Tag Archives: African Writing

Writer Sven Axelrad’s next two novels to Penguin Random House SA

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After the success of his debut, BURIED TREASURE, Sven Axelrad’s next two novels will be published in South Africa by Penguin Random House.

PRH SA will lead with GOD’S POCKET in May 2024, a story of a young man who moves into an abandoned cabin at the bottom of a quarry (God’s Pocket) to write his first novel, a novel he believes will change his life and save him from having to study accountancy. The quarry, however, isn’t quite as abandoned as it seems.

The delightful GOD’S POCKET is not a sequel to BURIED TREASURE but it does take place in the same fictitious town of Vivo and is narrated in the same darkly humorous and wise voice fans of BURIED TREASURE have come to love. This time, instead of a cemetery and a dog misnamed God, the book offers a fantastic cast of characters, including a fortune teller and her Yorkshire terrier, Johnny Cash and even Henry David Thoreau. GOD’S POCKET considers art, poetry, sex and the motives of monsters. Finally, at its heart, GOD’S POCKET is the story of five very good friends trying to figure out that no-man’s land between being a kid and becoming an adult.

Sven Axelrad takes pride in being a street-writer. His university degree is in commerce, but Sven is proof that you don’t need a master’s in creative writing, a famous mentor or a pedigree of any kind if you read often, widely and well. Son of a translator and a teacher, Sven grew up in love with words. His first creative pursuit was music. Sven played guitar in multiple bands, and performed as a singer-songwriter, with his focus always on the lyrics of his songs. Even now, music underpins each of his novels with structure and cadence. Sven’s first writing professors were the novels of the Latin-American magical realists, the likes of Bolaño, Marquez, Vargas Llosa and Allende. Later he would read Zambra, Murakami, Enriquez, Saramago, Saunders, de Bernières and a thousand others. Each book contained important lessons, even the bad ones.

The deal was negotiated by Fourie Botha of The Lennon-Ritchie Agency. For more information, email info@lennonliterary.com.

PRAISE FOR BURIED TREASURE

‘Part parable, part love story and a pastiche of other genres, Axelrad’s debut is a textured, literary work. Behind the veil of a quirky patchwork of yarns is a complex exploration of the moral universe’ –BUSINESS DAY

‘Jam-packed with quirky, loveable characters, endlessly amusing, even ridiculous incidents, tender and even tantalizingly compelling thought experiments, philosophical ruminations and – above all else – simply exquisite prose’ NEWS24

‘Guided by a tremendous generosity of spirit’ – NEWS24

‘Dark, graphic, clever and funny as hell’ – Paige Nick

‘An astonishing new voice’ – the Good Book Appreciation Society

‘The treasure is what you’d hope to find – a heart’ – VRYE WEEKBLAD

‘I felt like I was in a theatre, watching a new play unfold slowly’ – THE WITNESS

‘Lyrical, dark, bold, inventive’ – THE WITNESS

‘Definitely one of my favourite reads of the year so far in all its dark and quirky weirdness and loveliness’ – CAPE TALK RADIO

‘Equally hilarious and poignant’ – DARK.LIT

‘Charming, humorous and unconventional. A truly refreshing read.’ – ART SMART

‘A tremendous, wonderfully wise, debut’ – therealmrbookiebarns

Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu’s new novel to be published in North America by House of Anansi Press

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North American book rights to Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu’s fourth novel, a work of literary fiction using gothic tropes and titled THE CREATION OF HALF-BROKEN PEOPLE, have been won by House of Anansi Press. Anansi is a fiercely independent publisher based in Toronto who has published stellar names like Matt Cohen, Michael Ondaatje, Northrop Frye, Austin Clarke, Harold Sonny Ladoo, Daphne Marlatt, Roch Carrier, and Margaret Atwood (who also worked for the press as an editor).

Editor Shivaun Hearne acquired the book, saying: “I loved it right away. I was particularly taken by the way Siphiwe weaves the threads of a complex colonial history into the present through the ancestors inhabiting the visions of an anonymous woman. The sort of madness-inflected narrative sparked by this intangible inheritance reminds me of Jean Rhys, yes, but also of writers from my native Jamaica, such as Erna Brodber (also a Windham-Campbell Prize winner, and an author I’ve worked with) and Michelle Cliff. This is the sort of book I want to press on friends as soon as I’ve read it!”

