Christopher Nichols (1988)

Christopher Nichols most recent work has been the trilogy of the THE INCORRIGBLE CYCLE OF THE BOLD BANDICOOT, comprising Jellicumtoot, Breitgeist (the sequel) and Bunyip (the prequel).

Jellicumtoot

The Incorrigible Cycle of the Bold Bandicoot reaches its midpoint in Jellicumtoot,  a unique verse fable, narrated by Hilary and illustrated by the poetry of her sketches , about the real world she lives in and loves. It is also about another world, an imaginary world, for Hilary's mind breeds some very strange creatures. These two worlds run parallel with one another for the most part, but the boundaries between them sometimes seem remarkably blurry. Which of them is really the most real is something maybe only Hilary knows. 

Hilary's worlds are characterized by fragility in harmony, and their balance depends both on poetical and musical structure. Rhyme and Rhythm. The strange medley of characters that inhabit them are at some level aware that their existence stems from these patterns, although they can only guess at the hendecasyllabic structure of the world they live in. The supernatural figures conjured seven and four, seven by four, are fundamental to harmony and stability, all underpinned by strange heptic quadrations. 

Into these worlds comes a creature who practises malignity for its own sake and seek to destroy the beautiful stability maintained by the Jellicumtoot with his complex primeval music. There are real disruptions in the form of insult, cruelty and death, which will mark all the characters. 
Dignified mourning brings a new harmony but things are not quite as before, because one of the original number is missing. Only the restoration of rhyme and rhythm can protect what is beautiful without losing the wonderful quirks and foibles of the creatures that remain. 
Children and adults alike will find this a joy and a linguistic adventure. 

 

Breitgeist

The Incorrigible Cycle of the Bold Bandicoot began, as do all things, with his creation. That mysterious process of making, which may be directed by the creator, but which has laws of its own that take it in directions not even its creator can foresee. So the Bold Bandicoot came to be, somewhere far away in time and space.

The work of creation is imprecise, and even for the gods perfection may be approached asymptotically, but never attained, although they may come closer than any. It is for this reason that such things as the Bold Bandicoot can exist, committing ravages like his against the universal music of the Jellicumtoot, and leading a vengeful campaign against the light of the world, which the Breitgeist creates and sustains. As do all cycles, that of the Bold Bandicoot inevitably comes to a climax, perhaps to repeat itself in infinite variations, or to cease turning for all time.

 

Now the Bold Bandicoot, forever intransigent, must face judgement, the destiny of his soul, and possibly eternal death. But his is the final choice.

If you visit www.amazon.com/author/nicholschristopher, there are details about the books.

 

Eusebius McKaiser (1997)

Run, Racist, Run

By Anima McBrown

He is no stranger to Rhodes 老虎机游戏_pt老虎机-平台*官网 and its lecture theatres, which is perhaps part of the reason Eusebius McKaiser held his audience captive throughout his talk at Eden Grove Red on Thursday 25 February 2016. Launching his third and latest book – Run, Racist, Run – the proud and much celebrated former Rhodent cut straight to the chase, presenting and inviting discussions over some of the serious race issues his book explores.   

Never one to shy away from controversial and against-the-status-quo thoughts, opinions and statements, McKaiser made no secret of the fact that this book was written in the middle of another about illness, death and meaning. “But new questions fascinated me about race, and so I put that book project on ice to write Run, Racist, Run”, he said. He also shared the realisation that one must answer the call when “something else wants to be written inside you.”

At this, UHURU’s (Unit for the Humanities at Rhodes 老虎机游戏_pt老虎机-平台*官网) second and yet another successful book launch so far this year, a highly engaged audience listened as McKaiser isolated three of the book’s most talked about chapters: “Reporting from the racist heart”, “Racism receipts” and “Meritocracy, white excellence and other myths” (which impressively yet not surprisingly is being taught at Oxford).

He explained that his interests when it comes to racism go beyond what can be considered the easier, obvious or rather blatant cases of prejudice and discrimination on the basis of ‘colour’. It is more than just identifying the symptoms of racism but digging deeper to unearth the problems that lie beneath the skin of a racist, what McKaiser calls “vicious ill will”.

“We need to move away from this notion that racism is rare – that is utter nonsense. Racist motives are commonplace”. McKaiser argued against the idea of ‘white excellence’ being the product of genetic luck and hard work. “If that were true then black people struggle due to either genetic inferiority or laziness, which would be false and racist. It follows that ‘white success’ is, in part, the result of structural racism.”

