THE MAN WHO LOVED CROCODILE TAMERS, A LIBRARY TO FLEE and MY THIRTY-MINUTE BAR MITZVAH longlisted for the South African Sunday Times Literary Awards

We are delighted that THE MAN WHO LOVED CROCODILE TAMERS by Finuala Dowling and A LIBRARY TO FLEE by Etienne van Heerden (translated by Henrietta Rose-Innes), have been longlisted for the 2023 Sunday Times Literary Awards in South Africa, in the fiction category, while MY THIRTY-MINUTE BAR MITZVAH by Denis Hirson has been longlisted in the non-fiction category.

The Sunday Times Literary Awards are awarded annually to writers who are either South African citizens or residents, and the fiction prize goes to a novel of ‘rare imagination and style’ which is ‘so compelling as to become an enduring landmark of contemporary fiction’. Finuala Dowling’s last novel, OKAY OKAY OKAY, was also longlisted in 2021, and past winners include Blake Friedmann authors Marlene van Niekerk, Ivan Vladislavić and Zakes Mda. The non-fiction prize is awarded to a book that demonstrates ‘compassion, elegance of writing, and intellectual and moral integrity’, and has also been won by Blake Friedmann authors Ivan Vladislavić and the late Hugh Lewin.

Published by Kwela in March 2022, THE MAN WHO LOVED CROCODILE TAMERS is a daughter’s unforgettable portrait of a complex man. Gina knows hardly anything about her father apart from the fact that he was once engaged to Koringa, a crocodile tamer, and that he is buried in an unmarked grave. In between shifts at call centre, she works on a novel about him, in a narrative that is by turns enchanting, funny, and heartbreaking.

A LIBRARY TO FLEE, published by Tafelberg in September 2022, focuses on our dangerous, turbulent times: several stories are woven together while Cape Town’s mysterious crossbow killer prepares to strike again.

In MY THIRTY-MINUTE BAR MITZVAH, Denis Hirson looks back to his childhood in Johannesburg in the 1960s, to his relationship with his father, who was imprisoned for anti-Apartheid activism, and to his thirteenth birthday, when he visited his father in the car park of the prison. It was published by Jacana in South Africa in 2022, and will be published by Pushkin Press in the UK and US in 2024, with an audio edition from Tantor.

About Finuala Dowling

Photo: Simone Scholtz

Finuala Dowling is a prize-winning poet and novelist and an acclaimed poetry teacher. She lives in Kalk Bay, Cape Town.

Her first novel was WHAT POETS NEED, followed by FLYLEAF. HOME-MAKING FOR THE DOWN-AT-HEART won the M-Net Prize 2012 and was shortlisted for the University of Johannesburg Prize in the same year. Her novel THE FETCH won the 2016 Herman Charles Bosman prize for English fiction. Her novel OKAY OKAY OKAY was published in South Africa by Kwela in 2019, with her latest novel, THE MAN WHO LOVED CROCODILE TAMERS, following in 2022.

Finuala Dowling on Poetry International

Finuala Dowling on Facebook

About Etienne van Heerden

Photo: Roger Sedres

Etienne van Heerden is the author of 28 published books, published in 12 languages and the winner of many major South African prizes. Van Heerden is an alumnus of the University of Iowa’s prestigious International Writing Program and regularly teaches at universities in Europe. He has been writer-in-residence at the Leiden University in the Netherlands and the University of Antwerp in Belgium. His classic novel TOORBERG (ANCESTRAL VOICES) has recently been re-issued in Dutch by Aldo Manuzio.

Etienne van Heerden’s website

About Denis Hirson

Photo: Adine Sagalyn

Denis Hirson is a South African writer and lecturer now living in Paris. He is the author of seven books, almost all of them at the frontier between prose and poetry and concerned with the memory of South Africa at the time of apartheid. These include THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR TO AFRICA (David Philip), as well as, from Jacana: WE WALK STRAIGHT SO YOU BETTER GET OUT THE WAY, the best-selling I REMEMBER KING KONG (THE BOXER), the poetry collection GARDENING IN THE DARK; the novel THE DANCING AND THE DEATH ON LEMON STREET (shortlisted for the Commonwealth Book Prize, 2012) and WHITE SCARS, a lyrical meditation on reading and its significance in our lives, runner-up for the South African Sunday Times Alan Paton Non-Fiction Prize in 2007. His latest book, MY THIRTY-MINUTE BAR MITZVAH, was published by Jacana in South African in 2022, with Pushkin Press to publish in the UK and US in 2024.

