Journalist and public relations maven Lucy Khambule is flying high in her life and career. Her book on convicted serial killer Napoleon Dingiswayo is a bestseller, Lucy is in demand for talks and interviews, and her company is involved in early stage organising for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Then comes the terrifying news that Dingiswayo has escaped from C-Max – or has he, as shortly thereafter Detective Morapedi confirms to Lucy that the charred remains found in a prison pipe shaft, along with a suicide note, are those of Dingiswayo. An official statement from Correctional Services further confirms this.

But who is the person stalking her on Facebook? What should Lucy and Detective Morapedi make of the violent and disturbing ‘copycat’ killings happening in eSwatini and the hushed rumours that are swirling around the annual Reed Dance? As Lucy and her events management team work on the historical FIFA World Cup Preliminary Draw at the Durban International Convention Centre, events unfold at breakneck speed.

Is this the work of an exconvict on a deadly mission or are there other dangers lurking on Lucy’s path?

Who can she trust and how can she stay safe?

Klara Beyers, voormalige joernalis, bestuur deesdae ’n gastehuis en blommeplaas op Somersee naby Hermanus.

Sy is heldersiende en kan onheil in haar nek voel kriewel wanneer dit op haar drempel staan. Soos die oggend toe Dewald Rademeyer sonder ’n bespreking by die gastehuis sy opwagting maak. ’n Dag later daag ’n misterieuse Siamese kat met ’n oënskynlik verskerpte
sesde sintuig ook by die gastehuis op en enkele minute later word Dewald se lyk met ’n naaldwerkskêr in sy nek gevind.

Kolonel Mack Biesenbach van Kaapstad en kaptein Schalk Mocke is eerste op die misdaadtoneel waar hulle ’n geskokte Klara met bloed op haar hande kry. Schalk is simpatiek, maar Mack, met wie Klara se pad al voorheen gekruis het, glo nie haar weergawe nie. Om haar onskuld te bewys, begin Klara self na leidrade soek. En dít dryf Biesenbach nog verder teen die mure uit.

’n Knippie moord is humoristies, propvol kinkels, kleurryke karakters en ’n kat genaamd Judi Dench. En natuurlik ook ’n tikkie romanse!

When Mpisi Mpisani travels to his home village for the burial of his mother and a visit to his first wife, he is anxious to hurry back to Johannesburg. His second wife, waiting in Soweto, will give birth soon. Giyani, his eight year old son, accompanies him.

But when Giyani disappears, Mpisi stays to search for him. He tries to ignore the villagers who blame magic for the boy’s disappearance. Meanwhile Mpisi’s city wife, Ntombazi, bears a boy with a birthmark that seems to be a sign . . .

From the best-selling author of How We Buried Puso, Three Egg Dilemma is set at a homestead overlooking a valley and around a bar in the Kingdom of Lesotho. The story follows the life of EG (short for ‘Example’) and a group of ill-assorted friends and neighbours as they attempt to survive a breakdown of civil certainty.

A visionary novel, Morojele has built worlds and characters with his dazzling prose. It is set to become a classic of Southern African literature.

Op sy ma se begrafnis in die Kaap maak André Verreyne die verbysterende ontdekking dat hy 'n identiese tweelingbroer het van wie hy in die wieg geskei is. Hy het net enkele dae om sy broer te probeer opspoor voordat hy moet terugvlieg Nieu-Seeland toe vir sy dogter se troue.

Dit lei tot 'n speurtog wat hom na uiteenlopende mense op sy broer se lewenspad neem—elkeen met 'n verrassende storie om te vertel. Gou begin 'n prentjie vorm van iemand wat heel anders is as André self, al word hy tydens sy soektog voortdurend vir sy broer aangesien.

Hoe meer hy oor sy broer uitvind, hoe meer begin hy sy eie lewenskeuses bevraagteken.

My skaduwee loop los is 'n meesleurende, veelvlakkige verhaal oor die soeke na wat werklik die waardevolste lewe is, en die antwoord op die tergende vraag: Wat as?

