Franschhoek Literary Festival 2024

A revelatory exploration of climate change from the perspective of wild species and natural ecosystems - an homage to the miraculous, vibrant entity that is life on Earth. The stories we usually tell ourselves about climate change tend to focus on the damage inflicted on human societies by big storms, severe droughts, and rising sea levels. But the most powerful impacts are being and will be felt by the natural world and its myriad species, which are already in the midst of the sixth great extinction. Rising temperatures are fracturing ecosystems that took millions of years to evolve, disrupting the life forms they sustain - and in many cases driving them towards extinction. The natural Eden that humanity inherited is quickly slipping away. Although we can never really know what a creature thinks or feels, The End of Eden invites the reader to meet wild species on their own terms in a range of ecosystems that span the globe. Combining classic natural history, firsthand reportage, and insights from cutting-edge research, Adam Welz brings us close to creatures like moose in northern Maine, parrots in Puerto Rico, cheetahs in Namibia, and rare fish in Australia as they struggle to survive. The stories are intimate yet expansive and always dramatic. An exquisitely written and deeply researched exploration of wild species reacting to climate breakdown, The End of Eden offers a radical new kind of environmental journalism that connects humans to nature in a more empathetic way than ever before and galvanizes us to act in defense of the natural world before it's too late.

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This book of essays written over the last three post-apartheid decades uniquely provides profiles of 104 pan-African figures, mostly from the 1.4 billion-strong African population and its estimated 250 million-strong diaspora in the Americas, Europe and the Caribbean. It thus provides a concise profile of the most important figures of Africa and its diaspora. The profiles also include global Western figures engaging with African issues, assessed from an African perspective. The essays cover, in a multi-disciplinary manner, diverse historical and political figures, technocrats, activists, writers, public intellectuals, musical and film artists, and sporting figures. They acknowledge the continuing legacies and impacts of the twin scourges of slavery and colonialism, but also seek to capture the zeitgeist of the post-apartheid era. The book argues that the culmination of Africa’s liberation struggles was mirrored by similar battles in the Caribbean as well as the American civil rights movement, with all three involving citizens of global Africa.

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At 25 years old, Alexandria Procter became SA's youngest startup tech wunderkind. During her December break from UCT in 2018, from her childhood bedroom, she came up with the idea for DigsConnect. Deeply affected by the violent student protests which swept university campuses in 2016, Alexandria created a website that would address the tumultuous student housing crisis. In 2019 DigsConnect disrupted the local tech terrain by raising R12 million in its first seed fundraising round. DigsConnect has subsequently transformed from being a local student startup, to catapulting into the global fourth industrial revolution. Born in a small town in the Eastern Cape, Alexandria's school career was characterized by defiance, rebellion and Friday afternoon detentions. Never one to toe the line, this is the unique and inspiring story of a girl who dared to dream big. While UPSTART is a deeply personal memoir, it also offers priceless business insights and advice around startups and new tech.

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Spanning from present day until the near future, this novel tells the story of three men facing the rapid unravelling of their world, due to cataclysmic climate collapse. Luthando’s environmental activism leads to a clash with the government. His life partner, Viwe, becomes embroiled in religious end-of-days fanaticism. And their friend Malcolm worries that his work in biotech augmentation will be used for sinister purposes. A story about resilience and our capacity for love in the face of fear.

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In 1994, Nelson Mandela powered the ANC to victory in South Africa’s first democratic election. Thirty years later, the ANC is fighting to escape political liquidation.How did we get here and who will rule South Africa next?In this gripping and fast-paced account of the state of the nation, 30 years after South Africa became a democracy, award-winning journalists Adriaan Basson and Qaanitah Hunter forensically track the demise of the ANC, from Mandela to Ramaphosa, and the rise of a new political class that will determine the next phase of South Africa’s democracy.Drawing on years of reporting from the front line, Basson and Hunter highlight how corruption and greed subsumed a liberation movement by turning a party of freedom fighters into one of villains. They track the ANC’s involvement in corruption and underhand dealings, from the arms deal to state capture to the dollars-in-the-sofa Phala Phala scandal.A close examination of Cyril Ramaphosa’s first term in office shows how his bold promises to turn around the ANC’s fortunes amounted to little. The book reveals previously unpublished material detailing Ramaphosa’s failures of governance and inability to address the party’s decline.Basson and Hunter map out the likely scenarios for a coalition government after the 2024 election and what it will mean for the country if politicians such as John Steenhuisen, Julius Malema or Herman Mashaba gain access to the Union Buildings.​Who Will Rule South Africa? is a must-read for everyone who cares about the country’s future.

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In 2018, Alastair McAlpine, a palliative paediatrician in Cape Town, decided to share some inspiring thoughts from the children in his care. He posted: ‘I asked some of my terminal paediatric palliative care patients what they had enjoyed in life, and what gave it meaning. Kids can be so wise, y’know. Here are some of the responses.’ Their simple yet profound answers went viral, found their way into homes across the world and touched the hearts of millions. Yet it was never McAlpine’s plan to find himself in this position. Challenged from all sides by crippling addiction, a brutal internship and a deadly HIV pandemic, McAlpine’s journey was very nearly derailed. Prescription: Ice Cream is his engaging memoir about the highs and lows of working as a medical doctor in South Africa and how, with a little help from metal music and ice cream, he was able to struggle on, find meaning in the chaos and inspire others.

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In December 2010, in Port Elizabeth, Andy Kawa was abducted, attacked and raped for 15 hours at Kings Beach. Her attackers were never caught. She successfully sued the police for failing to properly investigate her attack. In November 2018, Port Elizabeth Judge Sarah Sephton found police officers were 'grossly negligent' in the performance of their duties with regards to her case both in the search for her and subsequent investigation. The police appealed the judgement. For Kawa, this is not just a fight for herself, but a fight for all SA women. She has said that many cases are rejected by the courts because of poor, or a lack of, evidence. With the scourge of femicide in South Africa, this is simply unacceptable. Accountability is missing in the chain of justice itself. This brave and vulnerable memoir shows how this successful businesswoman's life was shattered by the brutal attack on her and how the police have thwarted her quest for justice for a decade.