About Henrietta Rose-Innes

Photo: Christine Fourie

Henrietta Rose-Innes is the author of the novels SHARK'S EGG (SA: Kwela 2000) and THE ROCK ALPHABET (SA: Kwela 2004) and a collection of short stories, HOMING, which features the 2008 Caine Prize winning story ‘Poison’ and the 2010 Willesden Prize runner-up, ‘Falling’. Her novel NINEVEH was published by Random House SA’s Umuzi imprint in 2011 and by Gallic Books in 2016, and her latest novel, GREEN LION, was published by Umuzi in 2015 and by Gallic Books in 2017.

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Blake Friedmann Picks for 2022

Here at Blake Friedmann, we’re enormously proud that so many of our authors’ books have appeared in ‘Picks for 2022’ lists. To celebrate this, we have assembled these mentions into the following list, along with the praise that accompanied their selection. All of the books are available to pre-order now.

GOOD INTENTIONS by Kasim Ali

One of Foyles’ Debut Writers to Look Out For  

Included in LoveReading’s ‘2022 Preview - Exciting New Books on the Horizon’

‘Fourth Estate's lead debut for spring is the first novel from PRH assistant editor Ali, and tells of Nur and Yasmina, a young couple who have been deeply in love for the past four years. But there is a problem: Nur, a young British-Pakistani man, has not yet told his family of Yasmina's existence. As the clock ticks down to midnight on New Year's Eve, he prepares to tell them that he has built a life with the woman he loves, and that she is Black. A contemporary exploration of relationships, family expectations and racial prejudice.’ – Alice O’Keefe, The Bookseller, ‘Fiction Previews’

‘Ali’s accolades – being shortlisted for Hachette’s Mo Siewcherran Prize and shortlisted for the 4th Estate BAME Short Story Prize – precede his arrival onto the literary landscape this March. Nur and Yasmina have been in love for four years. The twist? Nur’s Pakistani parents don’t know that Yasmina exists, or that she is Black. What follows is a love story full of hard choices and tensions, family obligations and racial prejudices. Not to be missed by fans of MODERN LOVE.’ – Sana Goyal, Vogue India

‘Kasim Ali’s GOOD INTENTIONS is the compelling, captivating story of Nur, a young British-Pakistani man who has fallen in love with a woman whom he feels he cannot tell his family about – because Yasmina is Black. A fascinating insight into the expectations inherent in immigrant life, Ali takes on racial prejudice and millennial relationships without ever succumbing to cliche or easy answers to the big questions he poses.’ – Ben East, The National, ‘Books in 2022’

‘Nur and Yasmina have been together for four happy years. But Nur’s Pakistani parents don’t know that Yasmina is Black. They don’t even know that she exists. Nur is stuck between worlds – he wants to be the dutiful son and golden child that his parents expect him to be, but he also wants to be the kind of boyfriend that Yasmina needs too. As everything he holds dear is challenged, Nur is forced to question whether he can be all these things at once, and whether he really has a choice in the matter. GOOD INTENTIONS is a tender, authentic and candid love story that explores racial prejudice, modern society and the obligations that children of immigrants feel to their families. A must-read.’ – Culturefly, ‘Fiction preview: 20 books to look forward to reading in 2022’

‘Yasmina and Nur have been together for four happy years, but Nur has yet to tell his Pakistani parents his girlfriend exists. This is a promising debut about second-generation immigrants, family obligation and love.’ – Niamh Donnelly, Irish Independent, ‘The Hottest Books of the Year Ahead’

‘Look out for Kasim Ali’s GOOD INTENTIONS in March. It tells the story of a British Muslim man who must tell his parents he’s in love with a Black woman.’ – Charlotte Heathcote, Sunday Express, ‘A New Chapter for 2022: The Most Exciting Reads Coming in the Year Ahead’

‘A magnetic debut novel from an accomplished young writer about a hidden romance, which already looks ripe for a film or TV adaptation. The story revolves around a British Pakistani man torn between his family and the black woman he has fallen deeply in love with. The story combining young love with complexities of immigrant families and racial prejudice looks at themes of obligation versus following your heart.’ – Mita Mistry, Eastern Eye, ‘Bright looking books set to make a major mark in 2022’

