From a carcass competition in the Karoo to a shambolic murder trial in Cape Town, William Dicey’s essays freewheel across an open terrain of interests. Dicey is curious and inventive, weaving strands of essay, journalism, fiction and self-reportage into something uniquely his own. Mongrel investigates a range of topics – radical environmentalism, the fault lines between farmer and farm worker, the joys and sorrows of reading – yet drifts of concern and sensibility draw the collection together. Several essays touch on how books can move, and sometimes maul, their readers. Mongrel is idiosyncratic, witty, potent.

This photographic title is comprised of diverse sections, including historical pictures, a map of the country and the actual photographic journey. The journey is divided into three sections that echo the geographic regions of the country - Deep South: Ponto de Oura to Inhambane, The Coconut Road: Inhambane to Quelimane, Wild North: Quelimane to Entre Lagos. Each segment has an introduction that places the region in a historical and cultural context.

1986 was a pivotal year in South African history. It was the year of the vigilante, the year of the necklace – but also the year the talking began.

Drawing on newspaper articles, memoirs, and little-known histories, William Dicey presents a compelling diary of a very bad year.

He focuses on ordinary people, showing what life was actually like under an authoritarian regime – from the six hours a day that black workers in KwaNdebele spent on buses to the rebel sporting tours that provided a distraction for white South Africans.

Some stories foreshadow the miracle of 1990 – for instance, the deputy commander of Pollsmoor Prison takes Nelson Mandela on a scenic drive around Cape Town, years before his eventual release. Other stories shine a light on our current conflicts.

Written in crisp prose, 1986 is a model of historical excavation, deftly evoking the spirit of the times.