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'Uplifting and utterly defiant' Matt Nixson, Daily Express 'Immediate and important ... This is an insider's account of how an ordinary life became extraordinary' Helen Davies, The Times'At first we did not understand what war was. You can't understand it until you see it and hear it.'As Russian forces build up beyond the Ukrainian borders and the prospect of war becomes a devastating reality, Andrey Kurkov chronicles the shocking impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Part political and historical commentary, part personal journal, Kurkov explores the fraught interrelation of Russian and Ukrainian history, the complicated coexistence of their languages, and in describing how a peaceful society defies occupation, the author builds an image of a culture which, contrary to Putin's claims, is unique and democratic, liberal and diverse, one that will 'resist to the end'.Redirecting his satirical flair to paint a defiant portrait of his compatriots, Kurkov tells of a people united against erasure. Bread is baked and shared in the ruins. An amputee is carried aboard an evacuating train, grandmothers escape occupied towns with their noisome roosters. And despite the networks of toloka, of community work for common good, being stretched to breaking point, and the embittering reticence of some European nations to make good their promises of aid and armaments, hope channels its perennial resistance: children are born deep within besieged cities and farmers go on working the fields made lethal by unexploded shells. Kurkov braids his personal story with those of other displaced Ukrainians and the communities that have gone to extraordinary lengths to care for them. Showing an irrepressible spirit, they 'wait for the moment when it will be safe to return,' he writes, 'just as I am waiting.'

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‘Why can you not be friends anymore?’It was the story of his country, he supposed. Perhaps they could have been friends. Perhaps they were once. The reasons were complex, full of feeling, disappointment, resentment. And, of course, betrayal. This was the Middle East after all.Avi Dahan, a retired detective mourning his beloved wife in Tel Aviv, and Khalid Mansour, a Palestinian doctor confronting the precarious reality of living in Gaza City, are still reeling from the political fallout that jeopardised their delicate friendship. When a mysterious corpse scarred by history and forbidden love shows up in Khalid’s emergency room, he reaches out to Avi for help. Though the detective is the only one who might be able to assist, he is the last person on earth to agree …The stage is set for Andrew Brown’s unforgettable new novel, The Bitterness of Olives.Did it really matter? In the face of chaos, was it important how she had died? That was the guidance he needed from Avi now. He needed to understand that question: did it matter anymore? Was it of any significance, how you died in a war?

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Fortunately for journalist and PR maven Lucy Khambule, the alarming news, in January 2006, that her nemesis might once more be on the loose has proved to be false. Charred remains in a prison pipe-shaft, along with a suicide note, are confirmation that convicted serial killer Dingiswayo is dead. Once Detective Justice Morapedi brings her a copy of the note to compare with the letters the killer wrote to her, Lucy tries to put her unease aside. A year on, Lucy is flying high in her life and career. Her book on Dingiswayo is abestseller, she is in demand for talks and interviews, and her company has been chosen as part of the team organising glamorous events around the Preliminary Draw to take place at the Durban International Convention Centre ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. But who is the person stalking her on Facebook? And what should be made of the gruesome ‘copycat’ murders of two young women at the Reed Dance in the neighboring kingdom of Swaziland? Is this the work of an ex-convict on a deadly mission or are there other dangers lurking?

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“Ons is nou te ver om gedane sake om te draai, maar as jy vandag hier met my saam-kom, moet jy weet daar gaan ’n geheim op jou skouers kom rus wat nie vir tjênners bedoel is nie.” Daar is mense wie se lewens van die begin af anders verloop. Sulke mense se liefde lê nie op die gewone plekke en paaie nie, maar juis daar waar min ooit die\ moed sal hê om hul toekoms te gaan haal. Twalie is die enigste meisiekind onder die eksentrieke Albrechts wat in ’n dorre landskap om oorlewing veg. Hulle is ’n geharde, eenkant gesin vol geheime. Twalie se pa verwerp haar en haar ma maak haar gedurig stil. Dan red die Namavrou Letgoed haar uit ’n sandstorm en leer haar die geheime van Die Poort, wat tydens die heuningmaan ’n magiese plek word. Hier maak tyd soms ’n deur agtertoe oop … Twa die Tydloper is ’n aangrypende roman oor een mens se groei wat lesers sal meevoer en met nuwe oë na die wêreld om hulle sal laat kyk.

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  For the past decade, Arthur Goldstuck has had a front-row seat to witness the remarkable rise of AI across all sectors of business and society. As generative AI becomes a household phrase and sparks hopes and fears of machines augmenting or replacing human beings, this guide offers an invaluable overview of the past, present and future of AI. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to AI is aimed at both beginners and those who consider themselves experienced or skilled at using AI. It draws on many years of direct access to global and regional leaders in using AI, from Africa to the Middle East to North America to Europe and Asia, and it provides unique perspectives on generative AI, as well as practical advice for using it. It is useful for consumers, academics, professionals and anyone in business who wants to get up to speed quickly and practically. It also entertains and inspires anyone who is curious about AI or already engaged in its possibilities. Need to understand or refine prompting? You’re in the right place. Need to prepare for the coming impact of AI on health, travel, education and business? This is the book for you.