Mikaela Erskog, an MA student in politics, responded to McKaiser’s remarks. As a researcher of intellectual histories and someone that is invested in exposing the plight of black women in South Africa, Erskog spoke to the “burden of black writing”. She also called for the audience to think about issues of legitimacy and micro-aggression, especially when it comes to concerns that are hot on the agenda right now: institutional curricula and transformation. She lauded McKaiser’s book as “excellent”.

Run, Racist, Run is proving to be an essential starting point for some and an important continuation for others, for thinking deeply about the real racial tensions that are part of our everyday realities. For those who might accuse McKaiser of being an angry writer in his third book, his response is simple: yes, he was angry while writing this book. He maintains that anger is crucial if one is going to allow themselves to ‘feel’ whilst on their journey of understanding and getting to grips with (i) the currency carried by skin colour and (ii) historical injustices. He even included a chapter defending the place of anger in race discourse.

McKaiser’s book does not speak to or advocate for a non-racial society but rather an anti-racist society. Part of the reason people should read the book is to gain insights into what exactly the differences between those two concepts are.

After an honest, open, emotional but much-needed conversation McKaiser ended by calling for us to be more gentle with one another, while not shying away from discomfort.

                       

Some brilliant quotes (and things only Eusebius can say without flinching):

“White people are very good at scaffolding each other”
“Whiteness is so pervasive”
“I don’t have to defend getting angry (but ironically did)”
“Black writers are never free”
“Black people can be racist”
“These are woke times”
“Every day I wake up and remind myself to wear the confidence of a white mediocre man”

*Also read his other remarkable works: A Bantu In My Bathroom and Could I vote DA?

Get a Hard copy of Run, Racist, Run dispatched to you within 24 hours by ordering it right here right now on:

http://www.loot.co.za/product/eusebius-mckaiser-run-racist-run/nhrl-3403-g130

If you would prefer the kindle version, order right now, right here:

 

 

Peter Ginn (1956)

The Ultimate Companion for Birding in Southern Africa

Brought to you by best-selling authors, Peter Ginn and Geoff McIlleron, this really is the ultimate companion for exploring souther Africa's abundant bird life. The most powerfully visual bird book ever for southern Africa.  Two volumes with over 1400 photographs of birds covering all 960 species recorded.  Fascinating descriptions from 18 top bird authorities who reveal their personal observations and knowledge in an easy to read style.

24 years after the record-breaking success of his last big book, The Complete Book of Southern African Birds, Peter Ginn has done it again. Four years in the making, The Ultimate Companion for Birding in Southern Africa takes bird books as we know them to a whole new level with his incredible insight, specialist bird knowledge and exceptional photography. An Associate of the Royal Photographic Society and the Photographic Society of Southern Africa, Peter pioneered the use of photographs to illustrate bird books in the 1970s, and has already put together more than 10 iconic bird books for the southern African region, each one building on the success of the previous one.

 www.birdbook.co.za 

 

Pat Mosel (1970)

Jerushas's Tricks

At her third attempt, Jerusha Burnett wants to become the perfect wife. Instead, she finds herself trying to become the perfect widow. Whilst engaged in this, she plays an elaborate trick on her two gay house guests - James and Oswald - and ends up disturbing the dust on a death. The scene is set in the Scottish Borders (in an imaginary village near Abbotsford, the home of Sir Walter Scott). It revolves around Kirkfield House, which Jerusha inherited from her late husband, Hamish Burnett. The action revolves around the magnetic Jerusha (born Mary Louise Patterson), not much over forty-years-old, blonde, vivacious, curvaceous and generous. It is April Fools' Day 2010 and Jerusha buries a dressmaker's dummy in the veggie garden, knowing that James and Ossie are drunkenly watching from an upstairs' window. As events would have it, the police are present when, later, the trick is exposed, the dummy exhumed. But . . . in the course of unearthing a 'body' - with permanent rigor mortis - the police find the skeleton of Hamish's first wife, Françoise Burnett. What is the fourteen-year-old secret of her death? If she didn't just go missing all those years ago, was it murder, and who was responsible? We will find out . . .

 

Ruth

Pat Mosel (1970)

"I shook my head . . . not wanting . . . not able to open my mouth because if I did, I was afraid I would scream" These were Ruth's words when she was invited to party on reaching the Rhodesian-South African Border in an armed convoy in wartime, prior to Zimbabwean independence in 1980. Before Ruth left her homeland, an African witch doctor-a woman dressed all in white-threw the bones for her. The witch doctor's wild eyes said it all. She recoiled and refused to interpret what she saw in the scattering of bones, seeds, and pods in front of her. Ruth was left anticipating an unspeakable future. Living in the Scottish Borders years later, married to the devious and hardhearted Max, who subjects her to psychological abuse, Ruth faces both the disintegration of her marriage and the death of her husband. She will have to leave the marital home in its idyllic setting . . . "leave all that is familiar and all that belongs in places, in corners of a room" She had done this before-lost an environment and a history.

