‘. . . there is a quiet here that doesn’t exist on land, a fluid suspension that reminds me that humans were never meant to be so rigid, so fixed in place. In the sea, we are both vulnerable and free . . .’ Deep Blue is a love letter to the sea, exploring humans’ deep connection with it and the bliss of swimming, diving, dipping and simply being in salt water. Join Veruska De Vita, a learner free diver and open-water swimmer, as she delves into why the ocean calls to us. Along the way she talks to those who find healing and wellness in swimming groups and cold-water immersion, scientists who study complex marine environments, elite athletes who swim super-human distances along our coasts and free divers who plumb the depths with one breath. Water is primordial. It gives life. It represents hope and renewal. This book is not only for sea worshippers. It promises to inspire everyone to jump with joy into the waves – and offers reflections on our intimate relationship with the sea, which supports life on earth and requests that we respect it.

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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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It wasn’t long ago when someone in Silicon Valley coined the term ‘The Three Comma Club’ to describe that small group of individuals whose net worth is one billion dollars or more. According to Forbes’ World’s Billionaires List for 2025, there are around 3 000 ‘dollar billionaires’ in the world. The wealth, power, and influence wielded by these moneymakers and money spenders is gargantuan. For instance, the top 10 richest individuals have a combined net worth exceeding $2 trillion. Billionaires make up approximately 0.000034% of the world’s population. That’s about one in every 3 million people. What does it take to become a billionaire, and what does it mean to live in a world increasingly dominated by them? This book takes a deep dive into the world of billionaires, blending humor, insight, and a touch of ‘eat the rich’ irreverence to examine the rise and occasional downfall of the mega-mega-rich. From historic figures like Croesus and Rockefeller to modern tech moguls and oligarchs, the authors explore how billionaires emerge, how they maintain their fortunes, and what happens when they fall from grace. Chapters include: Making Money; Where’s the Money; Famous Feuds; Billionaire survivalists; Good Billionaire, bad billionaire; Can Billionaires Save the World?

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A must-read from one of the leading thinkers of the next generation. Tara Roos cuts through the political noise with this analysis of South African politics that argues that we have entered the age of uncertainty as populism is on the rise. She delves into the structural weaknesses, strategic miscalculations and political-party identity crises that have ushered South Africa into a new and unstable coalition era. Parties are categorised into three groups: Winners, Losers and Survivors as Roos lays out what they are getting right, where they are failing and why some have found growth while others have collapsed. In a democracy still grappling with the promises of 1994, Where to From Here? is an account of how politicians have failed the people and how the electorate, in turn, must now demand better. This is an indispensable book for anyone wanting to understand the future of South African politics and the choices that will define it.

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Lidia Rauch was born at the crossroads of South Africa’s past and present – the granddaughter of one of apartheid’s longest-serving ministers, raised in a world constructed for her comfort, yet called to reckon with its cost. Her story moves between privilege and pain: from a childhood marked by fracture to a career within the machinery of government, to the long, uneasy road of reckoning with what it means to be white, Afrikaans, and free in a country still carrying the weight of its past. In this fearless and tender memoir, Lidia turns toward the truth – dismantling the myths she was raised on, confronting the discomfort she once avoided, and choosing responsibility over denial. Along the way she encounters the people and moments that changed her – from the townships of Cape Town to the rooms where power is brokered – and discovers that freedom is not a gift bestowed by the system, but a commitment we make to one another. Apartheid’s Granddaughter is not a story of guilt or absolution, but of courage and repair. It’s an invitation to white South Africans to face their inheritance with honesty and courage. Both intimate and universal, this book reminds us that transformation is possible – and that healing begins when we choose to see ourselves and one another.