‘This debut novel from Londoner Ali, is the story of young man torn between family and love, culture and individuality. “Honest” is a word that comes up repeatedly in blurbs and reviews (emotionally, absorbingly, heartbreakingly).’ – The Millions, ‘Most Anticipated: The Great First-Half 2022 Book Preview’

‘This beautifully written debut explores prejudice, love and family ties in the UK today.’ – Apple Books, ‘Meet the Books We Can’t Wait to Read in 2022’

‘When I began to think of 2022 releases that I wanted to read, the first that came to mind was Kasim Ali’s GOOD INTENTIONS. I could say that romance books are my guilty pleasure but that would be a lie because I am always ready to shout my love of romance books from the roof. While I love a good romcom, I’m also a huge fan of romance novels that tackle reality head-on. In Good Intentions, Ali explores the role of race and family in romantic relationships through the characters Nur and Yasmina. After four years of being in a relationship Nur has decided at midnight on New Years Eve he will finally tell his Pakistani parents that he is in love with Yasmina, a Black woman. Addressing issues that are both moving and engaging, how could I possibly resist this “magnificent and messy love story”? (Huma Qureshi). I’m sure you’ll catch me crying about this book on Instagram this year.’ – Billi Jones, Bad Form, ‘6 Books For The First 6 Months of 2022’

‘This. Book. The writing, the characters, the humour, the talent. We fell for Nur and Yasmina within a few chapters. The complex topic of prejudice and colourism within our communities is often disregarded in the face of more overt racism from elsewhere *gestures at everything*, and Kasim Ali has done such a brilliant job exploring this in this heart-wrenching debut. Definitely one to watch. (Edit: Kasim has since been dubbed the male equivalent of Sally Rooney and we gotta agree.)’ – Muslim Voices in Publishing, ‘Most Anticipated Books’

Published 3rd March 2022. Pre-order here.

THE MILK TART MURDERS by Sally Andrew

‘Sally Andrew is baaaack! This time with THE MILK TART MURDERS (Umuzi). Tannie Maria and Henk are at the movies when Oom Frik dies, and it might be murder because the Oom had many sought-after treasures. A second death occurs and there is a clue — a letter addressed to Tannie Maria asking for advice and a milk-tart recipe.’ – Jennifer Platt, Sunday Times, ‘Books To Look Out For This Year’

Published 1st March 2022. Pre-order here.

HONEY AND SPICE by Bolu Babalola

‘Bolu Babalola’s debut novel centers on college student Kiki Banjo, a relationship expert who hosts Brown Sugar, Whitewell University’s student radio show. Kiki meets her match in resident playboy Malakai Korede, who she dubs “The Wastemen of Whitewell.” Like any good rom-com, the book features fake relationships, missed communication, and enough romantic tension to cut with a steak knife.’ – Lit Hub, ‘Lit Hub’s Most Anticipated Books of 2022’

‘Bolu Babalola is finally bringing us the romantic comedy we’ve been patiently waiting for. Kiki Banjo is an expert in relationship-evasion, and likes to keep her feelings close to her chest. As the host of the popular student radio show, Brown Sugar, it’s her mission to make sure the women who make up the Afro-Caribbean Society at Whitewell University also do not fall into the mess of 'situationships', players, and heartbreak. But when Kiki meets Malakai Korede - who she has publicly denounced as 'The Wasteman of Whitewell' - her defences are weakened and her heart is compromised. She soon she finds herself in danger of falling for the very man she warned her girls about.’ – Shahed Ezaydi, Bustle, ‘12 Books By British Women Of Colour To Look Out For In 2022’

Published 5th July 2022. Pre-order here.

