Deon Meyer’s SKORPIO awarded the SA Book Awards Favourite Bestselling Adult Fiction Prize

September 11, 2026 Intern BlakeFriedmann

UPDATE: We are delighted to announce that SKORPIO has been awarded the Favourite Bestselling Adult Fiction Prize at this year's SA Book Awards – as voted for by booksellers across South Africa – taking home the ZAR 5,000 prize.

Many congratulations Deon!

You can read more about SKORPIO and the awards in our news story below.

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SKORPIO, the latest Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido investigation by bestselling crime sensation Deon Meyer, has advanced to the shortlist for the 26th annual SA Book Awards, in the Favourite Bestselling Adult Fiction category.

Booksellers from across South Africa were invited to vote for their favourite South African-authored books of the year from a longlist of the bestselling titles of 2025, with SKORPIO recognised following an epic 9-week end-of-year run at the top of the South African bestseller lists, claiming the Christmas #1. The awards, powered by NielsenIQ BookData and supported by the Publishers’ Association of South Africa and the SA Booksellers’ Association, strive to celebrate books written and published in South Africa, as voted for by South African booksellers. Each category winner is awarded ZAR 5,000.00 and an overall winner – awarded to Deon in 2024 for previous book LEO – receiving the highest number of votes, is presented with ZAR 20,000.00. The winners were announced at a special virtual award ceremony on 8 September 2026.

The other books on this year’s Adult Fiction shortlist are:

BINNERYM VAN BLOED by Antje Krog
DÉJÀ VU by Chanette Paul
DIE BY THE SWORD by Tony Park
SWEETIE by Nataniël Nataniël

First published last year in Afrikaans by Human and Rousseau, English-language readers won’t have to wait long to enjoy the thrills of SKORPIO for themselves: last week, Pan Macmillan unveiled the cover of their edition, the first to be published by Pan Macmillan following a six-figure swoop for the UK and Commonwealth English-language rights. Titled SCORPIO RISING (translated by K.L. Seegers), it will be published in South Africa in October this year, and in the UK on 11 February 2027, alongside Grove Atlantic in the US and Canada. Rights have further sold in France (Editions Gallimard), the Netherlands (A W Bruna) and Germany (Aufbau).

In SKORPIO/SCORPIO RISING, when two seemingly disparate investigations collide, detectives Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido must race against time to solve both before it is too late.

When Detective Benny Griessel is assigned the case of a private eye crushed under a BMW in his garage, it looks a lot like suicide. But Benny’s partner, Vaughn Cupido, knew the deceased, and he says it’s murder. Benny would love to have Vaughn’s help on the case, because so far it’s going nowhere. But his partner is stuck wasting his considerable talents investigating the arson of a remote shepherd’s hut.

Then a caravan explodes on a nearby farm, and the identity of the body inside drives the media into a feeding frenzy just a week before an international security forum comes to town. Suddenly, Griessel and Cupido’s dead-end cases are burning red-hot, and the flames threaten not just their careers, but those dearest to them.

Local and international threats become perilously entwined in this tautly constructed thriller from a master of the form, as Griessel and Cupido race against time to uncover a plot that could challenge global politics at the highest level…

About Deon Meyer

Deon Meyer lives in Stellenbosch. His books are sold in 31 countries, and have been awarded many prizes around the world: the Deutsche Krimi Prize in Germany, the ATKV Prize in South Africa, the Martin Beck Award in Sweden and Le Grand Prix de Littérature Policière and Le Prix Mystère de la Critique in France. COBRA was shortlisted for the 2015 CWA International Dagger, THIRTEEN HOURS was shortlisted for the 2010 CWA International Dagger, and HEART OF THE HUNTER, was longlisted for the 2005 IMPAC Prize and selected as one of Chicago Tribune’s ‘10 best mysteries and thrillers of 2004’. THE DARK FLOOD was longlisted for the 2023 CWA Dagger for Crime Fiction in Translation. His latest novel LEO, a new Benny Griessel thriller, enjoyed ten weeks at the top of the South African bestseller lists, Number One in all categories.