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What if a memoir went beyond words—told not just through writing, but through lyric readings, music (32 original songs), and videos?Author and creator Karina Marais is doing exactly that. Upstairs Downstairs is a multi-sensory experience that redefines what a memoir can be.“Knock-knock, anybody home?”For 20 years, Karina Marais and her partner have lived apart together in a shared residence—his bachelor pad upstairs, her retreat downstairs—connected by a staircase that links their spaces while preserving their independence. No unannounced visits, no dull routines, just passion, freedom, and a love story shaped on their terms.In Upstairs Downstairs, Marais shows how they successfully manage a Living Apart Together (LAT) relationship where love, ambition, and independence coexist. But her memoir isn’t just about love; it’s also about passion and daring to dream. Some of her dreams took flight, others fell short, but she didn’t want to leave this world without chasing them. That drive makes her jump out of bed every morning, a trait many aspiring entrepreneurs share.Through multisensory storytelling with words, lyric readings, music, and videos, she brings to life the emotions behind love, loss, and the pursuit of dreams.The pre-launch of this multi-sensory memoir took place on 20 November 2025 at the new Dare2Dream Dome Restaurant at Forum Homini Boutique Hotel in the Cradle of Humankind. This concept restaurant, designed and built for the memoir, offers, on selected days, an eleven-course fun-dining & wine-pairing experience as well as a three-course breakfast inspired by the food brought to life in her book. Guests step into a fantasy setting before crossing a bridge to the Dare2Dream Dome Restaurant for dinner and breakfast, an experience that engages all five senses: sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch. Each dish is linked to a moment in the memoir. Each dish is an act, presented as a tale, a song, and a taste. Here, stories are served, and dreams begin again.

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A timely and powerful guide to masculinity, purpose, and responsibility  In Father of Man: The 5 Ideals to Build Better Men, author Dr Njabulo James Nkosi delivers a compelling and deeply reflective exploration of what it truly means to be a man in today’s world. Drawing on faith, lived experience, and moral leadership, the book offers a blueprint for shaping men who lead with integrity, compassion, and accountability. At a time when conversations around masculinity are increasingly complex, Father of Man cuts through the noise with clarity and purpose. Dr Nkosi introduces five core ideals that speak directly to men as fathers, leaders, partners, and members of society. These ideals challenge destructive patterns while offering practical guidance for personal growth, strong families, and healthier communities. Rooted in values of responsibility, self-discipline, respect, and service, the book is both a call to action and a source of encouragement. Dr Nkosi addresses the absence of positive male role models and the consequences this has on families and society, while firmly asserting that men have the power - and obligation - to redefine their legacy. Written in an accessible yet thought-provoking style, Father of Man will resonate with:• Men seeking purpose and direction• Fathers and future fathers• Faith-based readers• Mentors, educators, and community leaders• Anyone invested in raising principled, emotionally grounded me

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I was here. This happened. It mattered. And now, I am ready to carry on. This is not a book about breakups. It’s about erasure. About the quiet harm that can live inside love, the kind that doesn’t leave bruises on the skin but rewrites the architecture of your mind. It's for anyone who's wondered whether they were overreacting, too sensitive, too much, too little. Anyone who has asked, ‘Am I the problem?’ Joy Watson’s exquisite excavation of the female psyche traces the inner lives of three women: Zara, Mira and Thuli. Their stories unfold in fragments, with beginnings, middles and endings that are not always clean, and are interwoven with reflections from the author’s own experience. These are real stories, lightly fictionalised to protect those who lived them. If you have ever felt lonelier in a relationship than you were on your own, this book is for you. And as you begin again, you are not alone.

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Chasing the Internet - From Backyards to Boardrooms?, a revised version of Life Lessons - How to Fail and Win, chronicles Alan Knott-Craig's relentless pursuit to bridge South Africa's digital divide, taking readers from his early entrepreneurial struggles to building one of the country's most innovative connectivity companies. This isn't just another startup story -- it's a blueprint for purpose-driven entrepreneurship in emerging markets.

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Who polices the police? A cop murders his family and then turns the gun on himself. In the shed behind his cottage is a cache of weapons: Russian automatics, handguns, 9mm, .38s. You don’t need forensics to work out what’s gone wrong. This is a cop with a side racket. Which gets the attention of Captain Zara Dewane of the Internal Crime Unit. A single mom, known among cops as the Jackal. What Zara uncovers about the family murder puts her in the firing line. There are cops running guns stolen from the police armoury. There are cops selling guns to gangsters. Thing is, the money chain goes deep into the police hierarchy. Even fingers the political bosses. Close her down, comes the order from on high. Kill her, in other words. Making Zara and her family targets. With only one way out.