Ten Guidelines for a Meaningful Life

Alan Robertson (1969)

"Combining his psychological insight with both his biblical and theological knowledge, Alan brings the Ten Commandments to life for you and I today. Warmly recommended to anyone seeking to find their way into God's way of living life. -Trevor Hudson, author of 8 books on Christian Spirituality, including Journey of the Spirit, with Morton Kelsey. Does your life feel meaningless? Does it lack a moral and ethical compass based on solid biblical values? Even if you're a Christian, do you often feel discouraged? The answer to your problems might surprise you: It's all in the Ten Commandments. Yes, those dusty rules in Exodus you probably memorized as a child! But guess what? Those instructions God gave to Moses so long ago are just as crucial to our success today-and this life-changing book shows you how. With this new approach to the commandments you can: • bring powerful meaning to your life • renew your faith in a dynamic relationship with Father Son and Holy Spirit • become more like Christ • deepen your Bible knowledge • grow psychologically and spiritually Step back to the basics and find out why the Lord's plan for His chosen people is the same plan for you, His chosen one. Through applying the Ten Commandments, you will find meaning in a joyful, God-honoring life!

 

In Love's Place

Etienne Van Heerden (1990)

After his heart bypass operation, former champion-athlete Christian Lemmer needs to take stock. When a Cape Flats gang begins to target him, this becomes vitally important.

Christian commutes between Johannesburg and Stellenbosch, where he returns at weekends to his amnesiac wife Christine and his confrontational son Siebert. But he also has a hideaway that no one knows about, a flat in Sea Point where his drug dealer meets him, and a Swazi prostitute becomes his confidante.

And in Matjiesfontein the staff of the Lord Milner Hotel and the local pigeon breeders are in a state of excitement with the approach of the Southern Cross Derby – the most important event in the Karoo’s pigeon racing calendar.

But other things are afoot in Matjiesfontein as well, things in which the lives of the Lemmers are soon to become involved, from the arrival of the Piss-Man to the disappearance of prodigy Snaartjie Windvogel who, it is said, bewitches her father’s pigeons with her violin playing. The Lemmers come to the village to try to unravel one mystery, only to find themselves caught up in another.

Available: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/in-love-s-place

 

It’s a Red Moon and a Green Man

Pamela Heller (1964)

Gerhard Vorbei is a 20th century green man in advance of his time. Originally brought up in various villages in southern Germany's Bavaria, he comes to South Africa but rejects city life in Johannesburg. With no definite plan in mind, he, his wife, Daphne and their two young sons land up in the caravan park of the South West African village, Pomona-at-the-Sea, once a thriving diamond centre (1912 - 14), now a ghost town in the Namib desert.
Set in the hippy era of the 1960's and 70's, before independence, namely before SWA became Namibia, the book recounts the story of how Gerhard's vision of a garden paradise is realized. Through creative thinking, practical farming methods, lesser known technologies of hydroponics and desalination, much determination and respect for nature, he succeeds in establishing an oasis in the desert within four years. He does this with the help of a circle of friends and acquaintances from Johannesburg who come to live in the bungalows built alongside the original caravan park. Their sexploits are revealed along with the thorny issue of monogamy.
The setting up, development and methods used in the garden are discussed during the visit of two strangers to Pomona - farmer Robert Burchill from the UK and Chris Altman, landscape designer from Austria. In this way, information about establishing the garden is condensed into the twenty-one days of

their visit. Each day reveals a new aspect of the growing process and ends with a magnificent sunset.
Running counter to the theme of growing is the destructiveness of leader Gerhard which ultimately has tragic consequences as revealed in the climax at the end of the novel.

Source: www.Amazon.com

Available:http://www.amazon.com/Its-Red-Moon-Green-Man-ebook/dp/B008RM8HTY/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1400506180&sr=1-1&keywords=it%27s+a+red+moon+and+a+green+man

 

The Pink Slippers

Pamela Heller (1964)

The novel dramatizes the life of Sister Beatrice, a St Augustinian nursing sister living in Genadendorp in the Northern Cape, South Africa. Like Cinderella, from the moment she puts on the fluffy pink slippers, her life changes fundamentally.
She leaves the convent, marries and by a twist of fate, returns to the same town approximately 3 years later where she fulfills herself as wife and mother. At the same time she retains a burning interest in the Church, the events of Vatican 11 and, after the death of husband Matthew, a new interest in the startling history revealed in the Gnostic Gospels contained in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi.
Jesus' life, His betrayal, His crucifixion are revealed in an astonishing new light. The theme of betrayal touches her personally. Her own son betrays her. Though initially she is rescued by her Prince, she, unlike Cinderella, is ultimately left alone to deal with her own negative feelings and the impact they've had on her personal relationships.
Ultimately she comes to terms with her betrayal and journeys to the spiritual fulfillment which is the God within.