Adaptations of Deon’s novels have recently had great success on screen: in April 2024, HEART OF THE HUNTER topped the global Netflix film charts, becoming the first African film to do so, with over 11 million views in its first two days alone. DEVIL’S PEAK was also adapted for a miniseries by Lookout Point and Expanded Media Productions, premiering on M-Net in South Africa in 2023 before reaching audiences in the USA, New Zealand, Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg. In 2020, TRACKERS, produced by Three River Fiction and Scene 23, aired on Sky Atlantic in the UK and HBO in the USA, as well as Australia and New Zealand, and across the Nordic countries and Europe.

Praise for SKORPIO

‘Even if he writes a book where Griessel and Cupid just go on holiday without any crime to solve, I will still buy it, read it and add it to my collection… Meyer needs no introduction… I don’t even want to think what he has meant to the Afrikaans book and film industry as a whole. He showed everyone what is possible, and SKORPIO shows how everyone still listens when he speaks. In 2025, a wealth of good suspense literature was published; SKORPIO is the icing on the cake.’ – Stefan Coetzee, LitNet

‘It’s the characters, the humanity and the humour that keeps me devouring Deon Meyer’s novels.’ – Deborah Steinmair, Netwerk24

‘In terms of depth, it is Meyer’s penetrating consideration of the nature of criminality that is surprising… In Meyer we notice the necessary awareness of South Africa’s social diversity. This makes the story nuanced and credible. What is also striking is the compassion with which Meyer treats the characters. This is a novel that is marked by humanity. Even the characters and suspects do not lack the author’s compassion… Ultimately, it is the scope of the story that surprises both the detectives and the reader. The evil that is systemic corruption is strikingly exposed. With the unmistakable Deon Meyer trademark, precise and powerful, SKORPIO is prime crime fiction that captivates to the end’ – Francois Bekker, Netwerk24

Praise for Deon Meyer

‘He’s up there with the best in the world.’ – Marcel Berlins, The Times

‘I love Deon Meyer novels. It’s global storytelling at its best, with the undeniable hallmarks of gritty realism and deep character building.’ – Michael Connelly

‘Deon Meyer's name on the cover is a guarantee of crime writing at its best.’ – Tess Gerritsen

‘Deon Meyer is one of the giants of crime fiction.’ – El Mundo

‘One of the best crime writers on the planet.’ – Mail on Sunday

Visit Deon’s website

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Deon Meyer’s DEVIL’S PEAK finds UK streaming home on U and Channel 4

August 28, 2026 Intern BlakeFriedmann

Following its successful home debut in South Africa on M-Net, and US distribution on Tubi, DEVIL’S PEAK – the 5-part miniseries adaptation of Deon Meyer’s prize-winning 2005 novel – has finally found its UK home, streaming now on U (formally UKTV) and on Channel 4’s on-demand service.

DEVIL’S PEAK sees the talented but broken Benny Griessel tracking down a righteous vigilante killer whose crimes are capturing the imagination of the city. Meanwhile, grieving father Thobela Mpayipheli seeks justice after the untimely murder of his son. Benny and Thobela are brought into the orbit of a trapped mother, Christine, who is willing to do anything to achieve a better life for herself and her daughter, and the fates of these three characters become inextricably linked. Combining gripping tension with uncompromising authenticity, DEVIL’S PEAK offers an original South African take on the investigative thriller for today.

Produced by Lookout Point and Expanded Media Productions, with backing by BBC Studios and Multichoice Studios, the series stars Hilton Pelser (THE KISSING BOOTH, MOFFIE) as Detective Benny Griessel, with Sisanda Henna (who starred in previous Deon Meyer adaptation TRACKERS), Tarryn Wyngaard, Shamilla Miller, and Masasa Mbangeni. The 5 x 1-hour series is directed by Jozua Malherbe (JUSTICE SERVED, GRIEKWASTAD) and written by Matthew Orton (MOON KNIGHT, OPERATION FINALE). International distribution for the show is being handled by BBC Studios.

Originally published in Afrikaans as INFANTA in 2005, and translated into English by K.L. Seegers, DEVIL’S PEAK won the ATKV Prize in South Africa and won the Svenska Oversatta Kriminalroman (Martin Beck) Award and the Readers’ Award from CritiquesLibres.com in October 2010. The book is published in English in the UK and Canada by Hodder & Stoughton and WF Howes, and in the USA by Little, Brown, as well as in many translation markets.