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At twenty-nine, Dominique Olivier’s life was torn apart in an instant. A car accident killed her husband and toddler daughter, leaving her widowed with a newborn baby. Lessons from Loss begins here, with the raw, unflinching story of grief at its most devastating – but it does not end there. Part memoir, part guide, the book traces what it means to keep living after unthinkable loss. Each chapter opens with a personal vignette drawn from Dominique’s own experience – the shock of those first weeks, the anxiety of raising a child alone, the complicated process of finding love again – and is followed by a reflective section that explores what the lessons learnt from those moments might mean for others. Themes range from how impossible it is to rank pain, the difference between ‘moving on’ and ‘moving forward’, to the small everyday griefs that surface when building a life that you never imagined. The book also explores how empathy, purpose and even humour can coexist with sorrow. Unflinchingly honest yet deeply hopeful, Lessons from Loss is an intimate story of survival and a companion read for anyone who has ever wondered how to live with the losses that change us forever.

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This book shows you how to identify, tackle and solve both pests and diseases naturally in your organic edible garden. The book is divided into 5 easily navigable chapters: 1. Prevention: Learn how to create and maintain a balanced garden to help plants naturally withstand pests and diseases, including detailed methods of preventing problems before they start. 2. Solutions: If problems do occur, this chapter provides effective natural solutions. It also traces the rise and impact of chemical pesticides in agriculture, and the shift back to safer organic alternatives. Included is a comprehensive A–Z of natural solutions. 3. Host plants: This chapter provides details of edible plants (vegetables, herbs, grains, fruit and nuts) and potential pests or diseases that can affect them, with a focus on ideal growing conditions to prevent problems. 4. Pests: This chapter is a guide to commonly found pests, organised within their biological orders, with separate sections on larger and opportunistic pests. Each entry features photographs and descriptions to help with identification, plus information about their size, host plants, targeted plant parts, damage symptoms and natural enemies. 5. Diseases: Diseases are divided into three sections – Bacterial, Fungal and Viral – with detailed methods for prevention and solutions, plus plenty of photographs for easy identification. Included is information on hosts, symptoms, how each disease spreads and optimum conditions. There are also quick guides at the start of both the Pests and Diseases sections to help identify common problems, a glossary and detailed index for further reference.

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South Africa can sometimes appear to be awash with occult crime. From satanist conspiracies and witchcraft accusations to muti murders and demonic possession, a trawl through our national news suggests a society at war with the forces of evil. Why does the occult have such a grasp on our collective imagination? In this vastly unequal country, with its crises of gender-based violence, child abuse, poverty and unemployment, there are more than enough obvious dangers to our social stability. Why, then, are South Africans so quick to blame the supernatural for violence and misfortune? How do beliefs in occult crime intersect with problems of gender, race and class? And is there any truth to these supernatural tales? The Devil Made Me Do It examines these and other thorny questions by probing the stories, beliefs and rumours behind the so-called occult crimes that have entranced South Africa’s fractured psyche. They include the murder of a child mistaken for a tokoloshe in the 1920s, the satanic panic that gripped the nation in the 1980s and 1990s, the Krugersdorp cult killings of 2012–16, and the muti murder of a six-year-old girl in 2022. What can these crimes, and the way they are represented by media, police and other institutions, tell us about South Africa today?

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Cops are being murdered all over the city, each falling victim to a designer poison that causes them to bleed out. Unable to make a breakthrough in the case and with the bodies piling up, detectives Ruben and Zander recruit counsellor Melissa to help them. Hoping that her unique insights into the human psyche might help trigger a discovery, they’re expecting to hunt down some kind of deranged lunatic. The real murderer, however, is a devilishly intelligent professor of human physiology, an academic icon standing on the brink of a groundbreaking discovery. Why is he killing them? How many more will fall victim to his brilliance? And who’s next?

