Contemporary fiction (South Africa)
Ghost in the Drum by Nthato Mokgata (2025)
R340 from The Book Lounge
Voted 2025’s Book of the Year by readers at Cape Town independent bookstore The Book Lounge, this is a raw and unapologetic exploration of the complexities of the creative industry, fame, mental health and the often-hidden cost of ambition. It confronts its themes with honesty and depth, and Nthato’s masterful control of pacing and atmosphere draws the reader in from the very first page. His precision in shaping space and time within the narrative is striking too, creating an immersive and finely balanced reading experience. Each moment feels deliberate and charged with meaning. The result is a gripping, thought-provoking and emotionally resonant read that lingers long after the final page. Belinda Musoke
Fashion (Continent-wide and diaspora)
New African Fashion by Helen Jennings (2011)
R360 from Clarke’s Bookshop
As the highly regarded editor of Nigeria’s Arise magazine in Nigeria and now the editorial director of Nataal, Helen Jennings has had her eye on the newest, most innovative and best of African fashion for decades, and is thus the ideal author for this wide-ranging work on the continent’s foremost designers. Featuring designer bios and deeply researched descriptive texts about a real pantheon of top talents from across the continent and the diaspora, this book also includes lots of gorgeous photographs that constitute a diverse trove of visual inspiration. And the fact that it prominently features the beautiful work of one of my own favourite diasporan designers, Duro Olowu (whose art-filled Instagram feed is also worth a follow) is the sartorial cherry on top. Inevitably a little dated now – it was published in 2011 – New African Fashion nevertheless remains an essential reference for anyone with an interest in the past, present and future of African style. Robyn Alexander
Non-fiction (South Africa)
Unseen by Joanne Bloch (2025)
R330 from Love Books
Through the story of her own loss of full-sightedness and the associated grief, and the tender sharing of the stories of others, Joanne Bloch invites us into the worlds of the partially-sighted. Unseen makes visible various and complex experiences – opening up awareness of the many nuances of sight, and a world centred on sightedness. She brings to life the wide range of facets of daily life impacted: from interactions with medical professionals, to the painful use of language, to the design of urban spaces. Through the witnessing presence, attention and compassion that she brings to bear, Joanne invites us into seeing the world differently. Shivani Ranchod
Contemporary fiction for young readers (Kenya, Nigeria and Southern Africa)
Get Rid of Your Phone Mummy by Mazzi Odu, illustrations by Adulphina Imuede (Nigeria, 2025)
Tortoise and Ostrich by Katrina Esau, as told to Claudia Snyman, illustrations by Stanley Grootboom (Southern Africa, 2023)
Wanjikũ, Child of Mine by Ciikũ Ndũng’ũ-Case, illustrations by Karen Vermeulen (Kenya, 2024)
When the World Was by Pippa Skotnes (Southern Africa, 2025)
Zizah Does Things Differently by Paul Okeugo and Esther Sule-Okeugu, illustrations by Chiamaka Barbara Chukwu (Nigeria, 2025) There’s a dearth of books by Africans, focused on African stories, for younger children. Which is why we’re delighted to see them when they do appear – and why we’re excited about the Bookstorm initiative, which started in 2023 and has the ambitious aim of publishing 100 children’s books in Nigeria by the end of 2027. Two titles that form part of that project are Get Rid of Your Phone Mummy, in which Tobe and her best friend Simi summon a fairy to help them get their mothers to stop being so mobile phone-obsessed, and the charming Zizah Does Things Differently, which helps its readers understand what it’s like to be a child with autism. Also a contemporary story, from Kenya – but one that speaks to issues of cultural displacement and connection with tradition – is the beautifully illustrated Wanjiku, Child of Mine. And then from Southern Africa come two wonderful folk tales that adults are likely to enjoy just as much as kids will: Tortoise and Ostrich is a story from Katrina Esau, one of the world’s few remaining N|uu speakers, while Pippa Skotnes’s gloriously detailed pictures add soul to the wonderful, poetically written and very necessary story of When the World Was. Robyn Alexander