Ndlovu’s THE CREATION OF HALF-BROKEN PEOPLE tells the tale of a nameless woman plagued by visions of various women. She works for the Good Foundation and its museum, a place filled with artefacts from the family’s various explorations in Africa, the family Good’s members all being descendants of Captain John Good, of KING SOLOMON’S MINES fame.

The novel explores how the continent’s past continues to haunt its present and examines the collusion of colonialism, patriarchy and capitalism in creating and normalising a certain kind of womanhood. Literary sleuths will find the book in conversation with Charlotte Bronte’s JANE EYRE, Daphne du Maurier’s REBECCA, and Toni Morrison’s BELOVED.

The deal was negotiated by Fourie Botha of The Lennon-Ritchie Agency. For more information, email info@lennonliterary.com.

Chinenye Emezie’s GLASS HOUSE to be published in North America & in French Translation

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Chinenye Emezie’s Nigerian drama GLASS HOUSE is to be published in North America in both English and French by one of Canada’s leading independent trade publishers, Dundurn Press.

Initially published by Penguin Random House South Africa, GLASS HOUSE tells the riveting story of Udonwa and her family, who are at war under the tyranny of a monster dad. At age twelve, Udonwa has a peculiar love of her father, who favours her but beats his wife and his other children. She sees his good side: after all, he tells her that she, named ‘the peaceful child’, is the one most likely to become a doctor in the family. But luck doesn’t last forever. When her newly married eldest sister suddenly takes her from their family compound, a sinister picture emerges that shakes her life to the core. No longer the person she thought she was, Udonwa launches into a period of extreme change, and parts of her life spiral into chaos as she finds herself torn between her love for her father and an underlying need to free herself. This vivid family saga is engrossing, deeply unsettling and finally uplifting.

Chinenye Emezie studied Creative Writing at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, and has a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration. Her short stories and essays have appeared in anthologies and literary journals including AFRICA BOOK CLUB, KALAHARI REVIEW, BOOKLOVERS HANGOUT and OPINION NIGERIA. Chinenye is a 2013 winner of the Africa Book Club Short Story Competition and an alumna of the Hedgebrook/Vortext Women Writers’ Workshop, Whidbey Island, USA. Her award-winning short story ‘Glass House’ is recurring study material at the Centre for Theatre and Performance, department of Dramatic Arts, University of the Witwatersrand. GLASS HOUSE is her first novel.

Rights were sold by Aoife Lennon-Ritchie of The Lennon-Ritchie Agency on behalf of Penguin Random House South Africa. For more information, email info@lennonliterary.com.

28 July 2016

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The Raft. Fred Strydom

The Raft. Fred Strydom

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE RAFT by Fred Strydom

Captivating, compelling, and moving

On Day Zero everyone’s memory is wiped clean. No-one remembers anything, or anyone.

A mysterious and oppressive movement called The Renascence comes to power and forces people to live in isolated communes and to conform to their ideals. As memories of families and past lives start to trickle back, some people begin to question the regime.

Kayle Jenner has questions, and he’s punished just for having them. He escapes from his isolated beach commune when the raft he’s strapped to for punishment breaks free. With help from the enigmatic Gideon, Kayle sets out to find and rescue his son Andy.

Kayle doesn’t find it odd that the people he meets all have memories that help and guide him. Until it becomes clear that some people’s ‘memories’ are not their own.

But Kayle’s are. Kayle definitely remembers Andy. And he’s going to find him.

Published in South Africa by Umuzi, Penguin Random House. Published in the US by Skyhorse Publishing

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The Raft. Fred Strydom

The Raft. Fred Strydom

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE RAFT by Fred Strydom

Captivating, compelling, and moving

On Day Zero everyone’s memory is wiped clean. No-one remembers anything, or anyone.

A mysterious and oppressive movement called The Renascence comes to power and forces people to live in isolated communes and to conform to their ideals. As memories of families and past lives start to trickle back, some people begin to question the regime.

Kayle Jenner has questions, and he’s punished just for having them. He escapes from his isolated beach commune when the raft he’s strapped to for punishment breaks free. With help from the enigmatic Gideon, Kayle sets out to find and rescue his son Andy.

Kayle doesn’t find it odd that the people he meets all have memories that help and guide him. Until it becomes clear that some people’s ‘memories’ are not their own.

But Kayle’s are. Kayle definitely remembers Andy. And he’s going to find him.