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I have spent years navigating the complexities of health, not just in my body, but in my mind, my career, my relationships, my finances and my purpose. What I have come to realise is that there is no single formula for well-being, no one-size-fits-all approach that works for everyone. However, there is a universal truth: when one aspect of our health is neglected, it inevitably impacts everything else.’ – ProVerb   To Health With It!  is a reflective yet practical guide to holistic living by acclaimed broadcaster and entrepreneur Tebogo Thekisho, widely known as ProVerb. As a compelling call to live well across all dimensions – physical, mental, emotional, financial, social and spiritual – the book draws from ProVerb’s personal efforts to sustain a healthier lifestyle by overcoming trauma, achieving financial freedom, and evolving from entertainer to academic and boardroom leader. ProVerb offers deeply relatable insights and anecdotes and complements his story with credible references from global experts, making this book both inspirational and informative. It equips readers to reset, realign and redefine their own path to true health, in every sense of the word.

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This book is a journey of triumph and setback, of building something good in a world that doesn’t always welcome it. It’s about allies and adversaries, mentors and obstacles. Above all, it’s a story driven by social justice and the power of education to change lives and the resilience it takes to protect that power when it’s most at risk. A fascinating South African memoir that shares a story of hope and resilience.  It Always Seems Impossible features a glowing foreword from The Nelson Mandela Foundation. The book is supported by an extensive publicity campaign and strong corporate backing. It has already attracted interest from business leaders, philanthropists and global organisations. At school, James Urdang a troublemaking underachiever.  Diagnosed with ADHD and Dyslexia at an early age, few could have imagined he’d go on to found Education Africa, an organisation that has helped educate thousands of young black South Africans. Supported and mentored by Walter Sisulu, Nelson Mandela and Dr. Aggrey Klaaste − former Editor-in-Chief of The Sowetan - who became the organisation’s first chairman in 1992 − James, driven by determination and sheer audacity made his dream a reality. Until one day it all came crashing down as he faced a gruelling battle to save his NPO, Education Africa, from a hostile takeover by executives from a global financial institution. Supported and mentored by Walter Sisulu, Nelson Mandela and Dr. Aggrey Klaaste − former Editor-in-Chief of The Sowetan - who became the organisation’s first chairman in 1992 − James, driven by determination and sheer audacity made his dream a reality. Until one day it all came crashing down as he faced a gruelling battle to save his NPO, Education Africa, from a hostile takeover by executives from a global financial institution.  

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Nomzamo yearns to have her own child, but her husband keeps postponing. Is he truly too busy or is something else going on? Kioni is in seventh heaven when Michael finally wants to commit. But does he really? Or is he just trying to get back into her bed? Single mom Jazmine has sworn off love – until a charming new doctor arrives at her hospital, testing her resolve. And Asanda, fiercely independent and at the top of her game, is determined to find the perfect man to match her perfect life.   As their lives twist and tangle in unexpected ways, these four women will discover that love is never simple – but always worth it.   A witty, heartwarming, and deeply relatable South African novel about friendship, romance, and the messy, beautiful journey of figuring it all out.

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Dr Sara Buhle, a troubled obstetrician, is thrust into a frantic search for a missing newborn in Durban. Sara is pulled into the search by rising SAPS star Vuyi Vilakazi. But with time working against them, and rumours of muthi murders hounding the investigation, the pair find themselves in a race from the city centre and an informal settlement in the Hammarsdale Hills. Mere minutes will make the difference between success and failure.

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Eighty-five-year-old Alma tracks a stallion through the wild bush. A young woman leaves her corporate job to start a wine farm as her marriage stales. A mother leaves her war-torn home to seek safety for herself and her daughter and a girl begs for survival. In a series of ten mesmerising stories, Cranswick pulls aside the covers to let us in on the lives and inner lives of women thrown out of their comfort zone. With chilling clarity and a haunting lyricism, Cranswick slows down time, zooms in close, and refuses to look away.

