Walking the Himalayas, by Levison Wood (Hodder UK) British explorer Levison Wood has led expeditions on five continents around the globe. Last year I featured his book, Walking the Nile. It was about his journey along the Nile river over a period of nine months. His current expedition finds Wood…
I was excited to read that the 19th Time of the Writer Festival, which takes place in the middle of March this year, has taken heed of South African author, Thando Mgqolozana’s, statements about South African literature. In opting out of a “white literary system” at the Franschhoek Literary Festival…
Time is running out for young writers to submit their short stories for the annual Schools Short Story Competition, which is part of the Time of the Writer festival. The competition is open to all South African high school learners and is an excellent springboard for future South African writers….
Happiness is a Four-letter Word by Cynthia Jele (Kwela) She may have written a novel categorized as chick lit, but South African author, Cynthia Jele, is no literary lightweight. Her debut novel Happiness is a Four-letter Word has earned her two literary awards and has just been adapted into a…
The Bangkok Asset by John Burdett (Corsair) This is the sixth novel in John Burdett’s Bangkok series. Hero, Sochai Jitpleecheep, is a tortured Buddhist detective with the Royal Thai police force. In this novel, Sonchai and his partner, Inspector Krom, witness a deadly demonstration of superhuman force from a man…
Jan van der Westhuizen has just become the first South African to receive the honour of a Michelin Star for his restaurant, JAN. Situated in the South of France, the restaurant was also voted one of the best restaurants in the world by Condé Nast Traveller in 2015.
Clairwood: The Untold Story by Juggie Pather As a child I spent many hours in the bustling Clairwood area. My family’s clothing business was situated behind the Moon Hotel mentioned by Dr Juggie Pather in his book Clairwood: The Untold Story. I had my ears pierced at the age of…
This week, we heard that South African wonder boy, Trevor Noah, is writing a book about growing up in South Africa, and Pan Macmillan South Africa has announced that it will publish this book in November this year. The book will be a collection of personal stories about growing up…
The Mountain Shadow by Gregory David Roberts (Little, Brown) It’s the sequel many have been waiting for with bated breath – I certainly have. Gregory David Roberts has finally published the sequel to his acclaimed novel Shantaram. It’s another tome but if the first novel is anything to go by,…
I am always receiving great reads from publishers. Here are a few that landed on my desk recently. Read on – one of them may interest you.