HOPE AND GLORY by Jendella Benson

One of Goodreads’ 60 Highly Anticipated Debut Novels

‘HOPE & GLORY, the first novel by journalist Jendella Benson… examines family secrets, love and grief as a woman leaves her life in LA and returns to Peckham to mourn the death of her father.’ – The Sunday Times, ‘Cultural Barometer’

‘Set to be everywhere in 2022, Benson’s debut is about Glory, who returns from LA to Peckham after the death of her father only to discover her family is falling apart and resentful but examining her past uncovers unexpected surprises…’ – Francesca Brown, Stylist, ‘ The Fiction Books You Can’t Miss in 2022’

‘This layered family drama by debut author Jendella Benson follows Glory Akindele, a prodigal daughter who returns to London from L.A. to find her family shattered… but Glory's journey to put them back together leads her to question everything she believed about them.’ – Jenny Hollander, Marie Claire, ‘The Most Eagerly Anticipated Fiction By Women in 2022’ 

‘After a family death, a woman returns to London to discover her family in shambles. A brother in jail. A sister who lost purpose. A mother in a spiral after her husband’s death. In Benson’s debut, we discover what it means to be family and what it means to find yourself when you didn’t know you needed finding. It’s a delightful novel that will please readers of all kind.’ – Debutiful, ’12 Debut Books Publishing in 2022 You Should Pre-order Right Now’

‘Clear some space on your bookshelf – there are many great books being published next year, but Jendella Benson’s HOPE AND GLORY is the one you’ll be telling your friends about. The story is set in Peckham, where Glory arrives home from a glamorous life in LA to mourn the sudden death of her father, only to find that her family has fallen apart while she has been away. The inspiration behind the book? “The chaos of my quarter-life crisis – there was a lot going on,” Benson says. Currently head of editorial at Black Ballad, the award-winning digital community for black British women, the 32-year old says she was finding her way alongside her lead character, “trying to work out what ideas of community and family look like, alongside wrestling with my own experiences and grieving my mother’s death.” The result? One of 2022’s most raved-about debuts, already praised by the bestselling author Candice Carty-Williams and optioned for a TV series to be shown on ITV.’ – The Sunday Times, ‘The 10 New Faces to Know for 2022’

‘A Black woman relocates to bring her family back together following her father’s unexpected death. In the process she uncovers a secret, and reconnects with an old friend forcing her to question the values she was raised with.’ – Keyaira Boone, Essence, ‘56 New Books We Can’t Wait To Read In 2022’

‘Glory arrives back in Peckham, from her seemingly-glamorous life in L.A, to mourn the sudden death of her father, and finds her previously-close family has fallen apart in her absence. Her brother, Victor, has been jailed. Her sister, Faith, appears to have lost her independence and ambition. And their mother, Celeste, is headed towards a breakdown. Glory is thrown by their disarray, and rather than returning to L.A she decides to stay and try to bring them all together again. However, when she uncovers a huge family secret, Glory risks losing everyone she cares about in her pursuit of the truth.’ – Shahed Ezaydi, Bustle, ‘12 Books By British Women Of Colour To Look Out For In 2022’

‘The first book from Jendella Benson has already attracted excellent reviews. Yomi Adegoke, author of SLAY IN YOUR LANE has described it as “So deliciously South London.” The story follows Glory who arrives back in Peckham, from her seemingly-glamorous life in LA, to mourn the sudden death of her father, and finds her previously-close family has fallen apart in her absence. Her brother, Victor, has been jailed; her sister, Faith, appears to have lost her independence and ambition; and their mother, Celeste, is headed towards a breakdown. Glory is thrown by their disarray, and rather than returning to America she decides to stay and try to bring them all together again. However, when she unearths a huge family secret, Glory risks losing everyone she truly cares about in her pursuit of the truth.’ – Melan Mag, ‘10 books by Black authors that should be on your 2022 pre-order list’

Published 7th April 2022. Pre-order here.

THE HIVE by Scarlett Brade

‘BITCH!!! A REVENGE THRILLER WHERE MURDER HAPPENS AT THE BEGINNING?! The heart palpitations that have skyrocketed in excitement when I heard about this. All you crime and thriller babes are EATING with this debut!’ – Soraya Bouazzaoui, Aurelia Magazine, ‘The Hottest Titles To Look Out For By Black Writers And Writers Of Colour’

Published 21st July 2022. Pre-order here.

