an allegory by Contributing Editor Bongani Madondo. ~~~ A country’s soul is captured…
[Fiction issue] ‘1. This Is The Title’, a short story by Richard de Nooy
Exclusive to The JRB, a new short story by our Editorial Advisory Panel member Richard de Nooy. ~ ~ ~ 1. This…
[Fiction issue] ‘Four Blocks Away’, a short story by Niq Mhlongo
The JRB presents City Editor Niq Mhlongo’s short story ‘Four Blocks Away’. The story is excerpted from Mhlongo’s most recent book,…
Theatre and family trees: A new short story by Moroccan writer Driss Ksikes
Driss Ksikes gives us a vivid intergenerational short story in ‘Fuckin’ Family’ (‘Putain la famille’). For a long time, family…
[The JRB Daily] The Caine Prize wasn’t what I thought it would be: Efemia Chela traces the real value of big literary prizes
In a piece for the Caine Prize blog titled ‘An Unexpected Prize’, Efemia Chela describes how losing out on the…
New short fiction from Short Sharp Stories: Ntsika Gogwana’s powerful story of love and murder, ‘Home Cooked’
Exclusive to The JRB, new short fiction from Ntsika Gogwana, excerpted from Trade Secrets, the new Short Sharp Stories anthology. Gogwana’s story,…
From the fringe to the centre: Meet ‘The New French’ in the latest issue of Words Without Borders
The French-language literary tradition distinguishes between ‘French’ or ‘hexagonal’ literature, written by authors born in France (the hexagon), and ‘Francophone’…
The Johannesburg Review of Books Vol. 1, Issue 4 (August 2017)
The fourth issue of The Johannesburg Review of Books has arrived—and not a moment too soon, in our humble opinion….
[City Editor] Niq Mhlongo meets his hero James Joyce in Zurich
‘Let’s meet at 5 pm at the Big Clock.’ My host Olivier Moreillon’s words are ringing in my head as…
‘Smaller’: New short fiction from Nick Mulgrew’s forthcoming collection, The First Law of Sadness
Exclusive to The JRB, new short fiction by South African writer Nick Mulgrew, excerpted from his forthcoming collection The First…
Pavel Buys an Ejector Seat: Read an exclusive English excerpt from Richard de Nooy’s new book, Van kleine helden
Richard de Nooy’s new book, Van kleine helden, was launched in the Netherlands earlier this month. He’s currently working on…