King of South African Crime Writing, Deon Meyer, has again been shortlisted for the CWA International Dagger, for TRACKERS

The shortlist for the 2012 CWA International Dagger was announced this week at Crimefest and Deon Meyer has again been shortlisted with his novel TRACKERS, translated by KL Seegers.  The Dagger is a competition for crime, thriller, suspense or spy fiction novels which have been translated into English from their original language, for UK publication. The other five books in contention for the Dagger this year are: The Potter's Field by Andrea Camilleri, translated by Stephen Sartarelli, I will have Vengeance by Maurizio de Giovanni, translated by Anne Milano Appel, Until Thy Wrath Be Past by Åsa Larsson, translated by Laurie Thompson, Phantom by Jo Nesbø, translated by Don Bartlett, The Dark Valley by Valerio Varesi, translated by Joseph Farrell.

The judging panel consists of: Janet Laurence, non-voting chair, who has written two series of crime novels and the first of a new series: Deadly Inheritance, has just been published by The Mystery Press. She is also the author of Writing Crime Fiction - Making Crime Pay and chaired the CWA in 1998-99; Karen Meek is a library assistant and founder of the Euro Crime website: www.eurocrime.co.uk; Ruth Morse teaches English Literature at the University of Paris. She is a frequent contributor to the Times Literary Supplement; John Murray-Browne is a bookseller.

The judges described TRACKERS as 'Meyer at his best'.

The CWA Daggers have been synonymous with quality crime writing for over fifty years. The winners of six CWA Daggers - the International, Ellis Peters, Non-Fiction, Short Story, Library and Debut Daggers - are announced at an awards ceremony held in July at a prestigious London venue.

The translator, K.L. Seegers lives in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, where she and her husband breed endurance horses and Nguni cattle. She has translated several novels from Afrikaans, and has been Deon Meyer's translator for several years.

Praise for TRACKERS:
One of The Sunday Times' Best Crime Novels of 2011
Best Crime & Thrillers 2011, The Independent
Named one of the best thrillers of 2011 by Kirkus.

'A cut way above the rest... a top-class thriller...' -- The Bookseller

'Meyer is the leading chronicler of South Africa, and his latest novel shows off his technical skill.' -- Joan Smith, The Sunday Times

'Splendid… Astutely drawn… Trackers is a sprawling, invigorating and socially committed crime novel.' -- Barry Forshaw, The Independent (UK)

'In his seventh novel, the king of South African crime fiction outdoes himself, packing in enough plot to power three separate novels. … