Welcome to day 9 of Pagecast's Year in Review. It's Pagecast’s holiday season. This December, we’re looking back and reflecting on all the incredible books published in 2022. We’ve asked a few special guests to review their top pick of the year; and to give us a taste of what they’ll be reading this holiday and in the new year. In this episode, Books Editor at Farmers Weekly, Patricia McCracken, takes us on a ride of her year in books. She chats about the ones that she enjoyed most and those she recommends as holiday reads! Patricia's stand-out book for 2022 is Don’t Upset ooMalume by Hombakazi Mercy Nqandeka, and she plans to read a few books over the festive season, including: -Whatever Next: Lessons from an Unexpected Life by Anne Tennant, and Baroness Glenconner - The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith Enjoy the episode!

Welcome to day 8 of Pagecast's Year in Review. It's Pagecast’s holiday season. This December, we’re looking back and reflecting on all the incredible books published in 2022. We’ve asked a few special guests to review their top pick of the year; and to give us a taste of what they’ll be reading this holiday and in the new year. In this episode, Phyllis Green, Books Editor at SARIE magazine, takes us on a ride of her year in books. She chats about the ones that she enjoyed most and those she recommends as holiday reads! Phyllis's stand-out book for 2022 is The Eye of the Beholder by Margie Orford, and she plans to read a few books over the festive season, including: -Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver - The Milky Way Smells of Rum and Raspberries: ...And Other Amazing Cosmic Facts by Jillian Scudder - ANC Billionaires by Pieter Du Toit - No Country for Girls by Emma Styles - Little Nothings by Julie Mayhew Enjoy this episode!

Welcome to day 7 of Pagecast's Year in Review. It's Pagecast’s holiday season. This December, we’re looking back and reflecting on all the incredible books published in 2022. We’ve asked a few special guests to review their top pick of the year; and to give us a taste of what they’ll be reading this holiday and in the new year. In this episode, Paige Nick, South African novelist, columnist and advertising copywriter takes us on a ride of her year in books. She chats about the ones that she enjoyed most and those she recommends as holiday reads! Paige's stand-out book for 2022 is Forever Home by Graham Norton, and she plans to read three books over the festive season, including: -Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan -Wolf Hall by Hillary Mantel Enjoy this episode!

Welcome to Pagecast’s holiday season. This December, we’re looking back and reflecting on all the incredible books published in 2022. We’ve asked a few special guests to review their top pick of the year; and to give us a taste of what they’ll be reading this holiday and in the new year. In this episode, Jennifer Platt, Books Editor for Sunday Times takes us on the journey of her year in books, the ones that she enjoyed most and those she recommends as holiday reads! Jennifer has two book picks for 2022 including: Booth - Karen Joy Fowler Verity - Colleen Hoover Jennifer Plans to read several books over the festive season, including: I’m Glad My Mom Died - Jennette McCurdy Revenge - Tom Bower Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing - Matthew Perry Enjoy this episode!

Welcome to day 5 of Pagecast's Year in Review. It's Pagecast’s holiday season. This December, we’re looking back and reflecting on all the incredible books published in 2022. We’ve asked a few special guests to review their top pick of the year; and to give us a taste of what they’ll be reading this holiday and in the new year. In this episode editor, content creator and cohost of @thegreatequalizerpodcast takes us on a ride of her year in books. She chats about the ones that she enjoyed most and those she recommends as holiday reads! Samantha's stand-out book for 2022 is Witches by Brenda Lozano, and she plans to read three books over the festive season, including: -Floor Sample by Julia Cameron -I Came All This Way to Meet You by Jami Attenberg -I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy -Healing Through Words by Rupi Kaur Enjoy this episode!

Welcome to day 4 of Pagecast's Year in Review. It's Pagecast’s holiday season. This December, we’re looking back and reflecting on all the incredible books published in 2022. We’ve asked a few special guests to review their top pick of the year; and to give us a taste of what they’ll be reading this holiday and in the new year. In this episode, author, journalist, and radio host, Sue Grant-Marshall takes us on a ride of her year in books. She chats about the ones that she enjoyed most and those she recommends as holiday reads! Sue's stand-out book for 2022 is Eye of the Beholder by Margie Orford and she plans to read three books over the festive season, including: -Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver -Bonny and Read by Julie Walker -The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell Enjoy this episode!

Welcome to day 3 of Pagecast's Year in Review. Welcome to Pagcast’s holiday season. This December, we’re looking back and reflecting on all the incredible books published in 2022. We’ve asked a few special guests to review their top pick of the year; and to give us a taste of what they’ll be reading this holiday and in the new year. In this episode News24 Books Editor, Shaun de Waal, reviews his standout book for 2022, External Mission: The ANC in Exile by Stephen Ellis. Enjoy this episode!

Welcome to day 2 of Pagecast's Year in Review. Welcome to Pagcast’s holiday season. This December, we’re looking back and reflecting on all the incredible books published in 2022. We’ve asked a few special guests to review their top pick of the year; and to give us a taste of what they’ll be reading this holiday and in the new year. In this episode, Editor-in-Chief of Modern (Living, Wellness, Beauty, Lux) and book lover sometimes known by her quirky handle, @doesmybooklooksmart, Dan Weakley, takes us on ride of her year in books, the ones that she enjoyed most and those she recommends as holiday reads! Dan has several books picks for 2022 including: Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen The Maid by Nita Prose The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley The Plant Hunter by T.L Mogford. Dan Plans to read several books over the festive season, including: The Christmas Postcards by Karen Swan The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan Enjoy this episode!

Welcome to day 1 of Pagecast's Year in Review. Welcome to Pagcast’s holiday season. This December we’re looking back and reflecting on all the incredible books published in 2022. We’ve asked a few special guests to review their top pick of the year; and to give us a taste of what they’ll be reading this holiday and in the new year. In this episode, journalist and presenter Nancy Richards reflects on her year in books and the literary journey she went on over the last year. Nancy's book pick for 2022 is JOAN by Katherine J. Chen, and she plans to spend the holidays reading The Hyacinth Girl: T. S. Eliot's Hidden Muse by Lyndall Gordon. Enjoy!

Batya Bricker, Exclusive Books Marketing, Loyalty and Procurement – General Manager joins Michele Magwood, writer, editor and Publisher-at-Large for Jonathan Ball Publishers, to chat about the Exclusive Books Christmas List. This year’s Exclusive Books Christmas selection – The List – is the widest selection in years, making the offering truly ‘something for everyone’. The campaign itself, Santa’s No 1 Supplier, is traditional and nostalgic, featuring Santa himself, with his trusty elves, amongst the treasure trove of bookshelves at Exclusive Books. “This is a departure from Exclusive Books’ usual approach, where we would emphasise the general holiday aspect of the Season, rather than the particularity of Christmas. But our feeling for this year, post-covid and amidst our current challenging times, was that we all needed a bit of Festive magic and wonder, a universal need no matter how you choose to celebrate at the end of the year.” – Batya Bricker – Exclusive Books Marketing, Loyalty and Procurement – General Manager. You can access the list at: https://issuu.com/exclusivebooks/docs/_lks19117_christmas_catalogue_2022_sa_final_jetli?fr=sMTgyMzU0OTk1NjU&_ga=2.154250168.1885358239.1670216671-amp-bfD7XouynpxxlXXZHZ9IBg Enjoy! Exclusive Books Christmas Catalogue

In this week’s episode, publicist and book lover Thembela Mputamputa is in conversation with Mogau Seshoene, author of Hosting with the Lazy Makoti. About the book: The highly anticipated new cookbook from South Africa’s award-winning and bestselling cookbook author and chef. “I am back with a brand-new collection of over 100 delicious, easy-to-follow recipes! In my highly anticipated new cookbook, Hosting with the Lazy Makoti, I will show you how to host any occasion with stylish and tasty food, from soul-warming one-pot dinners, irresistible easy bakes, and hearty plant-based dishes to Mzansi favourites, flavourful seven-colour meals, decadent desserts, vibrant African cuisine, and much more.” ‘Her unique characteristics and impressive enthusiasm flood the pages.’ - Abigail Donnelly ‘Mogau’s way with food puts beautiful labels on age-old foods that have been passed from generation to generation.’ - Florence Masebe ‘This is not just a cookbook, but a demonstration of what one can achieve with passion.’ - Savita K Mbuli About the author: Mogau Seshoene is a trained chef and award-winning cookbook author. Her previous book, The Lazy Makoti’s Guide to the Kitchen, became an instant bestseller. Mogau has received a Gourmand World Cookbook Award and a USIBA Creative and Cultural Industries Award, and was named the 2021 Luxe Restaurant Awards Culinary Media Personality of the Year. She’s featured on the Forbes Africa ‘30 under 30’ list and the Mail and Guardian Top 200 Young South Africans list.

This episode is brought to you in collaboration with CapeTalk 567. CapeTalk Presenter Pippa Hudson is in conversation with authors of Mad Honey, Jodi Picoult & Jennifer Finney Boylan. About the book: Olivia fled her abusive marriage to return to her hometown and take over the family beekeeping business when her son Asher was six. Now, impossibly, her baby is six feet tall and in his last year of high school, a kind, good-looking, popular ice hockey star with a tiny sprite of a new girlfriend. Lily also knows what it feels like to start over - when she and her mother relocated to New Hampshire it was all about a fresh start. She and Asher couldn't help falling for each other, and Lily feels happy for the first time. But can she trust him completely? Then Olivia gets a phone call - Lily is dead, and Asher is arrested on a charge of murder. As the case against him unfolds, she realises he has hidden more than he's shared with her. And Olivia knows firsthand that the secrets we keep reflect the past we want to leave behind - and that we rarely know the people we love well as we think we do. About Jodi: Jodi Picoult is the author of 25 novels, with 40 million copies sold worldwide. Her last twelve books have debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, including her most recent, THE BOOK OF TWO WAYS. Five novels have been made into movies and BETWEEN THE LINES (co-written with daughter Samantha van Leer) has been adapted as a musical. She is the recipient of multiple awards, including the New England Bookseller Award for Fiction, the Alex Award from the YA Library Services Association, and the NH Literary Award for Outstanding Literary Merit. She is also the co-librettist for the musical BREATHE, and the upcoming musical THE BOOK THIEF. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband. About Jennifer: Jennifer Finney Boylan is the author of numerous works of fiction and non fiction, including the seminal She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders (2003), which was the first bestselling work by a transgender American. She is a trans activist and a professor at Barnard College, and has appeared on reality TV shows and various US media in support of her friend Caitlyn Jenner. Her most recent book is the memoir Good Boy: A Life in 7 Dogs, published April 20 by Celadon/Macmillan US.

Historian and author of General Jan Smuts and his First World War in Africa, 1914-1917, David Katz, is in conversation with fellow author and historian Dr Evert Kleynhans. About the book: Jan Smuts grabbed the opportunity to realise his ambition of a Greater South Africa when the First World War ushered in a final scramble for Africa. He set his sights firmly northward upon the German colonies of South West Africa and East Africa. Smuts’s abilities as a general have been much denigrated by his contemporaries and later historians, but he was no armchair soldier. He first learned his soldier’s craft under General Koos de la Rey and General Louis Botha during the South African War (1899−1902). He emerged from that conflict immersed in Boer manoeuvre doctrine. After forming the Union Defence Force in 1912, Smuts played an integral part in the German South West African campaign in 1915. Placed in command of the Allied forces in East Africa in 1916, he led a mixed bag of South Africans and imperial troops against the legendary Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck and his Schutztruppen. His penchant for manoeuvre warfare and mounted infantry freed most of the vast German territory from Lettow-Vorbeck’s grip. General Jan Smuts and his First World War in Africa provides a long-overdue reassessment of Smuts’s generalship and his role in furthering the strategic aims of South Africa and the British Empire during this era. About David: David is an author and historian, who lectures at the Army and Defence Colleges of the South African National Defence Force. He completed his MMil in Military History (cum laude) and a PhD in Military Science in the Department of Military History at the Faculty of Military Science of Stellenbosch University. He is also research fellow at the Faculty of Military Science and an active member of the Andrew Mlangeni Regiment (formerly the South African Irish Regiment). Katz is the author of South Africans vs Rommel (2019). About Evert Dr Evert Kleynhans is a senior lecturer in the Department of Military History at the Faculty of Military Science at Stellenbosch University. He is the former head of the Records, Archives and Museums Division at North-West University. Several of his articles and chapters have been published in academic journals and books.

CapeTalk Breakfast Show host Lester Kiewit is joined by top-selling author Pieter du Toit to chat about his latest book, ANC Billionaires. About The Book: In September 1985 a group of white South African business leaders travelled to a game lodge in Zambia to meet with the exiled ANC leadership under Oliver Tambo and Thabo Mbeki. The group wanted to establish for themselves who and what the ANC was, and they were led by Gavin Relly, executive chairperson of Anglo American. The Zambian visit set in motion a coordinated and well-resourced plan by big business to influence political change in South Africa. After the ANC was unbanned, their goal was to ensure the party did not turn the country into a last outpost of socialism. In The ANC Billionaires top-selling author Pieter du Toit investigates whether secret deals were struck between capital and the liberation movement to ensure the status quo remains in terms of economic policy. He also shows how the ANC was completely unprepared to navigate the intersection between business and politics. The book draws on first-hand accounts by major role players about the contentious relationship between capital and the ANC before, during and after the country’s transition to democracy. It also sheds light on the millionaires and billionaires who have benefited from their relationship to the party, and with business. After 1994, a cadre of politically connected businessmen, such as Tokyo Sexwale, Cyril Ramaphosa, Saki Macozoma and Patrice Motsepe, emerged who had access to preferential empowerment deals brokered by companies like Anglo American – all became very wealthy. The one thing these individuals have in common is the ANC - the party of government and patronage. About Pieter du Toit: Pieter is an award-winning journalist and assistant editor at News24. He is the author of the best-selling Stellenbosch Mafia (2019) and the co-author of Enemy of the People (2017), with Adriaan Basson. Pieter is a former editor of HuffPost South Africa and news editor of Beeld and Netwerk24. About Lester Kiewit: CapeTalk’s Morning show host Lester Kiewit began his broadcasting journey in 2004 as Eyewitness News intern. He soon established himself as a respected journalist, diving into the world of television in 2008 as eNCA reporter and later Parliamentary Correspondent. He was also Cape Town Bureau Chief for the Mail and Guardian newspaper. Kiewit has forged a reputation as a tough, brave reporter and talented storyteller. His uncanny ability to find, and tell, the stories that matter saw him join CapeTalk again in 2021 as host of 'The Morning Review with Lester Kiewit', before moving to the breakfast drive slot.

Pagecast Co-Producer Maryam Adams is in conversation with Scarlette Brade, author The Hive. A feminist thriller for anyone who's ever sworn revenge on an ex. Perfect for fans of You, Clickbait and Blood Orange. 'Tense, topical and stylish' TM LOGAN 'An addictive read!' ALICE HUNTER 'Dark and gripping' CASS GREEN Charlotte Goodwin looks directly at the camera and reveals a chilling truth to the thousands watching her Instagram Live broadcast. She has killed her ex-boyfriend's new partner in cold blood. But she is not finished yet. The viewers must now vote to decide whether he should live or die. The public display sends shockwaves rippling through the online community and the numbers of viewers skyrockets. But as Lincoln's past is revealed, how will he be judged? The Hive explores our darkest fears of the relationship between social media and mental health, but, most importantly, the strength of sisterhood against all the odds. About Scarlette: Scarlett Brade is the daughter of parents who migrated from the Caribbean to England in the early 1970s. She was born and educated in London, though as a child she spent her summers in Canada, where she developed her love affair with reading. When not writing Scarlett spends most of her time cooking, drinking fine wines, and entertaining family and friends. The Hive is her first psychological thriller, and she is currently writing her second.

Journalist Nancy Richards chats with author Katherine J. Chen about her latest book, Joan: A Novel of Joan of Arc. About The Book: Girl. Warrior. Heretic. Saint? France is mired in a losing war against England. Its people are starving. Its king is in hiding. Yet out of the chaos, an unlikely heroine emerges. Reckless, steel-willed and brilliant, Joan has survived a childhood steeped in both joy and violence to claim an extraordinary - and fragile - position at the head of the French army. The battlefield and the royal court are full of dangers and Joan finds herself under suspicion from all sides - as well as under threat from her own ambition. With unforgettably vivid characters and propulsive storytelling, Joan is a thrilling epic, a triumph of historical fiction, and a feminist celebration of one remarkable - and remarkably real - woman who left an indelible mark on history. About Katherine: Katherine J. Chen is the author of the novel Mary B. Her work has been published in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Review of Books, Literary Hub, and the historical fiction anthology Stories from Suffragette City. She received her MFA from Boston University, where she was a senior teaching fellow and awarded the Florence Engel Randall Fiction Prize. About Nancy: Nancy Richards is an independent journalist with a good few years experience on radio and in print. As a radio presenter, areas of specialisation included shows on literature, the environment and ‘women’s issues’. In print she’s covered environment matters, books and literature, lifestyle, travel and décor amongst other things. She has a podcast called Books Stories People and is founder of an NPO: Woman Zone and The Women’s Library at the Artscape Theatre Centre in Cape Town. She also oversees Woman Zone’s podcast series covering books by women writers and other stories. She’s authored/co-authored Beautiful Homes: as featured in Fairlady magazine; Woman Today – 50 years of South African women on radio and Being a Woman in Cape Town: Telling your story. She is a speaker, media trainer and board member of NPO Soil for Life. Born in London, she is based in Cape Town

David Attwell is in conversation with Margie Orford, author of The Eye Of The Beholder. About the book: An extremely sharp, well-written female revenge thriller that looks at trauma and the complicated ways in which it manifests. WHEN DANGER LIES IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU REJECT ITS PULL? Cora carries secrets her daughter can’t know. Freya is frightened by what her mother leaves unsaid. Angel will only bury the past if it means putting her abusers into the ground. One act of violence sets three women on a collision course, each desperate to find the truth – but the people they love are not what they seem. About Margie: Margie Orford is an internationally acclaimed writer. Her Clare Hart novels have been widely translated and led to her being described as the ‘queen of South African crime-thriller writers’ (The Weekender). She has written a number of children’s books and several works of nonfiction, and is also an award-winning journalist who writes regularly for newspapers in the UK and in South Africa. Orford is a member of the executive board of PEN International and president emerita of PEN South Africa. She lives in London. About David: David Attwell joined the University of York in January 2006 as a Professor of Modern Literature. He served as Head of the English and Related Literature Department from 2007/8 to 2011/12, and from 2012/13 to 2016/17. He took his BA and BA (Honours) degrees at the University of Natal in Durban, South Africa and completed an MA by research on African literary theory and criticism at the University of Cape Town where his supervisor was J.M. Coetzee. He completed his PhD at the University of Texas at Austin where he worked with the distinguished Africanist Bernth Lindfors. David Attwell's publications include two monographs on J.M. Coetzee, the more recent being J.M. Coetzee and the Life of Writing (2015) which was a Finalist for the Alan Paton Prize, South Africa's premier award for nonfiction. Rewriting Modernity (2005/6) is his collection of studies of African writers in southern Africa from the mid-nineteenth century to the present. With Derek Attridge he co-edited The Cambridge History of South African Literature (2012).

I forgive you. Three simple words behind which sits an intriguing and complex concept. These words can be used to absolve a meaningless squabble or said to someone who has caused you great harm. They can liberate you from guilt, or consciously place blame on your shoulders. Forgiveness can often be perceived as saccharine and overtly religious, something just for the spiritually superior or mentally strong. But really it is a gritty, risky concept that is so often relevant to our ordinary everyday lives. Forgiveness explores the subject from every angle, coming from a place of enquiry rather than persuasion, presenting it as an offering, never a prescription. Marina Cantacuzino seeks to investigate, unpick and debate the limits and possibilities of forgiveness – in our relationships, for our physical and mental wellbeing, how it plays out in international politics and within the criminal justice system, and where it intersects with religious faith. Cantacuzino speaks to people across the globe who have considered forgiveness in different forms and circumstances. She talks to a survivor of Auschwitz; to someone who accidentally killed a friend; to people who have lost loved ones in acts of violence; to a former combatant in The Troubles as well as to the daughter of someone he murdered. Through these real stories, expert opinion and the author’s experience from two decades working in this field, the reader gets to better understand what forgiveness is and what it most definitely isn’t, how it can be an important element in breaking the cycle of suffering, and ultimately how it might help transform fractured relationships and mend broken hearts. Marina Cantacuzino's background is in journalism. Her work has appeared in most mainstream publications in the UK, plus many magazines both home and abroad. Having co-authored several books on subjects close to her heart, from HIV to disability, she is also a regular blog contributor to The Huffington Post. In 2003, in response to escalating global conflict, Marina embarked on a very personal project collecting stories in words and pictures from people who had lived through violence, tragedy or injustice and sought forgiveness or reconciliation rather than retaliation or revenge. From this she created 'The F Word' exhibition: a collection of images and personal narratives from around the world exploring forgiveness and understanding in the face of atrocity. The success of the exhibition, which launched in London in 2004, led to Marina founding The Forgiveness Project.

Fred Bridgland is in conversation with Afrikaans TV reporter and anchor Lourensa Eckard. About the book: As a young Reuters correspondent, Fred Bridgland revealed the secret invasion in 1975 of post-independence Angola by apartheid South Africa’s armed forces in support of UNITA rebel leader, Jonas Savimbi. At the time, Bidgland befriended Tito Chingunji, a guerrilla officer, before he became UNITA foreign secretary, who persuaded Bridgland to walk hundreds of kilometres across Angola to watch UNITA’s fighters go into combat. Later Chingunji and Bridgland worked together on a sympathetic biography of the charismatic Savimbi – then the great hope of the ‘free West’. However, after the book’s publication, Chingunji told Bridgland how he and his family were under constant threat of death from Savimbi. Bridgland started to uncover atrocities that revealed Savimbi not as the champion of his people, but as a murderous tyrant. Chingunji had risked his life to help Bridgland tell the true story of what was going on behind the scenes. When his friend went missing, Bridgland journeyed into the Angolan jungle to plead his friend’s case and he, himself, was put before a kangaroo court by an enraged Savimbi. This is a personal account of the bond that developed between a guerrilla fighter and a journalist, and the terrifying challenges they faced as they revealed Savimbi’s true colours.

This episode is brought to you in collaboration with CapeTalk 567. Host of the CapeTalk Afternoon Drive show chats with Author, Siedine Coetzee, and Nurse, Roseanne Turner regarding their experiences as nurses on the frontline during the Covid-19 pandemic. Our nurses have witnessed the pandemic first hand, compassionately caring for patients amid war-like circumstances. The havoc caused by the pandemic highlighted existing fault lines in the South African health system, and nurses faced shortages of staff and vital life-saving equipment. Colleagues tested positive and died. Visitors were not allowed, so nurses had to be intermediaries between patients and desperate family trying to glean information on the phone. Despite these pressures, they remained at the forefront of the fight against the deadly virus. This book brings together deeply personal stories of caring for patients in wards and ICU, of feeling overwhelmed, and experiencing the fear of getting infected and passing Covid on to their families. There are also moving tales of personal growth and finding renewed purpose. In Our Own Words shows the extreme resilience of nurses – even in the face of adversity. And that at the core of a ‘true’ nurse remains the commitment to the patient.

In this episode of Pagecast, Kirstin Chen is in conversation with Jennifer Platt, the books editor at the Sunday Times. About Kirstin: Kirstin Chen is the New York Times best-selling author of three novels. Her latest, Counterfeit, is a Reese’s Book Club pick, a Roxane Gay book club pick, and a New York Times Editors’ Choice. It has also been recommended by The Washington Post, People Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Vogue, Time, Oprah Daily, Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, Parade, and more. Translation rights have sold in seven languages and television rights have been optioned by Sony Pictures. Her previous two novels are Bury What We Cannot Take and Soy Sauce for Beginners. She has received fellowships and awards from the Steinbeck Fellows Program, Sewanee, Hedgebrook, Djerassi, the Napa Valley Writers’ Conference, the Toji Cultural Foundation, and the National Arts Council of Singapore. Her writing has appeared in The Cut, Real Simple, Literary Hub, Writer’s Digest, Zyzzyva, and the Best New Singaporean Short Stories. She holds an MFA from Emerson College and a BA from Stanford University. Born and raised in Singapore, she lives in New York City. About the book: Meet Ava: rule-abiding lawyer who has ticked all of life’s boxes. She is married to a successful surgeon and has just taken an indefinite career break to raise her adorable toddler. A picture-perfect life. Meet Winnie: Ava’s old college roommate. Once awkward, quiet and apparently academically challenged, she left Stanford in a shroud of scandal. But now, she is charismatic, wealthy and has returned to town dripping in designer accessories. An actual perfect life. When the two women bump into one another at a local coffee shop, it seems like fate has intervened: Winnie’s new-found success is courtesy of a shady business and she needs a favour, but what starts as one favour turns into two, then three.

South African-born, debut author brings a threat-and-danger, hidden-world fantasy with touches of Suzanne Collins which fans of VE Schwab or Sarah J Maas will love. Twenty-two-year-old Cassia's sister is dying, and she doesn't know why. Cassia wakes up in another realm to find her missing best friend, Lucas, who knows how to save her sister. Lucas is part of a community of Reborns, people who were born on earth and after death, were reborn in this realm with magical abilities. The original beings of the realm, the Firsts, rule over them. To keep the Reborn numbers manageable, the king of the Firsts releases a curse to cull them. Cassia needs to break the curse before her time runs out and she is trapped there forever. Shameez Patel Papathanasiou was born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa. She is a civil engineer by day, fantasy author by night and a choc-chip cookie fiend somewhere in between. Her literary adventures take her to new worlds filled with magic, monsters and someone to fall in love with.

About the book Seventeen-year-old Savannah is cursed. It's a sinister family heirloom; passed down through the bloodline for hundreds of years, with one woman in every generation destined to die young. The family call them Hella's girls, named for their ancestor Hella; the enslaved woman with whom it all began. Hella's girls are always angry, especially in the months before they die. The anger is bursting from Savannah - at the men who cat-call her in the street, at her mother's disingenuous fiancé, even at her own loving family. Each fit of rage is bringing her closer to the edge and now Savannah has to act to save herself. Or die trying. Because the key to survival lies in the underbelly of Cape Town, where the sinister veilwitches are waiting for just such a girl. Blood to Poison is a furious and mesmerising story about discovering magic, historical rage and love in all its guises. About Mary Watson Mary Watson is a South African author who won the Caine Prize in 2006 for her short story Jungfrau. Watson is the author of Moss, a collection of short stories published in 2004. Watson completed her master's degree in creative writing under André Brink at the University of Cape Town. Jungfrau originated as part of this 2001 master's thesis. After receiving a second master's degree at the University of Bristol in 2003, she returned to Cape Town to teach film studies while pursuing a PhD. Watson has lived in Galway, Ireland, since 2008. Blood to Poison is her third novel for young adults and the first rooted in her South African heritage. About Joy Watson Joy is a feminist researcher and writer. Her areas of specialisation are analysing public policy and service delivery, as well as tracking funding flows from the perspective of building social equity. She has many years of experience in developing feminist responses to public policy and has worked on research initiatives in South Africa as well as internationally, including for the UN Habitat’s Safer Cities programme and UN Women initiatives. Together with Amanda Gouws, she has co-edited the book, Nasty Women Talk Back: A Collection of Feminist Essays on the Global Women’s Marches (Imbali, 2018). You can find her book reviews and reflections on life and its joys and sorrows on the pages of Daily Maverick Life. Her debut novel, debut novel, 'The Other Me', published in 2022 is a gripping read about love, life and the harrowing lengths one woman will go to survive. Enjoy this exciting, casual and funny chat between the overly talented Watson sisters.

Evert Kleynhans, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Military History at the Faculty of Military Science of Stellenbosch University, is in conversation with author of A Russian on Commando: The Boer War Experiences of Yevgeny Avgustus, Boris Gorelik and Prof Fransjohan Pretorius, an emeritus professor from the Department of Historical and Heritage Studies at University of Pretoria. About the book: In January 1900, galvanised by the daring of the Boers in taking on imperial Britain, the young Russian officer Yevgeny Avgustus set off for the Transvaal to fight in the Anglo-Boer War. Like most of the foreign volunteers who flocked to the Boer cause, he ended up on the Natal front. Avgustus and his companions joined the Krugersdorp Commando, and their experiences in the field are portrayed in vivid detail. The central part of this gripping account covers the Battle of the Tugela Heights in February 1900 and the Boers’ subsequent retreat. The immediacy of Avgustus’s writing captures his trepidation and excitement as he approaches the battlefield for the first time, as well as his experience of life on commando. The keen eye of this foreign volunteer brings to life a turning point in South African history. Avgustus is a gifted writer, and his narrative offers both acute observation and thoughtful introspection. A gripping portrayal of human frailty and courage in the face of mortal danger, A Russian on Commando highlights both the strange attraction and the absurdities of war.

In this episode of Pagecast, publicist and book lover Thembela Mputamputa is in conversation with Hombakazi Mercy Nqandeka, author of Don’t Upset ooMalume: A Guide to Stepping Up Your Xhosa Game. Returning to the family homestead in the Eastern Cape for the holidays, and worried that your city ways and less than perfect knowledge of Xhosa culture will get you a wagging finger in the face from ooMalume – the uncles? No need to fret. Don’t Upset ooMalume! captures the essence of Xhosa heritage and culture, and explores different aspects of village life. It covers a range of topics, from major Xhosa life ceremonies and traditional clothing, to the significance of uronta (the rondavel) and ubuhlanti (the kraal). Not forgetting the importance of traditional food, the author describes popular dishes, edible forage and even medicinal plants. This book was born from writer and agriculturalist Hombakazi Mercy Nqandeka’s concern that aspects of Xhosa heritage will be lost to future generations. By interweaving her guide to Xhosa culture with stories from her daily life at Mqele and Bulungula villages, and lessons taught to her by her mother and her late grandmothers, she hopes to help reconnect Xhosa people to their roots. Akukho nto imnandi ngathi kukungeqiwa ziindaba xa kuncokolwa ngesiXhosa esintsokothileyo nesineziqhulo. Bathi bezincokolela abantu abadala bexuba nakwintetho yokuhlonipha ube usiva yonke into abayithethayo. Oko kubonisa ukuzingca nokuzingomba isifuba ngolwimi lakho lesiXhosa. Le ncwadi yenzelwe abantu abasithandayo isiXhosa nabafuna ukufunda nzulu ngolwimi nenkcubeko yesiXhosa. Ungabadanisi ooMalume, lola isiXhosa sakho ngale ncwadi. About Hombakazi Mercy Nqandeka: Mercy is an agriculturalist and a writer with an unquenchable passion for Xhosa heritage and culture. Mercy has a double Masters degree in Agriculture Climate Change Transition from the National University of Ireland and the University of Montpellier SupAgro in France. She has published two books, The Dissonant Rainbow (2019) and To My Young Self (2020). She currently lives in Bulungula on the Wild Coast, where she works for an NGO to provide rural schools with access to clean water and sanitation. In her spare time, she beads stethoscopes with the help of local women.

Ingrid Kluckow delves into Avril Kenny's magical writing world to discover the story behind the story. Ingrid is an avid reader, writer, actress, yoga instructor and marketing coordinator. Averil Kenny is a writer from Queensland. She writes women's fiction with an evocative flair, featuring strong, sassy heroines. The Girls of Lake Evelyn is an irresistible story of love, family, women, secrets and mystery set in the lush region of tropical north Queensland. For readers of Lucinda Riley and Kate Morton. You cannot force me to marry him. I need to be free, to figure out what I want. For once, please let me choose… 1958. When It-girl Vivienne George flees on the eve of her wedding she seeks refuge in a scheduled lodge surrounded by the lush rainforest of tropical North Queensland. There, she is relieved to find that the small farming town couldn't be further from the high society she's left behind. Now, Vivienne spends her days swimming in the beautiful Lake Evelyn where she befriends the larger-than-life Josie. But all is not as it seems in this quiet, close-knit community. Vivienne soon learns that over a decade earlier, Celeste Starr, a beautiful actress, died tragically in the lake's dark waters, spawning a curse that has plagued the girls of the town ever since. Fascinated by Celeste's tale, Josie decides to stage a play about her death, with Vivienne in the lead role, setting off a chain of disturbing events . . . Can the girls of Lake Evelyn be freed from the curse as Vivienne escapes her past?

Refilwe Moloto yanks the blockchain with Steven Boykey Sidley and Simon Dingle, authors of Beyond Bitcoin: Decentralised Finance and the end of Banks. Simon Dingle is an author, broadcaster and entrepreneur with extensive experience in cryptocurrency. He has been on the founding teams of several fintech firms, including Luno. He published In Maths We Trust in 2018 and has co-authored his second book with Steven Boykey Sidley, Beyond Bitcoin: Decentralised Finance and the End of Banks, releasing in 2022. Steven Boykey Sidley has worked extensively in technology and finance and is an award-winning novelist, playwright and columnist. He co-authored, Beyond Bitcoin – Decentralised Finance and the End of Banks, with Simon Dingle, which will release in South Africa early in 2022. This is his sixth book. Refilwe Moloto is a strategic and economic advisor with 15 years’ financial services experience in Emerging Markets research, broking and asset management in Johannesburg, New York and Cape Town. She currently serves as an External Expert Advisor on Eskom Pension & Provident Fund’s Strategic Investment Committee. She is also a Fellow of the 11th Class of the Africa Leadership Initiative, a regional chapter of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.Moloto is also a commentator and thought leader on strategic economic & financial market development in Africa, invited to speak at global technical conferences and in the media. She currently anchors the morning show, Breakfast with Refilwe Moloto, which airs on CapeTalk.

Jenny Crwys-Williams teleports to 19th century Natal with Joanne Joseph, author of the historical novel Children of Sugarcane, which conjures the world of and female indentured migrant from India. Children of Sugarcane is Joanne Joseph’s first work of fiction. Joseph is an established South African media personality and bestselling author, with over 20 years of experience. She has hosted prominent radio and television shows for major broadcasters, including the South African Broadcasting Corporation and Primedia House. Her book Drug Muled sold over 10,000 copies. Jenny Crwys-Williams has been identified with books, reading and authors for most of her career. For 27 years Jenny featured books, fiction and non-fiction, on her daily Radio 702 show, covering, as she says, ‘every topic under the sun. I have been enveloped by the richness and knowledge I’ve gained through reading and being immersed in the book world’. A further 4 years at Kaya959 broadened her reading, mostly on African topics.

Pippa Hudson chats with Dr Emmanuel Taban (The Boy Who Never Gave Up), who is Daily Maverick’s Africa Person of the Year. He walked from war-torn Sudan to JHB, survived torture and kidnapping, and then became a pioneering pulmonologist. In 1994, the 16-year-old Emmanuel Taban walked out of war-torn Sudan with nothing and nowhere to go after he had been tortured at the hands of government forces, falsely accused of spying for the rebels, until he finally managed to escape. When he arrived in Johannesburg, he had only five years of education behind him. Today this former MEDUNSA student is a highly qualified pulmonologist, with a European Diploma in adult respiratory medicine. During 2020, he was at the forefront of the treatment of Covid19 patients in ICU in Johannesburg. Dr Taban released his first book, The Boy who Never Gave Up in 2021. Pippa Hudson hosts the lunchtime show on radio station Cape Talk, which includes a mix of news and lifestyle content, from food, travel and parenting advice to health, legal, environmental and consumer content. As avid reader, Hudson loves inviting authors to join her in the daily feature profile slot ‘On the Couch’ and in her weekly Book Club segment. The show was a winner in 2019 of a Titanium Award for Best Health Media Coverage, and a Diageo Award. In 2020 Hudson was the recipient of the Petco media award for coverage of recycling, waste management and environmental issues. Her show has also been a finalist in the Best Daytime Show category at the annual Radio Awards, for the last 4 consecutive years (2018-2021 inclusive).

Did Thabo Mbeki set the table for state capture? Mark Gevisser’s prize-winning Thabo Mbeki: A Dream Deferred has just been published in an updated and revised edition, and Ferial Haffajee tackles him on Mbeki’s legacy. Mark Gevisser is one of South Africa’s foremost writers. He is the author of five works of non-fiction, including Thabo Mbeki: A Dream Deferred, Lost and Found in Johannesburg and The Pink Line (2020). His journalism has been widely published in South Africa and he frequently writes for the Guardian, The New York Times, Granta, and many other publications. In 2022 a brand new edition of Thabo Mbeki: A Dream Deferred will be released, including a detailed epilogue exploring Mbeki’s legacy since he fell from power 15 years ago. Mark has been a Writing Fellow at the University of Pretoria and at the Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research (WISER). Since 2018, he has been a judge on the Gerald Kraak Award for writing on gender, human rights and sexuality in Africa. He lives in Cape Town. Ferial Haffajee is a recipient of the 2014 International Press Freedom Award, Ferial Haffajee is one of South Africa’s most trusted and respected journalists. She is known for her clear-cut political analysis and her unwavering dedication to the truth. Haffajee has worked in numerous print and online newsrooms including holding the positions of editor at City Press and the Mail and Guardian before joining Daily Maverick as Associate Editor. Her new book Days of Zondo will be published by Maverick 451 in 2022.

Wamuwi Mbao talks to Yewande Omotoso about her new novel An Unusual Grief, whose protagonist outlives her daughter – and then rediscovers her. Wamuwi Mbao is an essayist and cultural critic. He writes on literature, pop culture, and politics and is a literary reviewer for the Johannesburg Review of Books. His short story ‘The Bath‘ was named as one of the 20 best short stories written during the two decades of South Africa’s democracy. Yewanda Omotoso’s 2022 book An Unusual Grief is her third novel. She is an architect and holds a Creative Writing MA from the University of Cape Town. Her debut novel, Bom Boy, won the SA Literary Award First Time Author Prize. Her short stories include How About The Children and Things Are Hard. Her second novel The Woman Next Door was shortlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award and longlisted for the Baileys Women’s Literature Prize.

After several years of serving on opposing sides of the law, former National Prosecutor, Bulelani Ngcuka and former Constitutional Court judge, Albie Sachs reconnect and reflect on Ngcuka’s story - Bulelani Ncuka – The Sting in the Tale. by Marion Sparg. “Highly relevant today as prosecutors deal with the aftermath of State Capture. Fascinating from the first page to the last.” - Albie Sachs, Former Justice, Constitutional Court. In this sweeping biography, based on many hours of interviews with Ngcuka, author Marion Sparg uncovers the roots of his fearless activism and tells his side of the story. She goes back in time to his modest beginnings in the Eastern Cape, to his lawyering years with the formidable Griffiths Mxenge, his various periods of detention, exile, and his homecoming.

Dr Pumla Dineo Gqola joins internationally acclaimed Tsitsi Dangarembga (Nervous Conditions, The Book of Not & This Mournable Body) – to discuss her stellar writing career, her life in Harare, and the choices of women besieged by patriarchy. Tsitsi Dangarembga is a Zimbabwean novelist, playwright, and filmmaker. Her debut novel, Nervous Conditions (1988), which was the first to be published in English by a Black woman from Zimbabwe, was named by the BBC in 2018 as one of the top 100 books that have shaped the world. In 2020, her novel This Mournable Body was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Dr Pumla Dineo Gqola is a feminist writer and Professor of Literary and Cultural Studies. She is the SARChl Chair in African Feminist Imagination at Nelson Mandela University. Her publications include, What is Slavery to Me?, A Renegade called Simphiwe, Alan Paton Award Winner Rape: A South African Nightmare and Reflecting Rogue. Her latest book, Female Fear Factory, the much anticipated follow up to Rape, was released in May 2021.

Karina M. Szczurek talks to Orange Prize winner Lionel Shriver (Should We Stay Or Should We Go) and her knack for exploring social and cultural fault-lines. Lionel Shriver is a journalist and author of 14 novels. Born in North Carolina, she divides her time these days between London and New York. A regular columnist for the Spectator in Britain and Harper’s Magazine in the United States, Shriver has also written commentary for the New York Times, The Guardian, and The Wall Street Journal, among other publications. Shriver’s 2003 novel, We Have to Talk About Kevin, sold more than 2 million copies, won the prestigious Orange Prize, and was made into a movie. She was also a finalist for the National Book Award in 2010 with her novel, So Much for That, a contemplation about the American health care system. Shriver’s latest book, Should We Stay or Should We Go, imagines a parade of possible outcomes when a healthy couple in their early 50s decide that when they reach their 80s, they will commit suicide. KARINA SZCZUREK VIEW [ 2022 ] EVENTS WITH KARINA SZCZUREK | | | Karina M. Szczurek is a writer, editor and literary critic based in Cape Town. Most recently, she has co-edited the 2015 SSDA anthology Water: New Short Fiction from Africa (with Nick Mulgrew) and published her memoir, The Fifth Mrs Brink (2017). She reviews books for the Cape Times and LitNet.

A look into South Africa's gangs Author Jonathan Ancer is in conversation with Liz McGregor, Mark Shaw and Caryn Dolley for this episode of Pagecast. The episode delves into the lastest books by Liz, Mark and Caryn, which all touch on the role that gangs play in South Africa, personal dealings with gangs and the operations within. Unforgiven, by Liz McGregor, tells a story seldom told: what happens to a family when one of their own is murdered? In a country where, year upon year, tens of thousands of people lose a loved one to violence. Where restorative justice is preached but not practiced. Where prisons are universities of crime. What would it take to achieve redemption? For the victim, the perpetrator and the country? Give us more Guns, by Mark Shaw, is based on hundreds of interviews with police, experts and the gangsters themselves, telling the story of this callous crime for the first time. Shaw explores how the guns get into the hands of South Africa's crime bosses and describes the bloodshed that ensues. He also uncovers accounts of rampant corruption within the police and in the state's gun-licensing system, probing the government failure that has been instrumental in arming the country's gangsters. To The Wolves: How Traitor Cops Crafted South Africa’s Underworld, by Caryn Dolley, tells the true-life story of how South Africa’s underworld came to be, what continues to fuel it today and how the deception and lies go all the way to the top. Enjoy the episode!