Nadia en haar nefie Xavie is op Groenplaas in die Overberg grootgemaak deur hul ouma, Sylvia McKinney, die “stammoeder van lieg”. Hulle twee kyk terug op hul kinderjare en probeer die dinge ontbloot waaroor daar in hul familie geswyg word.

Kompoun vertel die verhaal van vriendskap tussen ’n groep nefies en niggies, gesmee deur oorlewing in ’n harde werklikheid, en hoe hulle van die ouer geslag wegbreek, maar ook vind dat die verstrengelde bande van familie ’n mens nie maklik laat los nie.

This is a story about wholeness and holes. The ones inside us and the ones that give us refuge; about the intersection of two lives from different backgrounds and circumstances, pulled together by the pain of loss.

Emanuel is a young refugee from Congo, surviving alone on the streets of Durban after being separated from his mother while escaping the turmoil of conflict. Winter is a reclusive writer whose life has come to a standstill after the loss of her young son, whose disappearance has never been solved.

As their fatelines cross, it is not immediately apparent what the nature of the pull between them is. Emanuel in particular is resistant to Winter's overtures.

It is when she takes him with her to the Antbear Cabin, her writing refuge, that the bond between them slowly begins to form. Painful realisations surface as each recognises in the other a reflection of what they have lost. There, in the cabin of peace overlooking the steep valley of storms, the stories of Winter and Emanuel begin, finally, to reveal themselves. Each must take the difficult journey back through the heart of the wound in order to heal and learn to love - and live - again.

A collection of ten witty, tightly written, upbeat short stories about people making new beginnings after significant losses (the death of their partners, home invasions, etc) set in the upmarket northern suburbs of Johannesburg, like Parkview.

It is filled with memorable characters and incidents.

The modern classic from double Booker Prize winner J.M. Coetzee - soon to be a major film starring Mark Rylance, Robert Pattinson and Johnny Depp For decades the Magistrate has run the affairs of a tiny frontier settlement, ignoring the impending war between the barbarians and the Empire, whose servant he is. But when the interrogation experts arrive, he is jolted into sympathy with the victims and into a quixotic act of rebellion which lands him in prison, branded as an enemy of the state. Waiting for the Barbarians is an allegory of oppressor and oppressed. Not just a man living through a crisis of conscience in an obscure place in remote times, the Magistrate is an analogue of all men living in complicity with regimes that ignore justice and decency.

Rocco de Witt se argitekspraktyk in Kaapstad doen goed, hy is verloof aan 'n pragtige vrou en hy woon in 'n droomhuis. Maar nou staan oudmakker Gert Malan voor sy deur . . . en die geweld van destyds kom opnuut Rocco se lewe binne. Sy bestaan ontaard in 'n nagmerrie - tot die onvermydelike konfrontasie wat op hom wag, daar op die plasie Nadraai.

JJ van Solms, so hardegat soos wat hy hardwerkend is, se rykdom lê in Afrika se kobaltriwwe. In die Kongo vestig hy ’n myn saam met twee vennote, maar toe die geld begin inrol, raak hy vir hulle oorbodig. Ná ’n aanslag op sy lewe moet hy vlug.

Dit is naby die Brandberg in Namibië waar JJ saam met sy gesin skuiling soek. Hier probeer hy ’n sukkelende tantalietmyn en sy mislukte huwelik red. In die skaduwee van die alomteenwoordige Brandberg wat oor die landskap waak, wonder hy wat sy lot sal bepaal: diegene op sy spoor, of die vrees en paranoia wat aan sy gemoed vreet.

Farah Nosipho Garda leaves her comfort zone in Cape Town to care for her ailing mother in a Johannesburg retirement village. At 27, she’s a perpetual student with no job, no plans, and a deep belief that she’s incapable of real change – stuck in cycles of self-sabotage, anxiety, and longing. But when her mother begins to slip away and the man she thought was her future partner disappears without warning, Farah is forced to ask herself: What if the life she thought she wanted isn’t the one she needs?

Amid the grief, Farah slowly begins to rewrite her story: showing up for herself, caring for her mind and body, trading shame for softness, and learning that self-love isn’t a destination, but a daily decision.

