HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Siphiwe Ndlovu on winning the 2019 Sunday Times Barry Ronge Fiction Prize for her debut novel THE THEORY OF FLIGHT!
THE THEORY OF FLIGHT is published by Umuzi, an imprint of Penguin Random House SA.
Tag Archives: Umuzi
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
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
Carol 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.
Fred Strydom’s post-apocalyptic novel, THE RAFT, to be published in the United States.
Publishing rights for THE RAFT, Fred Strydom’s highly anticipated debut novel, have just been sold to SkyHorse Publishing in North America.
The novel was published by Umuzi in South Africa at the beginning of April, and was the subject of a multi-party auction, with SkyHorse securing the rights just ahead of the London Book Fair. The deal was negotiated by the Lennon-Ritchie Agency on behalf of Umuzi.
THE RAFT is set in a world of civilizational collapse, following a single devastating moment where humankind collectively loses its memory. For the novel’s main character, Kayle Jenner, all that is left of his past are the haunting visions of a boy he believes to be his son. Jenner embarks on a voyage across a broken world to find the boy. What he discovers on his journey is breathtaking.
Editor Cory Allyn of Skyhorse Publishing described the spellbinding novel as: “Lost meets Life of Pi meets The Road.”
Watch the captivating book trailer here
The Lennon-Ritchie Agency 
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