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From the acclaimed author of The List and Songs and Secrets, At Fire Hour is a sweeping, soulful novel that tells the story of Bhekisizwe Makhatini, a young black South Africa writer, detained and forced into exile, who undergoes a creative writing masters in the UK and military training with the ANC in Angola and in the Soviet Union, and faces the angst of choosing between his writing and his passionate desire to pit his new military skills against the apartheid regime. But Makhatini faces another challenge – suspicion by his ANC comrades that he was released from detention in return for spying on the ANC, that lingers throughout his exile life and beyond. But, is he a sellout? In the words of Mandla Langa: Despite its celebration of other writers, musicians, poets – the cultural workers, to use the parlance of the liberation movement – this, in the end is a story of betrayal and intrigue and, like Gilder’s earlier works, especially, The List, is a novel that dredges up the shameful betrayals by people whose actions precipitated incalculable losses and reversals. The writer takes a lot of risks in telling this story, going deep into his imagination to recreate a series of landscapes which form the staging grounds for acts of courage, love, commitment and of course, the very obverse side of this coin. For verisimilitude, he recreates platforms, such as the Culture and Resistance Conference that took place in 1982 in Gaborone, Botswana; Culture in Another South Africa (CASA) in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 1987, to name a few. The scenes are believable for the simple reason that the writer was present in almost all these arenas and captures the texture of the interactions among the vast gallery of players. He reconstructs conversations between the attendees, for instance, in Amsterdam writers such as the late Lewis Nkosi and Wally Serote exchange views with Bheki Makhathini and his partner Pumla, an underground agent of the ANC.

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CAPTIVATING LOVE STORIES CELEBRATED AND RETOLDTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER AND GLOBAL HITAs seen on BBC2 Between the Covers'Perfection in short story form. So rarely is love expressed this richly, this vividly, or this artfully.' CANDICE CARTY-WILLIAMS'Beautifully written and full of joy. Bolu Babalola is a star.' MEG CABOT'Here is love as freedom, love as deep joy. Romance will never be dead, as long as Bolu is writing it.' JESSIE BURTONBolu Babalola takes the most beautiful love stories from history and mythology and rewrites them with incredible new detail and vivacity in her debut collection. Focusing on the magical folktales of West Africa, Babalola also reimagines iconic Greek myths, ancient legends from the Middle East, and stories from countries that no longer exist in our world. A high-born Nigerian goddess feels beaten down and unappreciated by her gregarious lover and longs to be truly seen.A young businesswoman attempts to make a great leap in her company, and an even greater one in her love life.A powerful Ghanaian spokeswoman is forced to decide whether to uphold her family's politics, or to be true to her heart.Whether captured in the passion of love at first sight, or realising that self-love takes precedent over the latter, the characters in these vibrant stories try to navigate this most complex human emotion and understand why it holds them hostage.Moving exhilaratingly across perspectives, continents and genres, from the historic to the vividly current, Love in Colour is a celebration of romance in all of its forms.PRAISE FOR LOVE IN COLOUR:'Captivating.' Vice'Smart and joyful, witty and heartbreaking.' Stylist'Epic.' Bustle'Vibrant.' Refinery29 'Brilliant and beautiful.' Net-a-Porter

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⭐ A REESE'S BOOK CLUB AND TIKTOK BOOK CLUB PICK ⭐'Hilarious, hot and heartfelt' MEG CABOT' Gorgeously written and heart-meltingly romantic' BETH O'LEARY 'Romantic, sexy, fun, delicious and important' MARIAN KEYES Sisters, beware the 'Wasteman of Whitewell' . . .As host of radio show Brown Sugar, Kiki Banjo's mission is to protect her listeners from heartbreak. Which puts Whitewell College's newest student, handsome 'player' Malakai Korede, at the top of her hitlist. But when Kiki's dream summer internship in New York depends on finding a fresh angle for her radio show, she must make an unlikely bargain with Malakai himself - to put their simmering clashes aside to form a fake relationship, something sweet and spicy enough to win over the whole campus. However, close proximity to the notorious heartbreaker brings everything Kiki thought she knew about her own heart into question. Why does throwing out her stringent romantic rulebook suddenly so tempting? Will she find it in her to resist? A fresh, utterly addictive rom-com from Sunday Times bestselling author Bola Babalola, Honey & Spice is full of delicious tension and romantic intrigue that will make you weak at the knees. 'Romance will never be dead, as long as Bolu is writing it' JESSIE BURTON' Everything you could ever want from a romance and more - the vibes are simply immaculate' ZOELLA 'Charming and funny' OBSERVER 'The book many have been waiting for' LIZZIE DAMILOLA BLACKBURN 'Kiki compares her feelings for Malakai as like swallowing a star. That's a bit how I felt after reading this messy but joyful book' THE TIMES 'Breathes new life into the genre with its vibrant characters and sexy, authentic voice' RED 'Smart, sexy and energetic' EMMA GANNON 'This book is so addictive' ANNIE LORD WHY READERS LOVE HONEY & SPICE 'Sweet and spicy' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'How modern chick flicks should, and probably will, look like' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'Warm, funny and sweet. I see a lot of myself & experiences in the main character Kiki - and we love that kind of representation' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'Funny, hot, thought-provoking' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

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South Africa stands at the edge of a precipice. Almost thirty years after its first democratic election, poor policy and rampant corruption have left the country standing on the brink of becoming a failed state. In this thought-provoking book, Bronwyn Williams interviews a diverse group of public intellectuals, business leaders, and political mavericks to discuss tangible ways South Africa can rescue itself from itself. Through a series of illuminating conversations, a group of independent thinkers explore the root causesof South Africa’s problems and offer insightful – and radical – ways of how to solve them. From addressing land reform and economic development to rooting out corruption and overhauling political institutions, the conversations in this book come together as a roadmap towards a better South Africa that leaves no one behind. Whilethe challenges facing the young democracy are immense, these experts provide hope and inspiration towards productive actions we can take together to build a brighter future. For anyone interested in understanding the complex issues facing South Africa today and how they can be addressed, Rescuing Our Republic is essential reading. It is a powerful reminder that the fate of a nation is not predetermined; that individuals, citizens and corporations still have powerful agency and that when that agency is directed towards the right ideas and actions, South Africa can still realise its full potential.