Why Am I Like This? is Eat, Pray, Love for the era of Ozempic, therapy, and situationships – witty, vulnerable, and deeply modern. A love story about coming home to yourself.

Eugene ken van skollies, gangsters en crooks. Hy is streetwise, al lyk hy nou soos iemand uit die upper-middle class. Hy kom immers uit die ghetto se killing fields van die 60’s, 70’s en 80’s.

Maar nou is dit baie jare later. En die ou alliances met sy kindervriende Alan, Huey en Jenny ná alles destyds in Hillbrow tussen hulle skeefgeloop het, bestaan nie meer nie, en Eugene word aangekla van moord.

'n Aangrypende roman oor vriendskap en verraad.

Loss and life are the themes that weave through this tale of three generations of Muslim women living in suburban South Africa, originally published in 2011.

Khadeejah is a hard-working and stubborn first-generation Indian woman who longs for her beloved homeland and often questions what she is doing on the tip of Africa. At 37, her daughter Summaya is struggling to reconcile her South African and Indian identities, while Summaya’s own daughter, eleven-year-old Aneesa, is a girl who has some difficult questions of her own. Is her mother lying to her about her father’s death? Why won’t she tell her what really happened? Gradually, the past merges with the present as the novel meanders through their lives, uncovering the secrets people keep, the words they swallow, and the emotions they elect to mute.

For this family, faintly detectable through the sharp spicy aromas that find their way out of Khadeejah’s kitchen, the scent of tragedy is always threatening. Eventually, it will bring this family together. If not, it will tear them apart.

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.

“Once Removed is for readers who are familiar with the worlds of art and performance, and those for whom it is completely foreign. A reader doesn’t need to be immersed in the world of artists, critics, exhibitors, gallerists or academics to access the collection, and to enjoy the imbalances, precarity, hilarity, and possibilities represented in it,” explains Mann.

Part ironic realism, part experimental surrealism, these stories will matter differently, but equally significantly, to those inside and outside the world they evoke and inhabit.

Accomplished American artist Stella Wright’s beachside home in Cape Town is perched on the edge of land and sea, safety and vulnerability, the domestic and the wild. When Stella takes an afternoon swim, she is unprepared for the drama that unfolds. She and a nearby surfer are tracked by a giant great white shark that swims close enough so she can look it in the eye, leaving the two of them deeply traumatised.

The surfer – Ben – is a waterman who paints trawlers for a living. There is an almost instant attraction between them, but Stella is married to wealthy American financier Jack Barlow, and she and her husband are preparing to leave the country.

Stella and Ben begin a passionate affair. The two of them must face their fear of the water; Stella because beaches and oceans form the basis of her art, Ben because surfing is his passion. Into this situation Jack returns from overseas to tie up their affairs and bring Stella back to New York.

Stella must make a choice between the man who has reawakened her original passion for art, and the man who can give her everything else the world has to offer.

My Side of the Ocean is a novel of great empathy and insight, exploring essential questions about what it means to live, and love, when the secure foundations of a life have been ripped away.

How far can you distance yourself from your enemy without losing sight of the threat they pose – or without becoming an enemy yourself?
 
In the shadow of a flawless facade, the Coal family’s dynasty teeters on the brink of collapse. Luna Parks’ marriage balances on a powder keg of secrets and lies, and results in the presence of an unwelcome guest on the Coal farm, which is the spark that sets it ablaze.
 
With the Fletchers’ sinister grip tightening on the town of Clanwilliam, the advocate emerges as the last line of defence against the forces of destruction, and Cameron Coal is forced to confront an impossible choice: will love be the salvation or the downfall of the rooibos farm, a legacy forged in blood and sweat? And will Luna’s devotion be enough to bring the family together? With every twist and turn, the stakes get higher, and the truth threatens to rip everyone apart.
 
Against the backdrop of South Africa’s tumultuous rural landscape, this gripping tale exposes the intricate dance between power, corruption and the human condition. Can the advocate untangle the web of deceit, or will the pursuit of justice and truth be sacrificed at the altar of money and influence?

