Paradoxes of a primitive 2030
Gwen AnsellWilliam Gibson’s 11th novel is a gripping read that explores a world of multiple, branching timelines.
Soumission: Much more than a satire on Islam
Steven PooleThe spotlight cast on the novelist by the Charlie Hebdo attacks should not mislead us - his target here is not Islamism, writes Steven Poole.
Fiction, but not entirely so
Jane RosenthalThe changeover from imperial to metric measurement used as a metaphor for the change in conciousness of South Africans. What really counts in life?
Notable political books of 2014
Shaun de WaalOkay, it was an election year, but 2014 saw ever more books on South African politics emerge. Shaun de Waal rounds up the most notable of them.
Zanele Muholi frames a brave new 'normal'
Same MdluliPhotographer Zanele Muholi’s new book of portraits gives visual voice to the plight of ‘queer’ black women.
The mark of Modiano
Adam ThirlwellA trio of novellas by this year’s Nobel winner, Patrick Modiano, are bewilderingly inconclusive.
Amazon Christmas boycott campaign gathers weight
Alison FloodCustomers’ commitment, through Amazon Anonymous, to spend elsewhere now adds up to more than £2.5m.
Ancillary Justice: Gender-blurred ship's tale soars
Gwen AnsellAward-winning debut is a powerful meditation on class, gender, identity and imperial expansionism.
Writers can give hope to a society living in fear
Alison FloodAward-winning author Ursula le Guin speaks out against greedy publishers
Getting under the skin of the new SA with Masande Ntshanga
Nick MulgrewNick Mulgrew sat down with Masande Ntshanga to discuss one of this year’s most startling novels, 'The Reactive’.
Authors put up a good fight
Shaun de WaalThree new books explore the topic of conflict and how it has shaped the world as we know it.
South African Zombie Apocalypse: A nauseating tale redeemed
Pat Schwartz'The Journal Of A South African Zombie Apocalypse' tells the story of courage, devotion and self-sacrifice, writes Pat Schwartz.
The Keeper: The light must not go out
Pat SchwartzLight is shed on the keepers of secrets.
The Texture of Shadows: Beyond anger and retribution
Jane RosenthalMoving, memorable novel explores the life of ANC soldiers in exile and their return to SA shortly before Mandela’s release.
A clever telling of a Fool's story
Gwen AnsellIt’s Robin Hobb in John le Carré’s territory, in the spy truism and the paralysing miasma of memories.
What do we mean when we speak of ubuntu?
Thaddeus Metz (author)Ubuntu is a central idea in post-apartheid South Africa, but scholars disagree on whether it informs the Constitution or undermines it.
Dark Girls: A way out of the dark
Bill DukeDescribed as the coffee-table book “every little black girl” should own, ‘Dark Girls’ celebrates dark-skinned women.
Paulo Coelho on creativity, his feminist side and 'Adultery'
Author Paulo Coelho, famous for his books on spiritual themes, speaks about his new book 'Adultery', and why passion is more exciting than happiness.
If Dan Brown can write, so can robots
Alison FloodThe Hoshi prize hopes stories created by artificial intelligences (AIs) will soon go up against those written by humans in the competition.
Egalitarian literary festival draws big names and crowds
It’s not often Paul Theroux and Hanif Kureishi take on VS Naipul at a free literary festival in the desert.
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Paradoxes of a primitive 2030Egalitarian literary festival draws big names and crowds
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Nadine Gordimer dies at 90
Late Nobel laureate, author and apartheid activist Nadine Gordimer was a paradoxical kind of novelist. We look at her life in 19 images.
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