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Vimbai, a final-year law student at the University of Zimbabwe, is determined not to join the long line of unemployed graduates. She'd would rather trade sexual favours to get a job than go back to living with her aunt-turned-stepmother. Unlike her roommate, Nosihle, she prides herself on being pragmatic. Nosihle is the good girl who mistakenly falls in love with the wrong man and then there’s Ruby, the spoilt socialite who is leading a double life. Through their messy choices, their lives become intertwined. Vimbai is looking for someone who can offer her the opulence and grandeur of the Sunshine City. Even if it means sleeping with Cheropa, the former first son and Ruby’s boyfriend. It’s a dog-eat-dog world after all. But Vimbai soon learns that every action has a consequence and some ofour wishes come to haunt us when we are at our happiest. Her carefully orchestrated life takes a nosedive when her secrets are held against her by a mysterious well-connected man.

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THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER BOOK OF THE YEAR AT THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS SHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA FIRST NOVEL AWARD LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 'A deliciously funny, characterful, topical and thrilling novel for our times' Bernardine Evaristo, winner of the Booker Prize 'Brilliant, timely, funny, heartbreaking' Jojo Moyes 'A must-read novel about sex, selfhood, and the best friendships that get us through it all' Candace Bushnell, author of Sex and the City Queenie is a twenty-five-year-old Black woman living in south London, straddling Jamaican and British culture whilst slotting neatly into neither. She works at a national newspaper where she's constantly forced to compare herself to her white, middle-class peers, and beg to write about Black Lives Matter. After a messy break up from her long-term white boyfriend, Queenie finds herself seeking comfort in all the wrong places. As Queenie veers from one regrettable decision to another, she finds herself wondering, What are you doing? Why are you doing it? Who do you want to be? - the questions that every woman today must face in a world that keeps trying to provide the answers for them. A darkly comic and bitingly subversive take on life, love, race and family, Queenie will have you nodding in recognition, crying in solidarity and rooting for this unforgettable character every step of the way. A disarmingly honest, boldly political and truly inclusive tale that will speak to anyone who has gone looking for love and acceptance and found something very different in its place. ******This book has been printed with two different colour designs, gold and pink. We are unable to accept requests for a specific cover. The different covers will be assigned to orders at random****** LONGLISTED FOR THE JHALAK PRIZE SHORTLISTED FOR WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR SHORTLISTED FOR FOYLES BOOK OF THE YEAR SHORTLISTED FOR COMEDY WOMAN IN PRINT PRIZE 2020 BLACKWELL'S DEBUT NOVEL OF THE YEAR NAMED ONE OF THE TIMES, GUARDIAN, SUNDAY TIMES, DAILY MAIL AND EVENING STANDARD'S BEST BOOKS OF 2019

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People Person is a triumph. Caleb Azumah Nelson | Wonderful. Marian Keyes | I loved it. Sara CollinsTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER FROM THE BRITISH BOOK AWARD WINNING AUTHOR OF QUEENIEIf you could choose your family, you wouldn't choose the Penningtons Dimple, Nikisha, Danny, Lizzie and Prynce are half-siblings who don't have much in common except abandonment issues. But when a catastrophic event forces them to reconnect with each other and with Cyril Pennington, the absent father they never really knew, things start to get complicated fast . . . People Person is a propulsive story of heart, humour and homecoming, about the true nature of family and the complexities of belonging.

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Aged eighteen, Caster Semenya shot to fame on the global sporting stage for her blistering speed. But shrouding her monumental win were fierce rumours about her physical body rather than her phenomenal performance. Called ‘a threat to the sport’ and ‘not woman enough’, she found herself at the centre of the debate around the newly drawn line between gender and sport. Throughout the intense speculation, harmful rumours and long legal battle she has remained quiet, letting her running do the talking until she was banned from competing and defending her Olympic title in 2020. Now, Caster is ready to own her story and tell it in full. In this book, Caster speaks openly about growing up in a loving family and community that never regarded her as different, just Caster; of her early years understanding her agency, sexuality and athletic ability; and of her infectious spirit and tenacity to be the best. Told with conviction and humour, The Race To Be Myself is the story of a life lived in the spotlight, a manifesto for acceptance and change for all. This is the unforgettable story of one of the most recognisable athletes in the world, and of a woman’s journey to run free.

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Journalist Caryn Dolley has spent years tracing the footprints of kingpins from across the world. Through examining police investigations and court documents, interviews with countless sources, and painstakingly tracking arrests, she pieces together a puzzle showing how different criminal empires have overlapped, merged and clashed in South Africa.

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In 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day the Knitting and Crochet Revolution, a decade of phenomenal growth of an international non-profit organisation is recorded. With a Foreword by Sello Hatang, former CEO of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, and a letter from Graça Machel in the Preface, the book shows how the simple gift of a handmade blanket has had a profound effect on the lives of many. Accompanied by the story of Nelson Mandela’s life, the experiences and views of those who made the blankets are recorded, as well as those who received them and the many organisations and people who contributed to the project over the ten years from December 2013 to 2022. During this period, 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day set four Guinness World Records by 2019, enabled hundreds of prisoners in correctional centres to contribute positively to society, and assisted with emergency relief to those in need after the devasting Cyclone Idai. What emerges clearly from the stories in this book is how thousands of people have been empowered through their involvement in this movement, and how their lives were changed by the simple act of giving or receiving a blanket. A non-profit organisation, 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day was founded by Carolyn Steyn in 2014. Challenged by Zelda La Grange to make 67 blankets as a contribution to Mandela Day in December 2013, Carolyn turned to friends and family to help her realise this target. The organisation has mobilised thousands of active members in South Africa and around the world to make blankets and scarves for distribution to those in need.