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After an exceptionally wild Mother’s Day where she danced like there was no tomorrow, picked a fight with a stranger and collided with the floor, Johannesburg scriptwriter and author Pamela Power is forced to take a hard look at her drinking habits. She realises that although she does not need to find an AA group immediately, she might be a serial binge drinker and needs to take back control. In this honest yet humorous account of her year of not getting sh*tfaced, Pamela examines her long, complicated relationship with alcohol. She is shocked to realise just how much of a crutch alcohol has been for her. There is always a bottle of wine or Prosecco around to her to help her manage the many demands of life as a freelancer and as a parent. Pamela starts her journey to sobriety at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic as her family faces financial troubles, and life in the suburban Parks of Johannesburg isn’t so blissful anymore. Through her, we experience all the frustration, irritation and surprising benefits of going dry. In dealing with her dependence on alcohol, Pamela also confronts her troubled relationship with her parents. While many other sober curious books portray sobriety as the only answer, Pamela has found a sweet spot between total sobriety and binge drinking: moderation.

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Winfred and Sylvie are keeping one eye open for the menacing villager who knows too much and another on the dismal bank balance of their bookshop-café, The Novel Eatery. Their side-hustle isn’t exactly legal and now someone knows their secret. The news of a wine-themed reality television show set to film in the village sends the inhabitants into a gossip-fueled frenzy. But behind the cheerful clinking of glasses, tensions bubble. In a village like Riviersvalleij, nothing stays buried forever.

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‘Welcome to my kitchen, my darlinks, where the aprons are optional, the laughter is mandatory and every dish is served with a side of sass.’For Jenny Morris, food is not just about flavour. It’s about connection, with ourselves and with others. It’s about making memories and telling stories. Most importantly, perhaps, it’s about feeling. The feeling of gratitude for nature’s bounty. The joy of baking with a grandchild. The satisfaction of feeding your family a tasty meal. The pleasure of seducing a lover with their favourite food. The anticipation of that first bite. The pride when they come back for seconds.Greedy Girl isn’t just a cookbook. It’s a celebration – of flavour, of fun, of feeling. With this collection of dishes that she loves and stories that she’s lived, Jenny invites you to open your heart and play. Let the kitchen’s magic guide you. Flirt with flavour, embrace the mess, lick the spoon, add more butter, and never, ever apologise.Written in Jenny’s characteristic playful style – sometimes sweet, sometimes spicy, always sassy – the recipes in Greedy Girl will comfort, seduce and surprise. Flavoured with Greek, Moroccan, French and South African influences, there is something here to tickle and tease every tastebud.So go on, be greedy.

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‘You can’t win it all. But everything, and I mean everything, can be lost.’ Welcome to Vivo. Art, Maggie and Felix spend all their time at the Mean Monsoon, drinking and talking about making it big. Art loves Maggie but has a problem with his heart. Maggie loves music but can’t get a break. Felix, who’s currently homeless, loves everyone. But things are about to change for these three friends with the arrival of a well dressed and enigmatic stranger. Playful, nostalgic, sexy, philosophical, original, stylish and just plain cool, The Dogs of Vivo has it all.

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Wisani Maluleke is a studying Sociology at Wits, juggling three jobs while caring for her bedridden mother and her younger, allergy-prone brother. Life in Soweto has made her tough, but she’s stretched to breaking point, until her university thesis leads her straight into the path of the Bafokeng brothers, heirs to the feared and legendary Marashea underworld. At the heart of this brotherhood is Mohapi Mofokeng: silent, commanding, and dangerous. When Wisani crosses his path, what begins as a desperate attempt to her research pulls her into a world of secrets, blood loyalty, and shadows that never die. Between survival, love, and the weight of her family’s struggles, Wisani must decide whether to walk away, or stand with the brothers who could destroy her or save her. A story of resilience, a clash between survival and desire. Set in Soweto and Lesotho. 