TIEPOLO BLUE by James Cahill

‘Academic Cahill's 1990s story focuses on Cambridge University art historian Professor Don Lamb whose brilliance belies a deep inexperience of life and love. Out of nowhere, he's forced to leave, and ends up working in a London museum. There he befriends Ben, a young artist who introduces him to the anarchic British art scene and the nightlife of Soho.It opens his eyes to a liberating new existence. But his epiphany is also a moment of self-reckoning, as his oldest friendship - and his own unexamined past - are revealed in a devastating new light. His life begins to unravel leading to a dramatic fall from grace.’ – Rebecca Thomas, BBC, ‘Books 2022: A pick of what's coming up’

‘During the long hot summer of 1995, professor of art history Don Lamb is jolted into his gay identity after moving to London and becoming exposed to the city’s queer scene. Cahill uses his extensive knowledge and experience in the art world and academia to explore the experience of men who ‘belong to a sealed world of fixed ideas – but who sense the possibility of a different life.’ Bringing together the Italian masters and the Young British Artists, this is a debut that looks at art, power, academia, and the potential of the urban setting at the end of the 20th century.’ – Jessica White, Dazed, ‘The queer books to read in 2022’

‘This divine debut from art critic and academic James Cahill is the smart, sexy read you need in 2022. Expect to see it on prize lists as well as Instagram feeds. The novel’s protagonist is Professor Don Lamb, a precocious but prematurely stuffy art historian and Cambridge don, who likes measuring the skies in the paintings of Venetian master Tiepolo. Lamb takes preternatural offence when a Tracey Emin-esque bed sculpture is installed outside his college lodgings, and departs to London in a sulk for a new museum gig. There awaits a new kind of awakening - and it’s not just because the YBAs are taking off. Not only an addictive pageturner, Cahill’s book taps into the tensions and suspicions between generations that feels incredibly relevant for our testy times.’ – Jessie Thompson, Evening Standard, ‘Culture in London: the faces to watch in 2022 – Books’

Published 9th June 2022. Pre-order here.  

ONE LAST LETTER FROM GREECE by Emma Cowell

Included in LoveReading’s ‘2022 Preview - Exciting New Books on the Horizon’

Published 9th June 2022. Pre-order here.

THE MAN WHO LOVED CROCODILE TAMERS by Finuala Dowling

‘THE MAN WHO LOVED CROCODILE TAMERS is by far the best title of a book this year. The latest by Finuala Dowling (Kwela) is about Gina, who wants to write a fictional account of her father Paddy, who left few clues about his life. She knows that he was once engaged to the famous crocodile tamer Koringa. For the rest, Gina must imagine her way into the life of the father who died an alcoholic when she was 11 years old.’ – Jennifer Platt, Sunday Times, ‘Books To Look Out For This Year’

Published 25th March 2022. Pre-order here.

BETRAYAL by David Gilman

Included in LoveReading’s ‘2022 Preview - Exciting New Books on the Horizon’

‘Raglan is the strong but silent type. Nevertheless, his knight errantry is winning and this is a pleasingly old-style take on the action genre. Beau geste.’ – James Owen, The Times, ‘The Best New Thrillers For January 2022’

Published 6th January 2022. Order here.

PICTURE YOU DEAD by Peter James

Included in LoveReading’s ‘2022 Preview - Exciting New Books on the Horizon’

Published 29th September 2022. Pre-order here.

WHAT EDEN DID NEXT by Sheila O’Flanagan

‘In Sheila O’Flanagan’s WHAT EDEN DID NEXT (Headline) we meet Eden, five years widowed, reconnecting with an old flame she knew before her husband, but her in-laws are hellbent on interfering.’ – Anne Cunningham, Irish Independent, ‘Spring into 2022 with the very best of the books being published next year’

‘O’Flanagan is a longtime bestselling author, who is hugely prolific – she’s written over 30 novels. In this latest one, we meet Eden, who has already suffered the unexpected loss of her husband Andy. She has their daughter and his family to support her – but when she meets someone knew, Andy’s mother stands in the way, and the entire family could suffer.’ – Aoife Barry, The Journal, ‘Irish fiction to look forward to in 2022’

Published 28th April 2022. Pre-order here.

THE BOOK ABOUT EVERYTHING edited by Declan Kiberd, Enrico Terrinoni and Catherine Wilsden, featuring Joseph O’Connor

‘THE BOOK ABOUT EVERYTHING edited by Declan Kiberd, Enrico Terrinoni and Catherine Wilsden has 18 writers, including Joseph O’Connor and Mario Vargas Llosa, explore a chapter each of Ulysses.’ – Anne Cunningham, Irish Independent, ‘Spring into 2022 with the very best of the books being published next year’

Published 16th June 2022. Pre-order here.