The latest Benny Griessel novel, SCORPIO RISING, was first published last year in Afrikaans by Human and Rousseau, with Pan Macmillan publishing the English translation (translated by K.L. Seegers), in South Africa in October this year, and in the UK on 11 February 2027, alongside Grove Atlantic in the US and Canada. Rights have further sold in France (Editions Gallimard), the Netherlands (A W Bruna) and Germany (Aufbau).

About Deon Meyer

Adaptations of Deon’s novels have recently had great success on screen: in April 2024, HEART OF THE HUNTER topped the global Netflix film charts, becoming the first African film to do so, with over 11 million views in its first two days alone. DEVIL’S PEAK was also adapted for a miniseries by Lookout Point and Expanded Media Productions, premiering on M-Net in South Africa in 2023 before reaching audiences in the USA, New Zealand, Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg and the UK via U on Channel 4. In 2020, TRACKERS, produced by Three River Fiction and Scene 23, aired on Sky Atlantic in the UK and HBO in the USA, as well as Australia and New Zealand, and across the Nordic countries and Europe.

Praise for the novel DEVIL’S PEAK

‘With Deon Meyer you can't go wrong. He's a writer whose work I admire, wait for and then devour.’ – Michael Connelly

‘Deon Meyer portrays a world of terrifying uncertainty, in which those who fought for liberation from apartheid are having to come to terms with the knowledge that freedom is not enough to wipe out cruelty. A thoughtful and exciting novel.’ – Natasha Cooper, Times Literary Supplement

‘This is one of those entertainment fictions that teaches one more than any textbook or documentary. This thriller is a fascinating portrayal of one aspect of life in post-apartheid South Africa… winding up the tension to a gripping, shocking climax. Highly recommended.’ – Literary Review

‘Deon Meyer is…one of the sharpest and most perceptive thriller writers around…Meyer paints a wonderful picture of the dark side of the rainbow nation… Against the odds Meyer leaves us with a resolution that is both poignant and supremely satisfying. In no way is this a negative book about the new South Africa. It makes the place come alive with a breathless urgency that recalls the 1940s Los Angeles of Dashiel Hammet or Raymond Chandler: a bit mad, a bit bad, a bit dangerous, but exotically vibrant, a society in adolescence. Think of Meyer in the way that you might have regarded a bottle of Cape red a dozen years ago – dark, strong with an unusual but beguilingly moreish taste. If it can produce popular literature as good as this, the new South Africa has a lot going for it.’ – Peter Millar, The Times

‘If you want a glimpse of the soul of the new South Africa in all its glory, and with all the gory details of its problems and corruption, Meyer is your man… I marvelled at the intricacy of the plotting, I smiled at Christine's cheeky ingenuity, I felt Thobela's pain and Benny's desperation, and I was stunned by a dénouement of awesome power and accomplishment.’ – Matthew Lewin, The Guardian

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Michael Hogan’s cosy canine sequel DEATH AT THE DOG HOTEL acquired by Penguin Michael Joseph

August 25, 2026 Intern BlakeFriedmann

DEATH AT THE DOG HOTEL, the follow-up to Michael Hogan’s charming debut THE DOGWALKER’S DETECTIVE AGENCY, has been acquired by Penguin Michael Joseph. Editor Grace Long bought World All Language rights from Juliet Pickering ahead of publication in paperback, eBook and audio on 19 November 2026. North American rights have been sold to Claiborne Hancock at Pegasus Books – for publication in Summer 2027 – and Italian rights have sold to Edizioni Piemme SpA.

DEATH AT THE DOG HOTEL is a witty and festive locked-room murder mystery. When Charlie Boardman and his fellow dogwalkers are invited to an exclusive new dog-friendly hotel on the outskirts of their seaside hometown of Framstone, they’re looking forward to the ultimate wintery getaway. But when a hotel guest’s body is discovered in suspicious circumstances, the dogwalkers’ staycation takes a turn for the worse. Guests and staff quickly become suspects, and Charlie and his canine-loving friends must pivot from festive thrills to sniffing out the killer in their midst. Who checked into the dog hotel with murder in mind?