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Just before she dies, the writer’s mother leaves her with a difficult secret and a kist containing the family archives. Detective-style, she sets out to unpack the kist and weave together the story of her parents, descendants of German Lutheran missionaries. As she delves into the relics, documents, photographs, and correspondence between her parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents, she realizes the difficulty of retrieving the past, if not the impossibility. She records memories of her childhood and of the people who inhabited the mission village of Hermannsburg, founded in the 1850s in KwaZulu-Natal. We join her in games, songs, meals, and explorations around the village and the surrounding landscape. As a passionate love story unfolds, her detective’s eye morphs, and the gaze on her parents softens.In the end, she sets out on a physical journey to Hermannsburg. We visit the school she attended and join her in her search for the family of Grace Sithole, who had mothered her. We enter the mission house, now turned into a museum. Standing in a room full of religious ephemera, she has the visceral sensation of how everybody’s lives had been controlled by the concept of sin and sinning. Finally, she finds some resolution in the foothills of the Drakensberg and in the fullness of completing her parents’ story.The Sinners’ Bench uses different modes and tones to tell a story. The personal story is conveyed as a memoir, which in turn is embedded in family history. This history is explored as part of the history and culture of the German Lutheran missionaries in South Africa.

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Join award-winning cartoonist Carlos Amato as he takes you on a wild ride down the corridors of recent history. From vaccines to Vladimir, from GNU to Uncle Scam, Carlos takes no prisoners as he hammers on our collective funny bone. A barnstorming selection of the best of his work over the past eight years.

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Move over, John ‘Spud’ Milton! We’re in the Eastern Cape now, where the gale force winds have nothing on the chanting gees of the boys at the prestigious local school. Isaac ‘Izzy’ Kingston, a recent matriculant and newly minted varsity dropout, has several straw hats’ worth of hilarious and harrowing school memories to share with a sympathetic audience. Isaac’s nostalgic first-person confessional, peppered with tongue-in-cheek observations, takes readers from the testosterone-fuelled excitement and high drama of the rugby field on Reunion Weekend to near-death encounters on overnight excursions in Cradock. With Isaac’s overachieving dreams imploding, interhouse plays gone awry, and his queerness firmly parked in the closet, All the Saints is the tragicomic coming of age tale for our time.

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In this intimate and modern poetry collection, Zubayr Charles seeks healing amidst the shocks of personal and social rejection, navigating the paradoxes of identity and love. Vivid, brave and witty, the sad boy’s starter pack is a reclamation of the self and a homecoming for the lonely and estranged. Invoking a strong sense of place, Charles’ Cape Town shapes what it means to be queer and Coloured. With a deft hand, the poet shapes the city in turn. Charles’ poems explore the tension between desire and detachment, longing and all-consuming love. This volume takes familiar, timeless themes by storm, forging them anew with luminous self-possession.

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Nestled in the heart of the Stellenbosch wine district lies Meerlust Wine Estate, producer of the iconic Rubicon. For over three centuries and seven generations, the land has been tended to by the Myburgh family, who transformed it into one of the country’s most revered wine estates. For the first six generations of the Myburgh tenure, the vineyards were grown for making bulk batches of wine for selling on to the big traders dealing in the relatively unsophisticated world of South African wine at the time. In 1975 the estate produced its first vintage – a Cabernet Sauvignon – under its own label. The Rubicon red Bordeaux blend, first made in 1980 by Nico Myburgh and his Italian-born winemaker Giorgio Dalla Cia, set Meerlust on a new trajectory. It announced not only a new path for Meerlust and the Myburgh family, but also a revolution in wine style. Today, this legacy lives on under owner Hannes Myburgh and cellar master Wim Truter. Meerlust: Beyond the Rubicon delves deeper than the acclaim of a single blend. It is a celebration of the timeless bond between land, time, and artistry. Discover the tale of Meerlust, where time, terroir and tradition converge to craft wines that honour both the legacy of the past and the promise of the future.

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Force for Good is a bold and refreshingly balanced exploration of positive masculinity, written to inspire men to become powerful forces for good in a world that desperately needs them to step into this role. The book challenges the extremes that often define the discourse around masculinity – aggressive dominance on one side and passive disengagement on the other. It offers a vision of true and healthy masculinity that is both strong and gentle, fierce and safe, confident and humble. At its core is the conviction that men are made to be powerful forces, but only in service of what is good. Power, often misunderstood or negatively viewed, is essential. Without it, a man cannot fulfil his potential or meet the needs of those who depend on him. Power itself is neutral; how it is used determines whether it becomes a force for good or harm. The book is divided into three parts – Being Man, Becoming a Force, and Doing Good – and builds a compelling case for the value of healthy masculinity. It explores the internal and external battles men face, the journey from boyhood to manhood, and the sacred responsibility to grow in strength and purpose. Force for Good calls men to action, not against others but for the good of others. It is a timely, courageous invitation to be all that a man was made to be, because such a man will be a Force for Good.

