Delectable’, ‘soft’ and ‘nostalgic’ are three words which come to mind when one engages Siphiwo Mahala’s Red Apple Dreams & Other Stories. “I was partly raised by my grandmother, Shinana Thembani of the Madiba clan, who remains one of the most exceptional storytellers I have ever come across. Though she raised us in a village, we never sat around the fireside in the evenings to listen to stories, as is common in the cultures of other traditional communities. Her storytelling was spontaneous,” writes Siphiwo Mahala in his opening to his latest offering, Red Apple Dreams & Other Stories. Siphiwo Mahala is one of our finest writers and an excellent exponent…

If there’s a book that’ll give you a lot to think about, it’s got to be one which explores various complexities of spirituality.  How does having visions and speaking with the ancestors coexist with Christian faith? Is it possible for ancestral worship and religion to coexist? Well, Tirelo Ole Makgeledisa explores this phenomenon in her new book, Voices of Jesus and Ancestors. She believes that spirituality goes beyond the constructs of religion. Her life begins in a village from where her family soon moves to the town of Munthiri in Mahikeng. He father, mother and older sister, and younger brother are a tight unit but the family tries in vain…

The debut novel by Makanaka Mavengere-Munsaka, released in August 2019 by BlackBird Books is a mixed bag of themes and more. Maxine escapes an abusive polygamous marriage to a man much older than her to make a new life in Harare, Zimbabwe. The story follows the five madams she works for. Through them, we see the struggles of women trying to hold down careers and relationships in a big city where tradition, patriarchy, domestic abuse and unhealthy societal behaviours form a backdrop. While Maxine bears witness to the women’s lives, she also tries to work through her own issues, finding a way to free herself of the cruel man she…

The indomitable Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng, affectionately known as Dr T is passionate about making sexual health and well-being services available to all regardless of their sexual and gender identities, or their economic status. Her book, A Guide To Sexual Health & Pleasure, effortlessly positions itself as an essential read for all who want to explore their sexual health and pleasure. This book is one of the most valuable and timeless contributions. An easy, accessible and detailed guide to sexual health and pleasure. It is filled with the specifics of sexual anatomy, health, advice, and facts about pleasure and sexual rights. And when the book was released, I knew it would…

“Imagine the only person you’ve known your whole life hating you for something you have no control over,” (from Growing Caterpillars, which explores the intricate relationship between sexuality, race and traditional values) – that’s just one of the profound phrases contained in Keletso Mopai’s collection of short stories titled If You Keep Digging. In it, Keletso tackles real-life issues and tragedies through interlinked tales by exploring themes such as mental illness, racism, abuse, poverty, sexuality and identity, to name a few.  In her opening, she struck me as someone inspired by Tsitsi Dangarembga. In ‘Madness’ the character’s feeling of relief towards her brother’s death reminds me of Tambudzai’s apathy towards…

A lyrical and moving story of unfulfilled love fraught with the weight of history, race and geography. This is how Sarah Ladip Manyika’s In Dependence presents itself. It is intertwined with questions of belonging, ageing, faith, and family secrets. This love story spans 40 years, three continents and two cultures. Layered in 36 chapters, it follows the lives of Tayo Ajayi and Vanessa Richardson who struggle to find themselves and each other. Ajayi sails to England from Nigeria to take up a scholarship at Oxford University. There he discovers a whole generation high on visions of a new and better world. He meets Richardson, the beautiful daughter of a former…

“I started thinking about my work when I started thinking more seriously about the 25th anniversary of our democracy in 2019,” said Lawrence Mduduzi Ndlovu speaking about his new book, Mayibuye, 25 Years of Democracy In South Africa. The book styles itself as a collection of poetry that is a useful addition to the body of literature that is helping our nation critically reflect on its past, whilst pondering the future. According to him, some of the poetry in the book was written around 2012 when the Marikana massacre took place. Compiled of 44 poems, Mayibuye explores different reflections of what South Africans were feeling in 1994. The first section…