‘Crimes will always need solving and dogs will always need walking, so I'm overjoyed to continue the adventures of the Framstone gang and their ragtag pack of hounds,’ said Michael. ‘A locked room mystery at a snowed-in boutique hotel - what could be cosier? I hope readers will enjoy this seasonal sequel as much as I enjoyed writing it. Waggy Christmas, one and all.’

‘It’s been a delight to work with Michael on bringing THE DOGWALKER’S DETECTIVE AGENCY to readers, and I’m thrilled to bring the next instalment, DEATH AT THE DOG HOTEL, to fans of cosy crime and dogs alike!’ added editor Grace Long. ‘With a fantastic cast of characters, warm humour and a wonderfully festive set-up, all tied together with a gripping and twisty mystery, DEATH AT THE DOG HOTEL is the perfect stocking stuffer this Christmas.’

About Michael Hogan

Michael Hogan is a writer and editor with a 30-year career in journalism. As a freelance writer for the past 12 years, he’s been TV critic for the Telegraph and written for the Guardian, Observer, Radio Times, Red, Q, Empire, Marie Claire, Grazia, Glamour, InStyle, Esquire, ES and You magazine.

He lives in London with his family and a rescue dog called Ivy. To escape them all and get some work/procrastination done, he commutes to a shed at the bottom of his garden.

Praise for THE DOGWALKER’S DETECTIVE AGENCY

‘This sweet, big-hearted novel is like THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB with Dogs. I horsed through it and found it hugely uplifting. The friendship between the characters is beautiful, and I LOVE the protagonist Charlie. It really kept me guessing – and oh my God, that final FINAL twist! I need more!’ – Marian Keyes

‘Clever, charming and as twisty as a string of sausages stolen from a butcher’s by a Staffy.’ – Adam Kay

‘Michael Hogan is a hilariously funny writer, and this is a total treat’ – Jenni Colgan

‘Brilliant. I inhaled it. This is actually my dream book.’ – Claudia Winkleman

‘Charming, big-hearted, and with a gigantic twist. But frankly, you had me at ‘dogs’. – Jojo Moyes

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Graeme Macrae Burnet’s BENBECULA shortlisted for Ned Kelly Awards’ Best International Crime Fiction prize

August 24, 2026 Intern BlakeFriedmann

Graeme Macrae Burnet’s BENBECULA has been nominated for the Best International Crime Fiction prize at the Ned Kelly Awards – putting Graeme in contention for the prize for a second year in a row, following his victory in 2025 for the conclusion to the Inspector Gorski trilogy, A CASE OF MATRICIDE.

Run by the Australian Crime Writers Association, the Ned Kelly Awards are Australia’s oldest and most prestigious honours for the best crime fiction and true crime writing published in Australia. BENBECULA, published by Text Publishing in Australia in November 2025, is recognised in this year’s Best International Crime Fiction category, alongside fellow nominees Tom Baragwanath, Michael Connelly and Abigail Dean. The winner will be revealed during an online ceremony in September.

This latest announcement brings the tally for BENBECULA up to four prize nods, following a shortlisting by the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction and longlistings by the Highland Book Prize and the Crime Writers’ Association Historical Dagger award. BENBECULA was originally published by Polygon in their Darkland Tales series, in which prominent Scottish authors reimagine a striking moment of Scottish history.

Congratulations Graeme!

About BENBECULA

On 9 July 1857, Angus MacPhee, a labourer from Liniclate on the island of Benbecula, murdered his father, mother and aunt. At trial in Inverness he was found to be criminally insane and confined in the Criminal Lunatic Department of Perth Prison.

Some years later, Angus’s older brother Malcolm recounts the events leading up to the murders while trying to keep a grip on his own sanity. Malcolm is living in isolation, ostracised by the community and haunted by this gruesome episode in his past.

A dark, psychological thriller from the Booker-shortlisted author of HIS BLOODY PROJECT, leavened by moments of black humour and absurdity, BENBECULA was commissioned by Polygon for their Darkland Tales series – where Scotland’s best writers (including Val McDermid, Denise Mina, Alan Warner and others) re-imagine true stories from the country’s past, each bringing the tales up to date with their own unique voice and identity.