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Finding your way is never a simple journey… Alice sees the worst in people. She also sees the best.She sees a thousand different emotions and knows exactly what everyone around her is feeling.Every. Single. Day. But it’s the dark thoughts.The sadness. The rage.These are the things she can’t get out of her head. The things that overwhelm her. Where will the journey to find herself begin? Everyone loves In a Thousand Different Ways… ‘Ahern makes Alice’s plight touchingly convincing . . . [her] pain is raw on the page’ The Times ‘An extraordinary and truly original story – a must read this month’ Prima ‘Stunning’ Irish Independent ‘Beautiful, moving and unexpected, In a Thousand Different ways is an unforgettable story. This is Cecelia Ahern at her very best’ Louise O’Neill ‘Utterly wonderful . . . Cecelia Ahern is a master storyteller at the absolute peak of her powers. Her heroine, Alice Kelly, is completely unique – beguiling, complicated, extraordinary – and she’ll change the way you see the world’ Clare Pooley ‘A novel that’s so wise and profound, there’s gold on every page’ Donal Ryan ‘I can’t remember the last time I felt so invested in a character’s future; I was willing Alice on, with every page. This is such a poignant, quirky and satisfying story about taking charge of one’s life – and (like Alice’s pot plants) thriving, despite the odds’ Susan Fletcher ‘So original and compelling and heartbreaking, but also heartwarming . . . Alice is right up my street . . . that gorgeous blend of strength and vulnerability’ Ciara Geraghty ‘Highly original, fresh and exciting’ Hazel Gaynor ‘I loved this novel . . . a rich tapestry, full of characters seeking love and acceptance on their life’s journey’ Patricia Scanlan ‘Such a beautiful, tender and moving story’ Sinead Moriarty Cecelia Ahern's book In a Thousand Different Ways was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 17-04-2023

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Meaningful and moving – the classic million-copy bestselling love story from Cecelia Ahern. Some people wait their whole lives to find their soul mates. But not Holly and Gerry. Childhood sweethearts, they could finish each other’s sentences. No one could ever imagine them without each other. When Gerry dies, Holly is devastated. But Gerry has left her a bundle of notes, one for each month of her year, each signed 'PS, I Love You'. As the notes are opened, the man who knows Holly better than anyone teaches her that life goes on. With some help from friends and family, Holly laughs, cries and finds that life is for living – but it helps if there's someone watching over you.

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Discover this 5-star read: ‘Wow’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Heartwarming’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Uplifting’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Thought-provoking’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐’One of those rare, special and unique heroines’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A joy to read’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ What if the people who have the power to change your life are the ones who have been there all along… Like stars in the night sky, freckles are scattered across Allegra Bird’s arms, a legacy from her beloved father. Her legacy from her mother is more complicated – until one question from a stranger inspires a change. What if it isn’t about fitting in, but finding the people who make you who you are? Who would those people be? As she searches for connection, Allegra is about to find out that it is our differences that make life worth living – if only someone can help you to join the dots . . . Praise for Freckles ‘Fans will adore this heart-warming story about loneliness and connection’ Daily Mail ‘Funny, thought-provoking and original’ Mirror ‘A warm and bittersweet tale about finding yourself through family and friendship’ Sunday Telegraph ‘An endearing story of human frailty, connection and growth’ Irish Independent ‘Everything a greedy reader wants: a moving story, absorbing characters, engaging writing and as much of a page-turner as you’d expect’ Irish Times ‘Ahern was born to write and her books to be read by all’ My Weekly ‘Fresh and timely… asking bolding what and who make us who we are, Freckles manages to team wit and wisdom harmoniously’ Echo ‘A beautiful, hopeful book when the world needs hope most… inspiring, life-affirming and full of insight’ Cathy Kelly Cecelia Ahern’s previous novel Postscript was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 16th September 2019.

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Amma is die verhaal van Charmaine Africa wat grootword in Bishop Lavis teen die agtergrond van apartheid in ’n armoedige, apolitiese familie. Sy volg in die voetspore van haar ouma en haar ma met ’n onwrikbare doel: om haar familie bymekaar te hou terwyl alles uitmekaar val. Charmaine Africa is ’n skrywer wat stip in die afgrond in kyk, en dan iets sê om die afgrond hardop te laat lag. Dié is ’n memoir wat diep in die lyf van elke leser gaan sit.

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The thrilling story of the conservationist who pioneered the use of dogs in combating poachers to protect wildlife in South Africa’s game reserves. Barely out of his teens, one of Conraad’s first brushes with the reality of life at the frontline of conservation was when he shot the leader of a poaching gang during an ambush in Windy Ridge game reserve. Much of Con’s work involving dogs is a continuous struggle against industrial-scale bushmeat poachers, who strangle game in snares, an even greater threat to wildlife than rhino horn poachers as the overburdened courts seem interested only in endangered species. He also works to catch poachers of critically endangered pangolins, the most trafficked animal in the world. Con decided to use his almost telepathic rapport with dogs to tackle the poaching crisis sweeping South Africa. His first anti-poaching dog, a Weimaraner named Zingela, became an inseparable companion. Zingela saved Conraad’s life on numerous occasions – once when Conraad was about to be assassinated by two fellow rangers hired by poachers. Con’s story is an epic of modern-day African wildlife conservation, spiced with adventure, courage and romance.