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During embalming an arm jerks and strikes a mortician, leaving him unmoored. A pastor’s wife encounters a young congregant in her kitchen wearing her apron and preparing breakfast. A man’s attempt to make sense of why a tornado picked him up leads to a showdown with a cult leader. A daydreaming, gawky kid is appointed guardian of a watermelon that the ocean could snatch away. Love comes slowly, like water heating over a low fire or extra sugar being stirred into tea. In another story, the love of a father cannot save his musician son. A young woman living in a recognisable future contemplates the end of memory as her body transforms into the silver promise of a carapace. Another young woman feels she should be smiling but nothing stirs in her when her father wakes from death after 15 minutes. Battling portentous pre-dawn heat and still air, a bystander abandons removing caterpillars from a Ficus because the idea of touching them makes her squeamish. Elsewhere in the suburbs, in a fixer-upper from hell, crickets screech and squeal, their ringing like that of a demented alarm clock.When Water Wants To presents the winners of the DALRO Can Themba Short Story Award. Celebrating the legacy of master storyteller Can Themba, this collection provokes, inspires, challenges and entertains with bold storytelling and keen social commentary. The stories range from the deeply personal to the wildly allegorical, playing with genre conventions and inhabiting a multitude of perspectives and unruly voices. These exciting new authors confirm the pre-eminence of the short story, and its oral antecedents, by delving into the national psyche in the conversations they have, the connections they make, and the themes, concerns and water-soaked imagery they share. 

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Julian Jansen, author of bestselling true crime books like The De Salze Murders, tells the Devené Nel story. As Rapport’s crime reporter, Julian Jansen has written about the case from the start. He draws on his extensive contacts in the police and interviews with friends and family to reconstruct the events leading to the tragedy, and to honour the murdered young girl. He also investigates the failures of the state and draws lessons on how it can be prevented from happening again.

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A much-anticipated and requested follow-up from the author of The Girl Who Survived Her Mother, this is a comprehensive guide for individuals healing from the Mother Wound - psychological trauma resulting from maternal neglect, abuse, or emotional unavailability. This is a must-have guide for the modern woman ready to soar.

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Hell of a Country is a creative reimagining of a true crime story from early-1970s South Africa. The novel tells the story of teenager Lorraine van Niekerk who despises the fact that her boss and lover, middle-aged André Bekker, won’t leave his wife Sunette and marry her instead. When Lorraine’s life fatefully intersects that of Alfie Geemooi, a recent amputee, she comes up with a hell of a plan. Is murder an adequate price to pay for love?

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Lions are the stuff of legends. Revered and feared in equal measure, both majestic and terrifying, they once reigned supreme over an extensive domain. But this once-dominant beast’s original range has contracted by some 85%, and the world population is thought to have dropped to just over 20,000 individuals. The IUCN Red Data List now classifies lions as Vulnerable, and the West African subpopulation as Critically Endangered. Not only are lion numbers crashing, but the remaining populations cling to their existence on ever smaller, more fragmented pockets of land. Feared and despised by farmers trying to eke out a living on marginal land, lions are increasingly being exterminated or repurposed for commercial gain. Trophy hunters pay extortionate sums to bag specimens in their prime, and lion bones are being sold for the roaring Eastern trade in ‘tiger wine’. This landmark book aims to halt the downward spiral. It takes you on a journey across the continent and into the lives of rangers, scientists and communities, and the majestic creatures they work to conserve. Along with the bad news about today’s lions, it offers a message of hope, showing how innovative conservationists are rethinking our approach to human-lion coexistence. This book, with its searing, inspiring images and vivid accounts from the experts and foot-soldiers of conservation, brings the plight of lions to the attention of the world and is an urgent plea for the actions that need to be taken before it’s too late. Sales points: A must-have for anyone interested in wildlife, conservation and the environment. Text by a host of top scientists, conservationists and others in the field. Outstanding photography by award-winning photographers.