About Graeme Macrae Burnet

Graeme Macrae Burnet was born in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire and now lives in Glasgow. He has also lived in the Czech Republic, France, Portugal and London.

His first novel, THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ADÈLE BEDEAU (Contraband, 2014), received a New Writer’s Award from the Scottish Book Trust and was longlisted for the Waverton Good Read Award. A second Inspector Gorski novel, THE ACCIDENT ON THE A35, was published in 2017, and the trilogy was completed in 2024 with the ‘tragic, cinematic, propulsive' (Martin MacInnes) A CASE OF MATRICIDE.

HIS BLOODY PROJECT (Contraband, 2015) won the Saltire Society Fiction Book of the Year Award and the Vrij Nederland Thriller of the Year, and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, the LA Times Mystery Book of the Year and the European Crime Fiction prize. It has been published in over twenty languages. CASE STUDY was published in 2021 by Saraband (UK), Text (ANZ) and Bolinda (UK audio) to wide critical acclaim. The North American edition was published in 2022 by Biblioasis. It was longlisted for the Booker Prize 2022 and the Dublin Literary Award, and shortlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize and Ned Kelly International Crime Prize. It is published in fifteen languages.

Graeme was named Author of the Year in the 2017 Sunday Herald Culture Awards and has appeared at festivals and events in Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada, Estonia, Macau, Ireland, Germany, Poland and France, as well as in the UK.

Praise for BENBECULA

‘Graeme Macrae Burnet’s recreation of a macabre incident in 19th-century Hebridean history is unrelentingly disturbing and utterly gripping’ – James Robertson

‘Graeme Macrae Burnet made his name with HIS BLOODY PROJECT… BENBECULA, based on a real murder, shares similarities with that novel. In both he skilfully evokes rural crofting life in the 19th century – and tells the story using narrators who have an uncertain relationship with the truth. An unsettling picture of Malcolm begins to emerge, and an already twisted novel becomes even more deliciously dark.’ – Antonia Senior, The Times, ‘The best historical fiction books of 2025’

‘Some crime writers are successful at creating fully-formed living, breathing characters; others are more adept at playing games with the reader: to an almost unique degree, Macrae Burnet excels at both.’ – Jake Kerridge, The Telegraph, ‘The 21 best crime and thriller novels of 2025’

‘Burnet’s vivid portrayal of a troubled household by a man attempting to explain the inexplicable is dark, intense and utterly compelling.’ – Laura Wilson, The Guardian, ‘The best recent crime and thrillers’

‘A neat and clever tale that beds its roots firmly in the gothic, with themes of madness, isolation and morality at its dark heart. What happens when communities are tarred by association, and is it possible to keep the right side of madness when all around you madness abounds? BENBECULA is as far removed from the recent cosy-crime tradition as it is possible to be: this is claustrophobic crime at its very best, and with so very much to admire.’ – Judges’ citation, Walter Scott Prize

Visit Graeme’s website.

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THE VALLEY OF RAVENS by Barbara Erskine is a Top Ten bestseller!

August 6, 2026 Intern BlakeFriedmann

Barbara Erskine’s THE VALLEY OF RAVENS has flown into the Top Ten in the UK hardback Original Fiction bestseller chart, hitting Number Six on chart after just three days on sale. HarperCollins published THE VALLEY OF RAVENS on 30th July – the tenth Barbara Erskine novel to become a Top Ten bestseller, with her previous title, THE STORY SPINNER, reaching Number One as well.

In THE VALLEY OF RAVENS, two women, centuries apart, are bound by fate… In the present, Eve, desperate for a fresh start, arrives in the Valley of Ravens to restore a long-abandoned cottage. Everyone knows the place is cursed. Why else would it be called The Witch’s House? As Eve begins her renovations it becomes clear the place has a secret waiting to be uncovered, if only she can make the connection with the past.