Source: www.Amazon.com

Available: http://www.amazon.com/The-Pink-Slippers-Pamela-Heller-Stern-ebook/dp/B007JK9D66

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Robin Anderson (1960)

Still Life: The Resurrection

Meet ETHELRED JONES, acclaimed film director of the bizarre; CLYTEMNESTRA, his beautiful ‘bacterial’ artist wife and the rest of this discordant quintet, the disgraced ‘donor’ doctor, CHARLES CONRAD CROSBY; the priapic black giant Man Friday named MONDAY and TRISOMY - a child old beyond her years – all melded together in the creation of the ultimate cinematic and art experience, STILL LIFE.
Into this monstrous mélange comes the unsuspecting OSWALD ARGENT, an aspiring thespian more narcissus than actor, who finds himself – literally – taking ‘a step too far’ when accepting a misleading role in the meticulously planned STILL LIFE scenario. On entering the rarefied world of Bethlem Báthory, the JONES’S mysterious isolated country mansion known to the locals as Castle Dracula, the devious young OSWALD finds his film debut more gourmet than glamorous.
Enter BRYAN SCIMA, his former lover who, by chance, ends up as Lady of the Manor with distant neighbour, SIR MILES ANSTRUTHER, a wealthy property developer. Coincidence follows coincidence through never-ending scenes of gratuitous violence mixed with glamour and the grotesque.
Set in London, Italy and Morocco, STILL LIFE is an articulate, cynical novel filled with black humour at its most humorous; a volcanic-volatile hot bed of sex, greed, money and destruction. The story, which runs at a breath-taking pace, will keep the reader riveted in more ways than one. STILL LIFE is an ‘up and down’ ride which gathers momentum leading up to an unprecedented climax.
Think EDGAR ALLAN POE meets FREUD, THE MARQUIS DE SADE and NOEL COWARD in a mind-blowing gang bang and you are almost there. To quote ETHELRED JONES, ‘We stuff the snuff!’ 

Visit Robin Anderson's Website at http://www.robinandersonauthor-ott.com/

Buy on Amazon

Amazon Kindle

‌Robin Anderson (1960)

GRADY HARP - AMAZON- "We are transvestites with taste, not transvetites of tackiness!", December 27, 2011

“Robin Anderson takes a million and one chances in this stingingly funny novel and his writing style is so adept that he knows exactly how to balance camp with storyline. A little background: Anderson was born in Scotland and educated in Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, and South Africa  and while his novels have a decidedly bent twist, his day job is that of an internationally respected interior designer. And in that field he likely has encountered much of the classy fodder he molds into this book”.

La Di Da Di Bloody Da!

 

Miz Miranda Maracona and Miz Kookie Kombuis - one fair, the other so, so dark! - are two enormously talented and hugely endowed transvestites who run a special service from Soho's Old Compton Street - the M K Agency.

Looking for something different? Well, Prince Igor Pisskossovitch certainly is, and when the girls take on the Kylie Minogue lookalike as a client, they find themselves in a glorious Ruritanian foperetta in the remote principality of Bejesustan, where camp is the watchword and coups d'etat the national sport.

Divided loyalties and lingering lusts turn would-be assassins and victims into brothers in arms in this sophisticated fantasy of 'courtly' love with a special twist...A proverbial 'piss-down' ends in two fatalities that have tongues and every other appendage wagging. Who's the new Prince of Bejesustan? Surely not Mike the Spike, the porn star...?

There's plenty to relish in these pulsating pages for lovers of laughter, and indedeed lovers of all sorts. And wouldn't the world be a lack-lustre place without the likes of Miz Miranda and Miz Kookie to put a tranny in the works? Dedicated to his mucker, florid inspiration and Celeb BB occupant Miz Trump, tells you all you need to know about the world in which this hyper-story is set.

TRANNYS TO TIARAS!