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Writer Daniel Hawthorne is packing up his mother’s house in Johannesburg when he hears about the disappearance of Sam Webster, the beautiful daughter of his friend, the famous historian Bruce Webster. When the body of Sam appears briefly on the banks of the flooded Buffalo River, Daniel decides to visit the Websters’ luxury lodge in the heart of Zululand. Under the guise of researching a new novel about his disgraced ancestor, the lepidopterist Lieutenant Charles Hawthorne, who fought in the Battle of iSandlwana, Daniel starts to investigate the reasons for Sam’s disappearance. The lines between loyalty and betrayal, love and hate, cowardice and courage, redemption and shame, soon become blurred as Daniel gets closer to the truth. Written in Craig Higginson’s masterful prose, The Ghost of Sam Webster is at once a war novel, a murder mystery, a multi-layered love story and a robust reassertion of what it is to remain human during the most challenging times.

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Since populist factions claim to be the people, judges confronting them do not just decide against the people; they are against the people. The judiciary faces a barrage of attacks not just from the ruling ANC but from other political parties clamouring for power. There comes a predictable phase in the cycle of politics where this is most likely to occur. Dan Mafora provides much-needed insight.

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‘Engaging and absorbing, a tale about exploring the cold told withmuch warmth.’ – Mick Herron ‘Tender, heartfelt and lyrical.’ - Petina Gappah ‘Beautiful, thrilling, heroic and kind.’ – Claire Robertson. When Ernest Shackleton’s ship Endurance was discovered below the Antarctic ice in March 2022, 106 years after it sank, the world thrilled anew with one of the greatest survival stories of all time. Acclaimed South African writer Darrel Bristow-Bovey has a deeply personal relationship with the story of Endurance and in this lyrical journey into past and present, into humanity and the natural world, above and below the Antarctic ice, he revisits the famous story wondering why it seems to mean more today than ever before. Drawing on literature, natural history, personal memoir and the thrilling epics of polar adventure, this is a celebration of the human spirit. If this story tells us anything, it’s that in the face of self-inflicted natural disaster, we can still pull off a miracle or two. From the bottom of the Weddell Sea, Endurance still whispers that not all is lost, and not forever.

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Rassie Erasmus has been called a genius. He’s been called reckless. All his life, he’s done things differently. Now, with his trademark candour, Rassie talks openly about his adventures and misadventures. He reveals the turmoil of living with an alcoholic father and growing up in the conservative town of Despatch. He looks back on an exemplary career as a player, whose innate rugby instincts, ability to read a game differently, and appetite for hard work set him apart. While his teammates relaxed, he preferred to watch hours of video to devise winning strategies. When given the opportunity to lead his country as Springbok captain, he refused this honour. Rassie recalls how he became an important cog in Nick Mallett’s record-breaking Springbok team of the late 1990s. He remembers the anguish of the 1999 World Cup and the devastating injuries that cut short his playing career. He discusses his revolutionary coaching methods, which were initially laughed off and then eagerly adopted, how he fought the rugby establishment at the Stormers and earned the grudging respect of Irish fans at Munster. Rassie talks about his greatest contribution to South African rugby, appointing its first black captain, Siya Kolisi, without much fanfare or controversy, as his bold plans for effective racial transformation of the national team achieved immediate success, culminating in triumph at the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Readers will enjoy the behind-the-scenes information about interactions and controversies and previously untold stories from a truly maverick life.

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The sparkling debut children’s novel from David Walliams, number one bestseller and fastest growing children’s author in the country, with sparkling new cover look to tie in with later books. Dennis was different. Why was he different, you ask? Well, a small clue might be in the title of this book… Charming, surprising and hilarious – The Boy in the Dress is everything you would expect from the co-creator of Little Britain. David Walliams’s beautiful first novel will touch the hearts (and funny bones) of children and adults alike.

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Enter a world of superheroes and villains in this action-packed comic caper from No.1 bestselling author David Walliams – and meet Robodog: the future of crime fighting! Welcome to the city of Bedlam. Enter if you dare! Bedlam is one of the most dangerous places on Earth – home to a host of wicked villains. Nothing and nobody is safe from these evil criminals. The city needs its own superhero to defeat the supervillains. But who? Robodog! He’s the newest recruit at the Police Dog School, and supercharged for adventure. But can he stop the most feared duo in Bedlam, and their evil plans to ruin the city . . .? David Walliams was most recently Overall Market bestseller with Spaceboy (TCM chart: week ending 8 October 2022)

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Another hilarious and moving novel from David Walliams, number one bestseller and fastest growing children’s author in the country. A story of prejudice and acceptance, funny lists and silly words, this new book has all the hallmarks of David’s previous bestsellers. Our hero Ben is bored beyond belief after he is made to stay at his grandma’s house. She’s the boringest grandma ever: all she wants to do is to play Scrabble, and eat cabbage soup. But there are two things Ben doesn’t know about his grandma. 1) She was once an international jewel thief. 2) All her life, she has been plotting to steal the Crown Jewels, and now she needs Ben’s help…

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‘Walliams balances high comedy with an emotional message’ Daily Mail ‘Walliams does comedy with profound, genuine heart’ Guardian From No. 1 bestselling author David Walliams – an extraordinarily brilliant and rollicking mystery adventure illustrated by artistic genius, Tony Ross, and the sequel to the much-loved Gangsta Granny. Ben is getting used to life without his beloved granny. She was a cabbage enthusiast, a Scrabble partner… and an international jewel thief known as The Black Cat. Now, only the memory of their extraordinary adventure to steal the Crown Jewels lives on. Then something inexplicable happens. World-famous treasures are stolen in the dead of night and the clues point to none other than The Black Cat? But that’s impossible…? Expect the unexpected in this wonderfully entertaining and laugh-out-loud adventure, which will have readers on the edge of their seats as they join Ben on his quest to unravel the mystery of the return of The Black Cat. This first ever sequel from David Walliams will delight new fans, as well as the millions of readers that have loved Gangsta Granny.