A deliciously witty romance with a closing twist that will take your breath away, Impossible deploys all the suspense and craft of Lotz's bestselling thriller The Three in a gleefully unpredictable tale of two strangers looking for love. This isn't a love story. This is impossible. Nick: Failed writer. Failed husband. Dog owner. Bee: Serial dater. Dress maker. Pringles enthusiast. One day, their paths cross over a misdirected email. The connection is instant, electric. They feel like they've known each other all their lives. Nick buys a new suit, gets on a train. Bee steps away from her desk, sets off to meet him under the clock at Euston station. Think you know how the rest of the story goes? They did too... but this is a story with more twists than most. This is impossible.

“Liz McGregor has always been a great journalist but only South Africa could have wrung out of her this single-minded account of the murder of her beloved father. The book is an indescribable duty, exquisitely done.” – Peter Bruce “An enthralling account of the journey by a daughter to meet with those convicted of her father’s murder.” – Trevor Manuel A searing, intimate memoir tracing the author’s attempt to find out the truth about her father’s murder. Robin McGregor, an older man who has recently moved into a small town outside Cape Town, is brutally murdered in his home. Cecil Thomas is convicted for the crime, but his trial leaves more questions than answers. As much as his daughter Liz McGregor tries to move beyond her grief – she finds new work, she even discovers love – she still wants answers. What drove Thomas to torture and kill a complete stranger? The author meets the murderer’s family and discovers that he comes from a loving, comfortable home. He is educated and skilled, there is no apparent reason for his descent into delinquency. After protracted obstruction from the prison authorities, she finally gets to confront him but not without putting herself in danger. She finds answers, but not the answers she is looking for. Unforgiven tells a story seldom told: what happens to a family when one of their own is murdered? In a country where, year upon year, tens of thousands of people lose a loved one to violence. Where restorative justice is preached but not practiced. Where prisons are universities of crime. What would it take to achieve redemption? For the victim, the perpetrator and the country?

A simple mistake at an indoor climbing gym sentenced 28-year-old Robby to a year in a wheelchair, shattering his aspirations of becoming a mountaineer. In the months that followed, Robby faced depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and a complete loss of his sense of identity. But from somewhere deep inside him, he summoned up the strength to keep going even when all seemed lost; he embarked on a monumental journey, a feat of mental and physical strength. His weakness became his power. This story is more than a biography or an account of a mountaineering expedition – it showcases the human spirit and shows us all how it is possible to rewrite the definition of what is possible. From those dark days, Robby has become the embodiment of perseverance and possibility, overcoming the odds to join the handful of people who have summited Mount Everest.

Wie vandag se ANC, sy beleid en regeerstyl wil verstaan, moet feitlik ’n eeu terug begin delf. ’n Deel van die antwoord lê in sy verhouding met die Suid-Afrikaanse Kommunistiese Party (SAKP) en die invloed van die kommunisme, asook die ANC/SAKP se optrede in ballingskap, skryf die politieke kommentator en historikus Leopold Scholtz. In Terreur en bevryding toon hy aan hoe die SAKP reeds in 1928 opdrag van die Kremlin ontvang het om die ANC te infiltreer. Die doel was om mettertyd die partyleiding oor te neem as deel van ’n beoogde revolusie in twee fases: ’n nasionaal demokratiese revolusie – ’n konsep wat steeds deel is van ANC-beleid – gevolg deur ’n Marxisties-Leninistiese “diktatuur van die proletariaat”. Volgens Scholtz sou dit ’n immorele stelsel met beperkte vryheid meebring. Dit was ook die SAKP wat die dryfveer agter die gewapende stryd was. Scholtz plaas die kollig op die dodelike kombinasie van erge interne intoleransie en onbekwaamheid binne die ANC/SAKP in ballingskap, die korrupsie deur ’n deel van die leierskorps en die ernstige menseregtevergrype in die ANC se buitelandse kampe. Hy voer aan dat dit wat tans in Suid-Afrika op al drie regeringsvlakke gebeur ’n voortsetting is van ’n kultuur wat al tydens die alliansie se jare in ballingskap gevestig is.

An optimistic vision of the future after Covid-19 by a leading professor of globalisation at the University of Oxford. We are at a crossroads. The wrecking-ball of Covid-19 has destroyed global norms. Many think that after the devastation there will be a bounce back. To Ian Goldin, Professor of Development and Globalisation at the University of Oxford, this is a retrograde notion. He believes that this crisis can create opportunities for change, just as the Second World War forged the ideas behind the Beveridge Report. Published in 1942, it was revolutionary and laid the foundations for the welfare state alongside a host of other social and economic reforms, changing the world for the better. Ian Goldin tackles the challenges and opportunities posed by the pandemic, ranging from globalisation to the future of jobs, income inequality and geopolitics, the climate crisis and the modern city. It is a fresh, bold call for an optimistic future and one we all have the power to create.

Told in alternate voices by the award-winning author of The Joyce Girl, and with recipes that leap to life from the page, The Language of Food by Annabel Abbs is the most thought-provoking and page-turning historical novel you’ll read this year, exploring the enduring struggle for female freedom, the power of female friendship, the creativity and quiet joy of cooking and the poetry of food, all while bringing Eliza Action out of the archives and back into the public eye. On this episode of Pagecast pioneering South African journalist, magazine editor, radio and television presenter, Jennifer Crwys-Williams chats with author Annabel Abbs about her latest novel. England 1835. Eliza Acton is a poet who dreams of seeing her words in print. But when she takes her new manuscript to a publisher, she’s told that ‘poetry is not the business of a lady’. Instead, they want her to write a cookery book. That’s what readers really want from women. England is awash with exciting new ingredients, from spices to exotic fruits. But no one knows how to use them Eliza leaves the offices appalled. But when her father is forced to flee the country for bankruptcy, she has no choice but to consider the proposal. Never having cooked before, she is determined to learn and to discover, if she can, the poetry in recipe writing. To assist her, she hires seventeen-year-old Ann Kirby, the impoverished daughter of a war-crippled father and a mother with dementia. Over the course of ten years, Eliza and Ann developed an unusual friendship that crossed social classes and divides – and, together, they broke the mould of traditional cookbooks and changed the course of cookery writing forever.

Sukhjeet Kaur "Sukh" Ojla is an English stand-up comedian, novelist, playwright and comedy writer. On this episode of Pagecast she chats with fellow author Sara Nisha Adams. Sunny is the queen of living a double life. To her friends, she's the entertaining, eternally upbeat, single one, always on hand to share hilarious and horrifying date stories. But while they're all settling down with long-term partners and mortgages, Sunny is back in her childhood bedroom at thirty, playing the role of the perfect daughter. She spends her time watching the Sikh channel, making saag and samosey with her mum, hiding gins-in-a-tin in her underwear drawer and sneaking home in the middle of the night after dates, trying but failing to find 'the one'. She juggles both lives perfectly . . . on the outside, at least. But when her mum sees a guy dropping Sunny home one evening, Sunny's life gets a little complicated. Now her mum wants to know about the life she's hidden from her for so long. Sunny is well versed in lying to her friends, her family, and, above all, herself. But how long can she keep it up for? Or is it finally time to start being honest? SUNNY by Sukh Ojla is a relatable, moving, and life-affirming novel. It is warm and full of honesty, exploring family, love and mental health. Perfect for fans of Grown-Ups by Marian Keyes and Olive by Emma Gannon.

