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Books > Fiction > General & literary fiction > Modern fiction
It was 1977 when a shoeshine boy, Emanuel Jaques, was brutally murdered in Toronto. In the aftermath of the crime, twelve-year-old Antonio Rebelo explores his neighborhood s dark garages and labyrinthine back alleys along with his rapscallion friends.As the media unravels the truth behind the Shoeshine Boy murder, Antonio sees his immigrant family--and his Portuguese neighborhood--with new eyes, becoming aware of the frightening reality that no one is really taking care of him. So intent are his parents and his neighbors on keeping the old traditions alive that they act as if they still live in a small village, not in a big city that puts their kids in the kind of danger they would not dare imagine.Antonio learns about bravery and cowardice, life and death, and the heart s capacity for love--and for cruelty--in this stunning novel."
Winner of the Booker Prize 2020 Winner of 'Book of the Year' at the British Book Awards 2021 Winner of 'Debut of the Year' at the British Book Awards 2021 A BBC 'Big Jubilee Read' A heart-wrenchingly moving novel set in Glasgow during the Thatcher years, Shuggie Bain tells the story of a boy's doomed attempt to save his proud, alcoholic mother from her addiction. It is 1981. Glasgow is dying and good families must grift to survive. Agnes Bain has always expected more from life, dreaming of greater things. But Agnes is abandoned by her philandering husband, and as she descends deeper into drink, the children try their best to save her, yet one by one they must abandon her to save themselves. It is her son Shuggie who holds out hope the longest. Shuggie is different, he is clearly no' right. But Shuggie believes that if he tries his hardest, he can be normal like the other boys and help his mother escape this hopeless place. Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart lays bare the ruthlessness of poverty, the limits of love, and the hollowness of pride. For readers of Hanya Yanagihara, Emma Donoghue, Alan Hollinghurst and Frank McCourt, it is a heartbreaking novel by a brilliant writer with a powerful and important story to tell. 'A heartbreaking novel' - The Times 'An amazingly intimate, compassionate, gripping portrait of addiction, courage and love.' - The judges of the Booker Prize 'Tender and unsentimental . . . The Billy Elliot-ish character of Shuggie . . . leaps off the page.' - Daily Mail 'Douglas Stuart has written a first novel of rare and lasting beauty.' - Observer
A thrilling dual-time novel, which will transport readers from nineteenth century England, across the world on a perilous and exciting voyage to Samoa, with a complex family mystery to be solved in the present day. 1832. The morning after her father's funeral, Prudence Merryfield wakes to the liberating thought that this is the first day of her new life. At thirty-five and unmarried, she is now mistress of her own fate. But a cruel revelation at the reading of her father's will forces Prudence to realise that taking only the most drastic action will set her free. Present day. Eliza is gifted a family heirloom by her aunt - a Georgian pocket book, belonging to her ancestor, Prudence Merryfield, whose existence reverberates through the lives of generations of Eliza's family, the Ambroses. Intrigued by what she reads inside, Eliza is drawn more and more into the infamous 'Merryfield Mystery'. What happened to Prudence who so bravely dared to defy convention two hundred years ago - then disappeared?
When a strike by the University of Adamastor’s technical staff coincides with a lull in sound operator Vida’s employment, she agrees to stage-manage a university event. There she meets the Head of Effective Communication, Simon Landor. He is caught up in a massive student protest and his communication is anything but effective. Vida, who rescues strays, whether pets or people, steps in. A host of engaging characters populate this novel exploring communication and connection in a complex world.
In this award-winning novel, Finuala Dowling explores the fleeting and often so complicated moments of happiness in any household. Margot is a late-night talk radio host – the perfect job for an outspoken insomniac. Her home in Kalk Bay is crowded with wonderfully evocative characters such as her teenage daughter, Pia, and the three men in their lives. Finally there’s her mother, Zoe, once the acclaimed author of a quirky self-help volume with the same title, but now increasingly senile.