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From million-copy bestselling author David Walliams comes a laugh-out-loud animal space adventure.Chump the chimpanzee was always being silly. He would:- make rude noises from BOTH ENDS…- pick his nose with his little toe…- eat the skins of bananas, hurling out the tasty part inside.NASA’s scientists thought he’d be the PERFECT chimp to send into space. Little did Chump know that he had been selected for a deadly-dangerous mission. If a chimp could orbit Earth, then chances were a human could too.With Chump the chimp at the controls of a spacecraft, what could possibly go wrong?As it turned out, EVERYTHING.Blast off with Chump, and encounter dog space pirates, evil insects, and the silliest chimpanzee who ever lived in this wildly funny space opera, fully illustrated in fantastic colour.

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n the beginning there is nothing. Breath stirring a blank sea. Vagueshapes beneath the surface. An old, blurred bone, a chiselled stone, cluesin the midden. There’s that deep feeling, the yearning, slow burn. Somethingincomplete or missing insists, lodged like a wedge. Something tugs, aligns,sets you facing a specific direction − discovers a woman lying in a road,another standing beside her dead mother, a man who finds salvation in abottle, one who feels invincible, risking everything, and one who dies thirty years after an attempt on his life. The writer traverses the dream, her fingers sleepwalking over thekeyboard. Seeking momentary relief, the feeling of completion. Even as the hand lifts to write the first line, there is no clear idea of what will emerge. Look around. You think we intended this?

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What do I know? I know white people. I know loss. I know arrogance and disaster, natural and unnatural. I know the mythical sometimes crosses in and descends on us in our extremity like heat mist, like haze. Let me write my story about the man Malan, who is contracted to build a dam in Zimbabwe. Let me write about the collapse of our projects, of our expectations and desires, and about the things that are given to us in their place. The gifts of suffering. The gifts of apocalypse. Let me write about his little boy who died before him, about mermaids and sour worms and the great snake, Nehushtan, about all the creatures who crowd around us unseen on the earth. All you red-faced men of my youth, with your moustaches and your beer boeps and your vulnerable eyes: here is your story. “Mesmerising, at times shocking, and teeming with honesty, wit, razor-sharp prose and gasp-inducing insights, it’s no exaggeration to say that this is the finest and bravest collection of short stories I’ve ever read.” – Sarah Lotz

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This riveting study shows how the intersection of technology and politics has shaped South African history since the 1960s. It is impossible to understand South Africa’s energy crisis without knowing this history. Faeeza Ballim’s deeply researched book challenges many prevailing assumptions and beliefs made regarding the crisis. The book highlights the importance of technology to our understanding of South African history and challenges the idea that the technological state corporations were proxies for the apartheid government. While a part of the broader national modernization project under apartheid, these corporations also set the stage for worker solidarity and trade union organization in the Waterberg and elsewhere in the country. Faeeza Ballim argues that the state corporations, their technology, and their engineers enjoyed ambivalent relationships with the governments of their time. And in the democratic era, while Eskom has been caught up in the scourge of government corruption, it has retained a degree of organizational autonomy and offered a degree of resistance to those who were attempting further corrupt practices.

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'We know you know. Talk and you’re next.'Bishop Jeremiah Dawodu, pastor of a Nigerian megachurch, has been arrested and charged with the murder of his wife, Folasade, the 'First Lady' of the church. The arrest was public, humiliating and sensational - sending shockwaves through Lagos - but throughout it all, Bishop Dawodu maintains his innocence.Philip Taiwo, an acclaimed investigative psychologist, is asked by his sister, a member of the church's congregation, to clear the pastor’s name. With no actual body, it looks to be a simple case and despite Philip’s dislike of organised religion, he agrees to take it on as a favour to his sister. Then the First Lady's body is found in a nearby lake just as Philip’s beloved family come under attack from someone warning him off the case, and he realises that nothing to do with this investigation will be straightforward.Was it murder or suicide? Is someone framing the Bishop or the First Lady?Gaslight is the sensational follow up to Femi Kayode's acclaimed debut, Lightseekers, picked as a Book of the Month by the Times, Sunday Times, Independent, Guardian, Observer, Financial Times and Irish Times

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A vicious attack. Hidden perpetrators. An ordinary family. Aalia In the aftermath of the worst terrorist attack on US soil since 9/11, FBI Special Agent in Charge Aalia Knox and her team come under intense pressure to locate and arrest the ringleaders. But their targets are survivalists, skilled at melting into the forests of the Pacific Northwest, where they recognise no outside authority, state or federal. Becca Becca Abrahamson is a woman with a secret. She might look like just another suburban Monterey mother, but her ties to the survivalist community run deep. The FBI will go to any lengths to incriminate her in the terrorist attack, while she will stop at nothing to protect her family. As the country shudders in the wake of the brutal attack on a business park, long-buried secrets emerge as the FBI seeks justice for the lives lost.

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Late at night, I count down from the scar in my memory to where I am now, to where I will one day be. Four months today. In another six years and eight months, no partof me will have touched any part of you. And then I think, I will be fully recovered. Re-covered. Sometimes while I count, I cry. Very briefly. It means nothing. I consider all the words I have access to and finally write ‘help’ and slip it under the door of the empty room, along with a blank page and a pen.

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Oor hierdie boek: “Jy huil, jy lag. Jy belééf.” – Anastasia de Vries“Een voet innie kabr isse boek wat ooloep met mystery, beauty, pyn en humour. Fredericks skryf ’n wêreld oep wat min gesien wôd in Afrikaans, en nog minner soe intimately en honestly.” – Nathan Trantraal Dié boek kry dit reg om peripheral characters en vertellers oppie voorgrond te plaas. Die tailor-dokter met sy briefcase vol sample-lappe, maatband en pen. Die pyn vanne vrou wat haar pasgebore tweeling moet begrawe. Ennie stryd vannie pligsgetroue, prim en proper Mareldia. En dan is daar oek Ghoemeira wat tradisionele waardes mettie modern moet versoen. Hier hoor jy die klanke vannie gemeenskap, musky en soet soes ryke uit die Jannat.   

