Stefan Tobler of And Other Stories has acquired DOUBLE NEGATIVE, by one of South Africa's most acclaimed writers, Ivan Vladislavić. DOUBLE NEGATIVE focuses on apartheid-era university dropout Neville Lister whose life is changed when he is sent to photographer Saul Auerbach to gain some sense of perspective and purpose. So begins a delicate, funny and beautifully written exploration of the art of depiction, and the haunting power of photographs, those 'odd little memorials that owe a lot to chance and intuition'. This spare, memorable novel tracks the changing face of Johannesburg over the decades and the crooked path of Neville's career, and throws new light on our ways of seeing and recording, on how and what we remember, and the art of getting lost.
Of the deal with And Other Stories Ivan Vladislavić said: 'And Other Stories have shaken up my sense of what's possible with their innovative approach to publishing. I love the cosmopolitan diversity of their list - exactly the sort of company I would want my own work to keep. I'm very excited to be joining the imprint.'
Stefan Tobler, And Other Stories Publisher: 'There's no doubt in my mind that Ivan Vladislavić is one of the major writers in English. After Deborah Levy and Helen DeWitt, he is only the third novelist we have picked who writes in English. Like them, this is an extraordinary writer who is confident on the world stage.'
Blake Friedmann's Isobel Dixon said: 'Ivan's work has always negotiated the seam between prose and art - an exploration brilliantly evident in DOUBLE NEGATIVE. I look forward to a beautiful And Other Stories edition, and to the new audiences they will reach for this fine author.'
DOUBLE NEGATIVE is also published by Random Umuzi in South Africa, Editions Zoe in France and Contrasto in Italy.
Praise for Ivan Vladislavic:
'Vladislavić seeks the poetry of the city he has known and loved for 30 years ... He finds the human behind Johannesburg's sorry reputation.' -- Ross Leckie, The Times (South Africa)
'Ivan Vladislavić is one of a handful of writers working in South Africa after apartheid whose work will still be read in fifty years.' --The White Review
'One of the most imaginative minds at work in South African literature today.' -- André Brink
'Ivan Vladislavic is the most significant writer in South Africa today.' -- Focus on Africa