Books
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The tragedies that shaped Mugabe
An excerpt from ‘Robert Mugabe: The Black Victorian’ details the painful personal tragedies that marked Robert Mugabe's imprisonment during the liberation struggle, including the…
Liberation is not a blank cheque
A review of 'Why Liberation Movements Fail', edited by Greg Mills and Ray Hartley, exploring why Africa's celebrated liberation parties often struggle to govern effectively once…
Book Review: Chris Hani: A life of courage and compassion
In 'Chris Hani: A Life of Courage and Compassion', acclaimed author Zakes Mda moves beyond the revolutionary icon to reveal the husband, father, and thinker whose warnings still…
Mhudi’, a novel ahead of its time
Published in 1930, Sol Plaatje’s epic Mhudi challenged colonial perspectives and societal gender norms, establishing a pioneering milestone in South African and African literature.
More than Mandela’s wife: Nomzamo’s own fight
An exploration of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s life and resistance against apartheid, highlighting how black women's domestic, social, and political labour shaped South African…
Anatomy of an adaptation
South African literature is fuelling a vibrant television renaissance, as producers transform acclaimed local novels like Angela Makholwa's Critical But Stable into compelling,…
Kagiso Lesego Molope wants us to remember what we inherit
South African-Canadian novelist Kagiso Lesego Molope's latest work, 'We Inherit the Fire', delves into the devastating impact of apartheid on families and black women, exploring…
In a world built for scrolling, can book fairs still survive?
A quiet conversation at the Kingsmead Book Fair became a reflection on shrinking attention spans, digital culture and the fragile future of reading
Kingsmead Book Fair returns with conversations SA needs right now
As the 14th annual Kingsmead Book Fair returns to Johannesburg, the beloved literary gathering once again creates space for difficult conversations, thoughtful reflection and the…
From hip-hop to holistic health
In To Health With It!, Tebogo ‘ProVerb’ Thekisho combines relatable stories with expert guidance on health and wellness
Reading resistance: Books that archive courage, dissent and institutional memory
South Africa’s fragile freedoms are recorded in classrooms, songs and satire. These books archive courage, dissent and institutional memory
Give children high-quality books from Grades R-12: they will likely read them
Research shows that classroom libraries increase reading frequency by 70% compared with centralised libraries
When ethics drives you mad: Dr. Onke Mazibuko explores the psychology of whistleblowing in canary
In his second novel, Canary, Dr Onke Mazibuko writes about whistleblowing, corporate bullying and mental health
Mervyn Sloman: The vision behind Cape Town’s beloved Book Lounge and Open Book Festival
Seventeen years later, Mervyn Sloman reflects on The Book Lounge thriving in the digital age and building reading community through Open Book Festival
Exploring the fabric of family and identity in Lebo Mazibuko’s Fabrics of Love
Lebo Mazibuko’s second novel, Fabrics of Love, looks at themes of family trauma, black womanhood, absent fathers and heritage