 

Published in South Africa by Umuzi, Penguin Random House. Published in the US by Skyhorse Publishing

8 June 2015

Karretjie MenseCarol Campbell’s sumptuous novels ‘n Huis vir Esther and Karretjiemense have been optioned by legendary South African film maker Koos Roets in a co-production arrangement with distinguished theatre director Andre Stolz.

The directors intend to shoot both films back to back. Mr. Roets will direct ‘n Huis vir Esther and act as Director of Photography on Karretjiemense. Mr. Stolz will direct Karretjiemense, and act as production manager on ‘n Huis vir Esther.

Mr. Roets has been a formidable figure in South Africa’s film industry for 51 years, during which he has won an impressive 33 awards, mostly for directing and cinematography. It will be wonderful to see his collaboration with Mr. Stolz, is a well known director, producer and actor. Both men are celebrated for being ‘hands on’ and very passionate about their projects, and have adapted the material themselves.

Author, Carol Campbell is known for crafting heartbreaking stories which are simultaneously poignant and hopeful. She has a masterful ability to inflict and build tension, and to create characters with voices that ‘take hold of you… and never let go.’ Taking her work to screen presents a beautiful challenge for any filmmaker.

The deal for the film rights was negotiated by The Lennon-Ritchie agency on behalf of Penguin Random House South Africa.

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Justin Fox: Whoever fears the sea

Scriptwriter Paul Waterson is in Kenya to research a documentary film. It’s October 2001, and his relationship has come to an unexpected end. Searching for solace in Mombasa, Malindi and Lamu, he becomes obsessed with finding the last remaining mtepe dhow in Somalia, a magnificent, sewn vessel harking back to Africa’s rich maritime past. But getting someone to take him into Somali waters is proving near impossible. When he does manage to talk a dhow captain into the journey, he and the crew are oblivious to the dangers that lie ahead.

“An engagingly romantic, fast-paced tale of sailing-ship adventures off the myth-laden East African coast, with plenty of sex and action, plus a serious revisionist message regarding  modern-day Somali piracy.” JM Coetzee

Justin Fox is a Cape Town-based travel writer, novelist, and editor. Justin was a Rhodes Scholar and holds a PhD in English from Oxford University.  He was a research fellow at the University of Cape Town after his doctorate, where he still teaches part time. Justin’s articles and photographs have appeared internationally in a number of award-winning publications and his short stories and poems have appeared in multiple anthologies.

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26 February 2013

Justin Fox Unspotted

Justin Fox has just released an ebook, Unspotted: One Man’s Insane Search for Africa’s Most Elusive Leopard,with Mampoer.

Quinton Martins is a patient man, if only when it comes to the Cape mountain leopard. In the harsh mountains of the Cederberg, he spends months in icy cold conditions tracking them, often with as little to go on as faint spoor or partially decomposed scat. Justin Fox spends time in the Cederberg with this half-man, half-leopard, conservationist, to learn more about the madness that keeps Quinton in the mountains day in and day out.

To buy this ebook, go to: http://mampoer.co.za/justin-fox-titles/unspotted

Click here for Justin Fox’s website

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Justin Fox Just Add Dust

Four travel writers provide a compelling look at their road trip together from Cape Town to Cairo in this vivid travelogue. The writers’ love of travel and their native Africa shines through as they relate the story of their transcontinental rite of passage. By presenting each landscape as they experience it, they contrast their journey with the “Cape to Cairo” myth—wide open spaces, plains brimming with game, desert nomads, forest pygmies—and discover that even in the 21st century it’s still an unpredictable, pulse-quickening route. Every chapter is written in a style that evokes the unique flavor of each leg of the trip.

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Justin Fox The Life and Art of Francois Krige

François Krige – painter, traveler, book illustrator and graphic artist was a member of the New Group in South Africa, along with artists Gregoire Boonzaier and Walter Battiss. Although Krige’s drawings are known and admired, the paintings of this reclusive and enigmatic man have not been exposed to the public other than to a small circle of art lovers. When he died in 1994, a large collection of his beautiful works was discovered. This is the first comprehensive book published on the artist, tracing his life and art from his youth in 1913 to his death in 1994. It presents the influences of Rembrandt and the Post-Impressionists on his work; journeys through Europe with brother Uys; his sensitive portrayals of refugees and victims of the war, his studio in Cape Town; the Cape Fishermen studies and his long expeditions to live with the Bushmen in remote parts of the Kalahari resulting in ‘ethnographic’ sketches which are some of his finest work. The Montagu still-lifes, portraits and landscapes – his most lasting contribution.

Click here for Justin Fox’s website

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