 

GRADY HARP – AMAZON – “Oh what these ladies/laddies can create!”, December 27, 2011

For readers fortunate enough to have happened on Robin Anderson’s book LA DI DA DI BLOODY DA! the main characters in this wonderfully irreverent farce will be unforgettably familiar – our own Miz Miranda Maracona and her compatriot transvestite Mis Kookie Kombuis – and the tale they weave this time takes camp and drag and ludicrous situations from the MK Agency (servicing special clients with special desires) in London to the exotic sounding Namibia.  This time it is a diamond caper (Carol Channing would be proud!) and the story is equally as outrageous and as the forerunner in this series.

Anderson understands that fine line between comic bliss and lack of taste, and while he allows these absurdly loveable transvestite characters to get as down and dirty as the e=English language will allow, he never steps over the threshold of impropriety.  How he accomplishes this is a major conundrum, but funny he is and a fine writer he is and it is everyone’s bet that he continues along this route for books to come.

 Website: http://www.robinandersonauthor-ott.com/
Available from Amazon

Childrens books avaliable on Kindle

Barbara Mutch (1974)

‌‌Barbara and her husband Laurie Mutch (1968) live in the UK and Simon’s Town. Barbara did Pharmacy (74-77) and Laurie did Physics (graduated with a Masters in the mid-70s).

‌

 

The Housemaid's Daughter  is available in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa  in e-book & audio editions published by Headline.

‌

The Housemaid's Daughter tells the story of Ada, an illegitimate, unschooled but brilliant pianist who grows up in service to a family of Irish immigrants. As apartheid tightens its grip, she is seduced into an illegal relationship and bears a mixed race child. Forced to flee from the only home she knows, she must carve a life for herself, her daughter and her music in the bleak township that squats on the edge of the Karoo. Torn between love for her surrogate family and outrage at apartheid's sins, she embarks on a dangerous double life as friend - and potential foe - of both black and white.

Visit Barbara's website at www.barbaramutch.com

Buy the book at Headline UK, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Amazon UK, Apple, Kindle, eBooks.com

 

Eusebius Mckaiser (2012)

A Bantu in my Bathroom

“Within a minute I was absorbed in the rich, unusual style of writing; within no time I had finished the work to find myself happy, angry, sad, exhilarated, puzzled and, most of all, amused. Nobody writes like this.”- Jonathan Jansen

In A Bantu in my Bathroom, McKaiser shares with us his thoughts about many issues that concern us in South Africa today. His book is divided into three sections – Race, Sexuality and Culture, and he deals with controversial issues under each heading.

Under Race, he discusses the difference between racialism and racism, our understandings and misunderstandings of affirmative action and he takes up the assertion that blacks can’t be racist.

Under Sexuality he examines the issues of homophobia, rape and problems regarding the disclosure of one’s HIV status.

Under culture he illustrates the myth of the Rainbow Nation, examines people’s reaction to Brett Murray’s portrait, “The Spear”, and discusses what it means to be a “coconut.”

He presents all issues in terms of his personal experiences and that makes his book delightfully easy to read – despite the fact that it deals with deep philosophical issues.  It is such a pleasure to find an academic who is willing to step outside of his exclusive domain to converse with us ordinary mortals in a language we can understand.

Source: kalahari.com

Jen Thorpe (2012)

My first time stories: of sex and sexuality from women like you

Perhaps it was incredible, earth shattering, life-changing, and wonderful. Perhaps it wasn’t romantic or pleasurable, but awkward, painful or forced upon us. Many of us have kept our experiences secret because, by exposing our stories, we expose ourselves and our feelings around sex.

In My First Time, Southern African women have shared their stories about their significant first time experiences of sex and sexuality. This is a collection of honest, powerful, and brave accounts. Some joyful, others funny and some heartbreaking, but all of them important for women, and hopefully men, to read.

This is the perfect book for you to read to reflect on your own first times. This is the perfect book to share with your mother, siblings, and friends.

Source: Kalahari.com

James Moulder (1959)

The Analects of Confucius (Leadership Classics), is a selection and paraphase of the Analects of Confucius that are a guide to being an effective leader.

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Sihlangule Siwisa (1998)

The Courage to Begin Again;  A dream delayed is not a dream denied.

This is the true story of Sihlangule Siwisa, a South African man who decided to quit his job and the height of the global recession to follow his dream of starting his own publishing company. However, it was through the failure of that company that taught him the importance of not giving up on his dreams—and now he is offering his advice to you. In the inspiring The Courage to Begin Again, you will follow Sihlangule’s journey as he explains how he overcame financial ruin and despondency and has experienced overwhelming triumphs in his life to this day.

 

Shaun Benton (1986)

Last Modified: Mon, 21 May 2018 14:08:43 SAST