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Making a Life: Young Men on Johannesburg’s Urban Margins explores the dynamic everyday life-making strategies of young men in Zandspruit, a sprawling informal settlement on the outskirts of Johannesburg. In many ways, Zandspruit typifies the precariousness of life in South Africa, where two-thirds of young people lack waged employment. However, rather than seeing Zandspruit as dumping ground, Hannah J. Dawson calls for an integrated understanding of the complex linkages between people’s lives and livelihoods, and the multifaceted sociopolitical landscape of urban settlements. Based on 14 months of ethnographic research, Dawson investigates how social belonging, identity and economic realities intertwine in informal settlements like Zandspruit. This approach not only challenges conventional approaches to studying work; it also questions the increasingly prevalent perspective that romanticises the adaptive survival strategies of the urban poor. By exploring the intricate connections between those with and without waged employment, the author shows how young men manage complex social, political and economic conditions. Making a Life offers insights into issues such as urban work, citizenship, un(der)employment and inequality in South Africa. At the same time, it contributes to a global understanding of how young people – men especially – manage economic uncertainty.

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For over three decades, the remarkable story of Umkhonto we Sizwe’s Special Operations Unit has remained largely untold. Formed under the direct command of ANC president Oliver Tambo and senior ANC and SACP leader Joe Slovo, this elite unit executed some of the most daring and high-profile attacks against the apartheid state in the 1980s. From the spectacular 1980 Sasol bombings to the 1988 attack at the Witbank security police offices, Special Ops was at the forefront of the armed struggle, targeting strategic economic and military sites with precision and determination.   In this groundbreaking book, the history of Special Ops is brought to life through the voices of its surviving participants. Based on interviews with 48 individuals, conducted over nearly ten years, this oral history offers an intimate and comprehensive look at the unit’s operations, challenges and achievements. Also drawing from press reports, TRC records and official documents, the narrative provides a balanced assessment of the political context, role and significance of Special Ops within the broader ANC-led national liberation struggle.   Attacking the Heart of Apartheid  is an essential read for anyone interested in the history of the anti-apartheid struggle, the dynamics of armed resistance, and the power of collective action in the pursuit of justice and equality.

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This book describes the anguish of men battling with mental health issues and reflections from the people who treat them. Marion Scher weaves together the stories of South African men who have confronted their mental health issues with the stories the doctors who treat them have to tell. It gives practical guidance on where men (and their friends and families) can turn for help in overcoming the ever-increasing scourge of mental illness in our society.

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Juliet Prowse was a young South African dancer who burst into the international spotlight in her first Hollywood movie. Considered talented and exotic, she caught the media’s attention and her engagement to Frank Sinatra fuelled their fascination further. But was it true love and what did Sinatra make of Juliet’s relationship with Elvis during G.I. Blues? Unhappy with 20th Century Fox, Juliet broke out of her contract, created her own company and became one of the highest paid dancers of her era.   While Juliet won awards for Sweet Charity in Las Vegas and London, opening on Broadway seemed to be elusive.  Juliet continued to build her world-class modern dance company, winning Female Entertainer of the Year in Las Vegas three times with competition from Liza Minnelli, Barbra Streisand and Shirley MacLaine. By the mid-1970s, she was on a $1 million contract as a Desert Inn Million Dollar Baby. Considered a triple threat, Juliet featured on the international stage for over four decades.  This story is personal. Told by Juliet’s niece, it includes Juliet’s words from letters written to her mother, family anecdotes and amusing insights from those who worked with Juliet. With her endless legs and playful charm, Juliet had many romances and married actor John McCook of The Bold and the Beautiful. But in her search for love and professional fulfilment, could she accomplish it all?

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The stories in Once Removed traverse the theatres, artist studios and archives that characterise the world of contemporary art and performance. But they also zero in on the homes, private lives, daily journeys and emotional interiorities of the various characters that inhabit them. While the stories in Once Removed draw from the undercurrents of the South African art world, their concerns and evocations are not limited to it.

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