From the bestselling author of Anatomy of a Scandal, now a major Netflix series... Reputation: it takes a lifetime to build and just one moment to destroy. 'Sarah Vaughan has done it again. Superb' Shari Lapena Emma Webster is a respectable MP. Emma Webster is a devoted mother. Emma Webster is innocent of the murder of a tabloid journalist. Emma Webster is a liar. #Reputation: The story you tell about yourself. And the lies others choose to believe... 'Uncannily timely... As dark and gripping as you'd expect from the author of Anatomy of a Scandal' Observer Your favourite authors love Reputation: 'A terrifically entertaining legal drama and an unsettling cautionary tale for any woman considering entering politics' Louise Candlish 'Perceptive, elegant, thrilling and addictive' Chris Whitaker 'Tense. Gripping. And bang up to date. This is a rollercoaster of a book' Imran Mahmood 'Wonderfully written, tense, taut and timely. I loved it!' Claire Douglas 'A stylish, challenging thriller. Do yourself a favour and read this book' Fiona Cummins 'Sarah Vaughan has distilled the zeitgeist into a pulse-racing thriller. Gripping all the way' Erin Kelly 'I read Reputation in one sitting, which is my highest possible praise' Bella Mackie 'Sarah Vaughan has another smash hit on her hands. Reputation is nuanced, complex, and thought-provoking, while still being a gripping, fast-paced read' Louise O'Neill 'Sarah Vaughan does it again. Another taut, gripping thriller that also shines a light on some of the most important issues of the day' Bryony Gordon
Poet John Carson lives in a crumbling seaside house with his sister and niece. Winter is upon him, and he writes feverishly to the woman who has abandoned him as a lover yet kept him as a correspondent. Theresa: beautiful, generous . . . and married. 'Will John and Theresa find a way to overcome everything that holds them apart or is a state of permanent longing, in fact, really what poets need?
ONE OF BARACK OBAMA'S FAVOURITE READS OF THE YEAR 'If I could get policymakers and citizens everywhere to read just one book this year, it would be Kim Stanley Robinson's The Ministry for the Future' Ezra Klein, Vox 'A great read' Bill Gates The Ministry for the Future is a masterpiece of the imagination, using fictional eyewitness accounts to tell the story of how climate change will affect us all. Its setting is not a desolate, postapocalyptic world, but a future that is almost upon us. Chosen by Barack Obama as one of his favorite books of the year, this extraordinary novel from visionary writer Kim Stanley Robinson will change the way you think about the climate crisis. 'A novel that presents a rousing vision of how we might unite to overcome the greatest challenge of our time' TED.com 'A breathtaking look at the challenges that face our planet in all their sprawling magnitude and also in their intimate, individual moments of humanity' Booklist (starred review) 'Gutsy, humane . . . a must-read for anyone worried about the future of the planet' Publishers Weekly (starred review) 'A sweeping epic about climate change and humanity's efforts to try and turn the tide before it's too late' Polygon (Best of the Year) 'Steely, visionary optimism' Guardian
HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics. There was a star riding through clouds one night, and I said to the star, 'Consume me' Six friends traverse the uneven road of life together in Virginia Woolf's most unconventional classic. Bernard, Jinny, Louis, Neville, Rhoda and Susan first meet as children by the sea, and their lives are forever changed. A poetic novel written in a lyrical way only Woolf could master, these narrators face both triumph and tragedy that touches them all. Throughout their lives, they examine the relationship between past and present, and the meaning of life itself. A landmark of innovative fiction and the most experimental of Virginia Woolf's novels, The Waves is still regarded as one of the greatest works ever written in the English language.
'Completely, terrifyingly BRILLIANT' Marian Keyes, author of Grown Ups 'I didn't want it to end' Lisa Taddeo, author of Three Women and Animal 'Magnificent: I read it in one sitting' Kate Mosse, author of The City of Tears When Marisa meets Jake, everything falls into place. But then their new lodger Kate arrives. Something isn't right about her. It's the way she looks at Jake, keeps her toothbrush right next to theirs and constantly asks questions about the baby they are trying for. Or maybe it's all in Marisa's head. That's what Jake thinks. And she trusts him, doesn't she? But Marisa knows something is wrong, and she is determined to find out why, even if it costs her everything. 'A very elegant, tense, literary thriller' Sarah Vaughan, author of Anatomy of a Scandal 'Utterly engrossing, a thick sense of dread unfurling from every page' Refinery29 'I literally couldn't put this down' Sara Collins, author of The Confessions of Frannie Langton 'A compelling, twisting read' Matt Haig, author of The Midnight Library 'Sharp, twisty ... Impossible to put down' Daily Mail 'A pulse-quickening tale' Stylist 'Sharp and sinister' Mail on Sunday 'A pacy, stylish thriller' Observer 'Scintillating' The Sunday Times, Thriller of the Month 'A compassionately crafted psychological drama' Harper's Bazaar 'I couldn't turn the pages fast enough' Prima Magazine 'Be prepared for a sleight-of-hand-twist that will leave you gasping' Red Magazine Sunday Times bestseller 06/09/2021
In her debut novel, Dreaming in Colour, Uvile Ximba explores with subtlety, humour and probing insight the connections between the joyful reclaiming of pleasure and the healing of buried traumas. As students at university in Makhanda during the #RUReferenceList campaign, Langa and her lover Khwezi have a passionate and complex relationship. Puzzling gaps in her memory haunt Langa, yet her dreams are vivid with colours and symbols that hint at a nightmare of forgotten violations and losses. So many secrets -- and Langa has had enough of secrets and silences. Who can she turn to? Her mother? Her grandmother? Khwezi? Or herself? Dreaming In Colour is Langa's story of coming out to herself, of discerning the history behind the closed door of conscious memory.