Meanwhile, in Wales in 1260, Alys, a healer living in the depths of the valley, discovers Llewelyn – last true Prince of Wales – lying wounded on the battlefield. She tends him and her fate is forever bound to his. Her vow to keep his final secret will echo through the centuries…

Barbara has a busy roster of events to celebrate the publication of THE VALLEY OF RAVENS, beginning with a very special launch at Hay Castle in Hay-on-Wye on publication day. Hay-on-Wye sits on the border with England along the River Wye and is of course the site of Barbara’s debut, the iconic classic LADY OF HAY. THE VALLEY OF RAVENS also features LADY OF HAY heroine Jo Clifford. Fans came from all over the UK to attend the launch, also in family groups – from Edinburgh, York, Stratford-upon-Avon, Birmingham and more. A lively discussion about Barbara’s research and Q&A session was followed by a long signing queue!

You can listen to Barbara talking more about the book on BBC Radio or read more in this fascinating Muddy Stilettos interview. You can see more event dates here, photos of Barbara’s location travel and research on her website here and sign up for her monthly newsletter here, for early news and extra insights.

THE VALLEY OF RAVENS has already garnered praise from early readers and reviewers:

‘Erskine masterfully connects these women across centuries, delivering an atmospheric blend of historical drama and supernatural suspense that explores how deep secrets refuse to stay buried.’ – Woman’s Own

‘Gripping and inspirational… Barbara Erskine never disappoints. She is a master storyteller with a genius for evoking lost worlds, and writes pacy and convincing time-slip novels in which magic and the supernatural abound and menace is always lurking, and this book is no exception. I was riveted, entranced by the poignant story of the last native Prince of Wales, and the brave heroine who risks her all for his sake. It’s a beautifully crafted story, a real roller-coaster ride, and utterly spellbinding.’ – Alison Weir

‘There are few things as exciting as a new Barbara Erskine novel. In fact, I’m beginning to think that she writes especially for me, because her stories, so multi-layered, gliding smoothly from present to past, with intriguing and often quite scary paranormal threads, are exactly what I crave in a book. No one does the paranormal like Barbara and I love her for it. She’s a kindred spirit and I soak up every word with unadulterated pleasure. THE VALLEY OF RAVENS is Barbara at her best – she’s been at her best for years, really, she hits that high pitch of perfection every time. She’s a master storyteller and a wise woman. Long may she continue to entertain, fascinate and give great joy to her many readers! I adored THE VALLEY OF RAVENS so much!’ – Santa Montefiore

'An intriguing time-slip story... With beautiful prose, this atmospheric story is told in dual time frames as ancient events and secrets come to the fore.' – Candis

It was recently announced that HarperCollins have acquired two new books from Barbara Erskine, one being the long-awaited sequel to Barbara’s debut, the multi-million-copy bestseller LADY OF HAY, which has been in print for 40 years. The new novel, also set in Hay-on-Wye, has Jo Clifford again as central character and will be published in 2028, with a further title to follow.

About the Author

Barbara Erskine at the launch of THE VALLEY OF RAVENS

Historian and novelist, Barbara Erskine was the first writer to become a major bestseller with dual time period novels. Her first novel, LADY OF HAY, catapulted her to international success and has been constantly in print for 38 years. Often imitated, never equalled, Barbara’s work is published all around the world in English and in 26 other languages. Her books are regular Sunday Times bestsellers in both hardback and paperback, with millions of copies sold.

Barbara Erskine has 16 novels and 3 original short story collections to her name. Euromedia published ‘The Best of Barbara Erskine’ short story collection in the Czech Republic in October 2020.

She lives in an old police station in Hay-on-Wye, the setting of LADY OF HAY and SLEEPER’S CASTLE. The area, near Offa’s Dyke, is a key location in THE DREAM WEAVERS, THE STORY SPINNER and THE VALLEY OF RAVENS too.

Praise for Barbara Erskine

‘Fascinating, absorbing, original. But perhaps the most suitable word is hypnotic.’ – SHE

‘Erskine never disappoints.’ — Historical Novel Society

'My perfect storm of escapist bliss.' – Saga

‘The acknowledged queen of the historical time-slip novel.’ – Daily Mail

‘Whether you class her as historical or supernatural, she is certainly a first-rate storyteller.’ – The Bookseller

Visit Barbara’s website.

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