Four thirty-something girlfriends navigate the complexities of love and life in upmarket Johannesburg.

Nomzamo yearns to have her own child, but her husband keeps postpo-ning. 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.

Finding your voice, only for it to be snatched away from you again.

Set in Hilbrow, Parktown, Johannesburg, Cape Town and Nigeria; Her Silent Screams by Busisekile Khumalo follows the story of Fatima Farrah Omar, a mute, Muslim girl who gets bullied for being different and for catching the eye of the rugby captain, Banzi.

Falling in love with Banzi is easy but she never expected him to love her back with the same intensity and slowly peel her away from the shadows. Farrah blossoms, coming into herself and just when all the stars are aligning; ghosts from Nura, her mother’s past come knocking leading to their abduction and hell in the Nigerian jungle.

Hierdie splinternuwe versameling van Nataniël bevat 31 stories — 5 in Engels, 26 in Afrikaans. Verskeie van die stukke is uit Nataniël-produksies oor ’n periode van twee jaar: Ring Van Vuur, Nineveh Song, Cake Topper en Duif.

*Winner of the UJ Debut Prize*

Family secrets run deep for Grace, a young girl growing up in Cape Town during the 1980s, spilling over into adulthood, and threating to ruin the respectable life she has built for herself.

When an old childhood friend reappears, Grace’s memories of her childhood come rushing back, and she is confronted, once again, with the loss that has shaped her. The novel is permeated with the long shadow cast by personal trauma, violence and loss on people’s lives.

“This apricot tree has multiple souls that fill me with wonder every morning and enchant me by afternoon. This tree has bitter-sweet memories, just like the fruit it bears.”

If the apricot trees of Soweto could talk, what stories would they tell? This short story collection provides an imaginative answer. Imbued with a vivid sense of place, it captures the vibrancy of the township and surrounds. Told with satirical flair, life and death are intertwined in these tales where funerals and the ancestors feature strongly; where cemeteries are places to show off your new car and catch up on the latest gossip.

Populating these stories is a politician mesmerised by his mistress’s manicure, zama-zamas running businesses underground, a sangoma with a remedy for theft, soccer fans ready to mete out a bloody justice, a private dancer in love and many other intriguing characters.

Take your seat under the apricot tree and be enthralled by tales that are both entertaining and thought-provoking.

Part 1 of a new two-book series by bestselling author Jackie Phamotse!

It is 2005, a time of silent anticipation and hidden possibilities in the rugged Cederberg mountains. Cameron Coal is embroiled in a desperate fight to save his family’s rooibos farm, which is a hair’s breadth from bankruptcy, while wrestling overwhelming grief after his wife’s death and trying to build a relationship with his blind daughter. His father, John, might be the family’s last hope to save their farm from an enemy lurking in plain sight. But in the shadows, Cameron’s brother, Sole, harbours a secret that could shatter their world.

Amid the chaos of a veld fire, Cameron’s gaze falls upon an enigmatic nurse, Luna Parks, who is new to their town. As Luna and Cameron grow closer, her mysterious past and closely guarded secrets could shatter the very foundation of their relationship.

In the meantime, several questions must be answered: Who wanted Cameron’s wife dead?

How far will Cameron go to keep his enemies at bay? Will Luna ever tell him the truth about her past? Who really owns South Africa’s indigenous plant, the illustrious rooibos?

And will Cameron’s decisions cost another life, or will they ensure the rise of the Tea Merchant?

n Langverwagte versameling van Hennie Aucamp se beste kortverhale. Aucamp was by uitstek 'n kortverhaalskrywer, en is in 1982 met die Hertzogprys vir sy prosawerk bekroon. Hierdie versameling bevat sy eie keuse uit die vele kortverhale waarmee hy lesers oor die dekades heen geraak en vermaak het. Die keuse is so interessant soos die verhale self - daar is voorspelbare bekende verhale, en ook minder bekendes waarvoor hy 'n spesiale toegeneentheid gehad het. Saamgestel deur Johann de Lange.

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 of our 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.