Soos papierblomme in die wind, so het haar lewe verwaai. Sal sy dit regkry om die flentertjies weer op te tel? Daar is net een uitweg… Janine was klein toe haar ouers dood is en sy die deur tussen haar en Jesus toegemaak het. Net sy het dit geweet. Sy wou groot wees en wegkom van die klein dorpie waar almal mekaar ken. Haar kans kom toe Greg Walker die Engelsklas oorneem. Met drome in haar oë is sy Londen toe waar sy groter hartseer leer ken, maar ook die grootste ontdekking van haar lewe maak.
Now in its nineteenth year, the Caine Prize for African Writing is Africa's leading literary prize and is awarded to a short story by an African writer published in English, whether in Africa or elsewhere. This collection brings together the five 2018 shortlisted stories: American Dream by Nonyelum Ekwempu (Nigeria); The Armed Letter Writers by Olofunke Ogundimu (Nigeria); Fanta Blackcurrant by Makena Onjerika (Kenya); Involution by Stacy Hardy (South Africa); Wednesday's Story by Wole Talabi (Nigeria). It also includes 12 stories written at the Caine Prize Writers' Workshop, which took place in Rwanda in April 2018: No Ordinary Soiree by Paula Akugizibwe; Tie Kidi by Awuor Onyango; Calling the Clouds Home by Heran T. Abate; America by Caroline Numuhire; All Things Bright and Beautiful by Troy Onyango; Departure by Nsah Mala; Where Rivers Go to Die by Dilman Dila; Ngozi by Bongani Sibanda; The Weaving of Death by Lucky Grace Isingizwe; Redemption Song by Arinze Ifeakandu; Spaceman by Bongani Kona; Grief is the Gift that Breaks the Spirit Open by Eloghosa Osunde. The 2018 judging panel comprises: Dinaw Mengestu, journalist, author and graduate of Georgetown University and of Columbia University's M.F.A. programme in fiction; Alain Mabanckou, prolific Francophone Congolese poet and novelist and Man Booker International Prize finalist (2015); reporter, columnist and poet Ahmed Rajab; Henrietta Rose-Innes, a South African author who won the Caine Prize in 2008; and Lola Shoneyin, a Nigerian writer who has won the Ken Saro-Wiwa Prose Prize.
Tjieng Tjang Tjerries and Other Stories received the HSS Award for Best Fiction Single Authored 2018 and was short-listed for the UJ Debut Prize in 2017. Tjieng Tjang Tjerries and Other Stories documents the unique dialect and lives of the Gansbaai fishing community. Phillips’ stories reflect the natural disorder of daily life and explores how the impact of love and loss defines – and divides – families and communities. An award-winning collection of short stories and sketches set in the Overberg district. In the author’s own words: “This book is a collection of my soul, who I am as a human being, and how I connect to the people I come from.” “An impressive debut that brings across voices never heard before in South African English - not only in rhythm and timbre, but plumbing the unspoken. With such a remarkable ear, Jolyn Phillips is a young writer to watch.” – Antjie Krog
Zarine Roodt besluit om die Camino Portugués te stap as aanloop tot haar sestigste verjaardag. Maar om dít te kan doen, moet sy eers haar lewenslange patroon van fisieke onaktiwiteit takel. Tot haar ontnugtering is die Camino nie van begin tot einde die salige en spirituele ervaring wat sy in die vooruitsig gestel het nie. Maar tog… eers na afloop van die Camino besef sy hoe haar staptog vorm aangeneem het en dat dít ’n psigiese rigtingwyser is: "Vir my is daar maar net één pad, en dis die een wat ek self moet vind."