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Why do some states thrive, grow their economies and uplift their people, while others, facing similar challenges, slide into low growth, social dysfunction and failure? After decades of work on the ground in Africa, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, bestselling author Greg Mills seeks to provide answers in Rich State, Poor State. After decades of work on the ground in Africa, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, bestselling author Greg Mills seeks to provide answers in Rich State, Poor State. On each continent he traverses, Mills interrogates the how and why. How did Botswana go from being one of the least-developed and poorest nations at independence to enjoying the highest rate of per capita growth of any country in the world? Why has South Africa failed to attain similar heights? How did the Baltic states achieve reforms that have positioned them among the best-performing economies in Europe? How did Vietnam overcome a traumatic past in favour of a rapid and positive development transformation? Why is Mexico the only large developing economy that competes with China in manufacturing? Drawing from interviews with current and former presidents, prime ministers and key government officials across the globe, as well as research from leading institutions to enrich his fieldwork, Mills contrasts the successes and the failures, and in so doing, seeks to determine a path for the next generation of leaders.Insightful and inspiring, Rich State, Poor State shows that with better choices, the right policies and the will to implement them, it is entirely possible to travel the road from poverty to prosperity.

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South Africa is facing an extraordinary ‘polycrisis’. The dimensions of this crisis include an energy collapse; a failing rail network; weak education outcomes; an interrupted water supply; and the effects of decades of endemic corruption that have brought much of government to a halt. But the country also has incredible assets: a wealth of sought-after minerals; an enviable Constitution that protects rights and advocates social inclusion; an advanced financial and services sector; thriving agricultural and auto industries that compete with the best in the world; a prosecution service that is rapidly rebuilding; and, most of all, strong-willed people determined to make life better through hard work, entrepreneurship and hustling. The choice is stark: we either build on the positives and take the country forward or we will be overwhelmed by the negatives and end up as another Zimbabwe or Venezuela. We have the people, the policies and the resources. What is missing is the political will to make the difficult choices that will save South Africa from disaster. This book takes you on a journey that ends with one of three possible future scenarios: the Good, the Bad or the Ugly. Compiled by The Brenthurst Foundation and In Transformation Initiative, and workshopped with high-powered leaders in business and politics, the scenarios have stimulated intense public interest as the country grapples with its mounting problems. The good news is that there is a clear road towards a positive future. It will take courageous leadership and smart thinking to get there, but the ‘Good’ scenario is tantalisingly within grasp.

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From award-winning non-fiction writer Hedley Twidle comes Show Me the Place, an essay collection searching through history, memory andliterature to find glimmers of utopia. The collection is a book ofelsewhere, in it, the author charts a journey to find other liveable places and spaces in a troubled world. Whether embarking on a bizarre quest to find Cecil Rhodes’s missingnose (sliced off the bust of the Rhodes Memorial) or bike-packing the Scottish islands with a couple of squabbling anarchists, whether learning to surf (much too late) in the wild, freezing waters off the Cape Peninsulaor navigating the fraught politics of a Buddhist retreat centre – the author explores forgotten utopias, intentional communities and islands of imagination with curiosity, hope and humour. Threaded through the pieces in this collection are questions of friendship and human community, of environmental destruction and repair, of landscape and memory. Ranging from the science fiction of Ursula Le Guin to George Orwell’s vision of the good life, from Mohandas Gandhi’sSouth African ashrams to the ‘living laboratory’ of Auroville in south India, Show Me the Place investigates the deep human desire to imagine social and environmental alternatives to what we take as normal or inevitable.

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Afrikaans developed when slaves in the Cape adapted Dutch – the language of the rulers – for their own use. Many years later Afrikaans was hijacked by some white Afrikaners as ‘their language’, but Davids proved beyond doubt that it was the descendants of the slaves, not their masters, who first wrote Afrikaans. “…Davids straddled different fi elds and roles: unlike the linguists, he was also an historian and a community leader with deep roots in the Muslim community of Cape Town. He first established himself in the 1980s as an expert on 19th-century Cape Muslim history with two books, The Mosques of the Bo-Kaap (1980) and The History of the ana Baru, (1985). His work contributed much to inspire a new generation of historians of the colonial Cape to write more inclusive histories, which also paid attention to Islam. Thus, when Achmat Davids turned his attention to the contribution of Cape Muslims to the history of Afrikaans, he did so with a foremost knowledge of their socio-cultural history and with extensive access to informants and (private) sources which probably no other individual could have commanded. For this reason, this book is of as much importance to historians of the colonial Cape as it is to historians of the Afrikaans language and South African Islamic culture.” –Gerald Groenewald The focus of this book is the Arabic-Afrikaans literary tradition of the Cape Muslim community. It looks at the emergence of this tradition at the Cape of Good Hope, as well as the social vehicles through which it emerged and through which it was in use. This is done through an examination of the literature, in the form of manuscripts and publications, it generated during the first hundred years of its existence. Importantly, the book looks at the development of the distinctive Arabic alphabet that local Arabic-Afrikaans authors used to convey accurately this community’s mother tongue. The history of the Afrikaans language is still very little understood and discussed, and this book illuminates the extraordinary story of its beginnings, with slaves and colonisers, with Xam!, Indonesians, Malaysians, Turks and imams of all stripes. It’s a wonderfully rich story told in detail here, with verve and a keen ear for story. Jacana Media is delighted to make available again a classic work of South African hidden history, that of the Arabic Afrikaans literary tradition. Previously published in 2010 as The Afrikaans of the Cape Muslims from 1815 to 1915, this edition carries a new introduction by Heinrich Willemse.

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