TWO CULTURES. TWO FAMILIES. TWO PEOPLE. Established South African media personality and bestselling author Joanne Joseph chats with Monica Ali about this exquisite gorgeous, layered and immersive tale of a Bengali Muslim family. Yasmin Ghorami has a lot to be grateful for: a loving family, a fledgling career in medicine, and a charming, handsome fiancée, fellow doctor Joe Sangster. But as the wedding day draws closer and Yasmin's parents get to know Joe's firebrand feminist mother, both families must confront the unravelling of long-held secrets, lies and betrayals. As Yasmin dismantles her assumptions about the people she holds most dear, she's also forced to ask herself what she wants in a relationship and what a 'love marriage' actually means. Love Marriage is a story about who we are and how we love in today's Britain - with all the complications and contradictions of life, desire, marriage and family. What starts as a charming social comedy develops into a heart-breaking and gripping story of two cultures, two families and two people trying to understand one another.

‘Reminds me of Khaled Hosseini, poignant and heartwarming… Simply a beautiful story that had me reading until 3:30 in the morning’ Sarah, NetGalley ‘I am a friend of the bees. Like you.’ ‘So, you have been waiting for me?’ ‘The forest has been waiting for you.’ Pakistan, 1974: The secret-wreathed trees of Harikaya have always called to Hassan. He knows if he doesn’t find the last beekeeper and salvage a precious jar of his mythical black honey before the floods come, his mother will lose her sight. But then he wins a scholarship to study with the state governor in Karachi amidst a brewing storm of political turmoil and simmering espionage. His entire world is turned upside down when he meets Maryam, the governor’s niece visiting from London. All the while the fate of his mother and his promise to the bees calls him back to the forest, and so he must decide: Maryam or the beekeeper, England or Pakistan, his head or his heart. One of the most exciting debuts of 2021, this is a lyrical historical novel of family, friendship, and self-discovery exploring the power of choice in a changing world and love in communion with nature. Perfect for fans of Christy Lefteri, Yann Martel, and Monique Roffey.

‘An author with great skill in crafting a gripping and soul-searching story’ Leah Fleming Cape Town-based radio presenter and book lover Pippa Hudson is in conversation with author Barbara Mutch about her latest book 'The Fire Portrait'. About the book: When Englishwoman Frances McDonald sets up home in a remote hamlet in South Africa in the 1930s, she is regarded with suspicion by the community. Confined by a marriage of convenience, she seeks an outlet by learning the local language, teaching art, and exhibiting her paintings of the stunning veld landscape. Soon the spectre of war threatens to divide not only the country but the town itself and scupper Frances’ hard-won acceptance. When she reunites unexpectedly with a former love and her husband leaves to fight for the Allies, she gains a child but loses her home in a moment that will change her life and send her on a journey from the arid veld to the bright lights of London and beyond. About the author: Barbara Mutch was born and brought up in South Africa, the granddaughter of Irish immigrants. Before embarking on a writing career, she launched and managed a number of businesses both in South Africa and the UK. She is married and has two sons. For most of the year the family lives in Surrey but spends time whenever possible at their home in the Cape. When not writing, Barbara is a pianist, a keen enthusiast of the Cape's birds and landscape or fynbos.

The best-selling author Sara-Jayne Makwala King is in conversation with Sue Nyathi, editor of When Secrets Become Stories. About Sue: Sukoluhle ‘Sue’ Nyathi is a writer by passion and an investment analyst by profession. Sue has written three novels – The Polygamist (2012), The GoldDiggers (2018) and A Family Affair (2020). The GoldDiggers was longlisted for the Barry Ronge Fiction Award and the Dublin Literary Award, while A Family Affair has been longlisted for the Humanities and Social Sciences Award. She also contributed to Black Tax: Burden or Ubuntu? (2019) and Hair: Unpicking and Weaving stories of Identity (2019). Sue lives in Johannesburg. About Sara-Jayne: Sara-Jayne King is a South African journalist and author, whose career spans more than a decade and has taken her across the globe in search of extraordinary people with remarkable stories. About When Secrets Become Stories: She was asking for it. She should have known better. Bekezela (persevere), she was told. It’s because I love you, he said. It’s not that bad, she told herself. In sharing their experiences from girlhood to the boardroom, from Cape Town’s suburbs to the hills of KwaZulu-Natal, women from different walks of life show how chillingly common male violence against women is. Together, their voices form a deafening chorus. Gender-based violence feeds on shame and silence but in this extraordinary collection, brave women reclaim their power and summon the courage in others to do the same. In speaking out, sharing what was once secret, shame’s hold is broken. With contributions by Lorraine Sithole, Desiree-Anne Martin, UCT vice-chancellor Mamokgethi Phakeng, Shafinaaz Hassim, Cathy Park Kelly and Olivia Jasriel, who as a child was sexually abused by tennis star Bob Hewitt. Heart-rending at times, it is the honesty and courage of the writing that truly inspires.

Wilderness guide Sicelo Mbatha shares lessons learnt from a lifetime’s intimate association with Africa’s wildest nature. Black Lion begins in rural South Africa where a deeply traumatic childhood experience – he witnessed his cousin being dragged away by a crocodile – should have turned Sicelo against the surrounding wilderness. Instead, he was irresistibly drawn to it. As a volunteer at Imfolozi Nature Reserve, close encounters with buffalo, lion, elephant and other animals taught him to ‘see’ with his heart and thus began a spiritual awakening. Drawing from his Zulu culture and his own yearning to better understand human’s relationship to nature, Sicelo has forged a new path, disrupting the conventional approach to nature with an immersive, respectful and transformative way of being in the wilderness. Both memoir and philosophical reflection, Black Lion - co-written with environmentalist Bridget Pitt - is his brilliant and profound account of life as a wilderness spiritual guide. As humanity hurtles into the anthropogenic 21st century, Black Lion is an urgent reminder of just how much we need wilderness for our emotional and spiritual survival. 'A brave account of a natural disaster, and of achieving reconciliation with the predatoriness of life.’ Richard Mabey on Sicelo Mbatha's essay, Letting Go, commended for the Irish Moth Nature Writing Prize.

‘A smart, riveting, and deliciously refreshing debut’ LISA JEWELL I am your maid. I know about your secrets. Your dirty laundry. But what do you know about me? Molly the maid is all alone in the world. A nobody. She’s used to being invisible in her job at the Regency Grand Hotel, plumping pillows and wiping away the grime, dust and secrets of the guests passing through. She’s just a maid – why should anyone take notice? But Molly is thrown into the spotlight when she discovers an infamous guest, Mr Black, very dead in his bed. This isn’t a mess that can be easily cleaned up. And as Molly becomes embroiled in the hunt for the truth, following the clues whispering in the hallways of the Regency Grand, she discovers a power she never knew was there. She’s just a maid – but what can she see that others overlook? Escapist, charming and introducing a truly original heroine, The Maid is a story about how everyone deserves to be seen. And how the truth isn’t always black and white – it’s found in the dirtier, grey areas in between…