Ravaged by years of war and civil conflict, Britain has changed its name to Airstrip One and become part of Oceania - one of the three totalitarian blocks dominating the world - ruled by a mysterious leader called Big Brother who keeps the population in thrall through strict surveillance and brutal police repression. In a society where the individual is suppressed and turned into an "unperson" for not conforming, and where not only personal thought, but also historical record and language itself are constantly being manipulated by the ruling regime, Ministry of Truth worker Winston Smith tries to make sense of the rebellious thoughts and passions that are stirring inside him, and finds himself impotent against the inexorable machine that surrounds him and threatens to crush him at any time. Arguably the greatest dystopian novel of all time and the most influential post-war work of fiction - which enriched the English language with words such as "Newspeak", "doublethink" and "thoughtcrime" - Nineteen Eighty-Four is a riveting read and a groundbreaking exploration of mass surveillance, censorship and mind control, which has a deep resonance with the world we live in.
**NOW INCLUDING THE FIRST CHAPTER OF DEMON COPPERHEAD: THE NEW BARBARA KINGSOLVER NOVEL** **DEMON COPPERHEAD IS AVAILABLE NOW FOR PRE-ORDER** An international bestseller and a modern classic, this suspenseful epic of one family's tragic undoing and their remarkable reconstruction has been read, adored and shared by millions around the world. 'Breathtaking.' Sunday Times 'Exquisite.' The Times 'Beautiful.' Independent 'Powerful.' New York Times This story is told by the wife and four daughters of Nathan Price, a fierce, evangelical Baptist who takes his family and mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959. They carry with them everything they believe they will need from home, but soon find that all of it - from garden seeds to Scripture - is calamitously transformed on African soil. What readers are saying ***** 'This remains one of the most fascinating books I have ever read.' ***** 'I felt every emotion under the sky with this book.' ***** 'Riveting.' ***** 'This novel left a lasting - YEARS LASTING - impression.' ***** 'This is one of those books that stands the test of time and is worth rereading.' ***** 'Five epic, no-wonder-this-book-is-so-well-loved stars!'
In 1903, a young Scotswoman named Mary Mackenzie sets sail for China to marry her betrothed, a military attachE in Peking. But soon after her arrival, Mary falls into an adulterous affair with a young Japanese nobleman, scandalizing the British community. Casting her out of the European community, her compatriots tear her away from her small daughter. A woman abandoned and alone, Mary learns to survive over forty tumultuous years in Asia, including two world wars and the cataclysmic Tokyo earthquake of 1923.
“Vang jy hom onbehoeds van voor, dan lyk hy soos ‘n man wat nou net met ’n stok geslaan is. Maar hou hom dop uit die hoek van jou oog, dan bespeur jy die glorie van ’n slim man. ’n Mooi man.” George is gebore toe Jan Smuts dood is, word op ’n plaas in die Noord-Kaap groot, dien as aaspeloton in Angola, raak deurmekaar met die Baader-Meinhofbende in Duitsland, werk as joernalis tydens die noodtoestande in Kaapstad, maar op die ou end word hy ’n saboteur, ’n skaapsmokkelaar, ’n mal man, ’n boemelaar. Tussendeur kul en koggel George prokureurs, kopdokters, en vroue. Gedeeltelik bewolk is ’n pittige, aweregse debuutroman wat jou soos ’n vuishou in die maag slaan.
She called herself Silent Anna, because she couldn’t tell anyone about what happened between her and her stepfather. Many years later, Anna breaks the silence to reveal the sexual abuse she suffered, its impact on her life and how she has finally managed to overcome it. This is the story of how she finally spoke out to the world and in court. This book is a must-read. Not only because it relates a young girl’s determination to survive and to overcome her traumatic childhood, but also because it does so with such sincerity. Written long before the #metoo movement, this story is still an important one – its relevance highlighted even more now. It’s me, Anna: The Full Story is a special edition to celebrate Women’s month as part of Kwela’s 25th birthday campaign. This omnibus contains both novels: It’s me, Anna and The state vs Anna Bruwer. Based on a true story. |
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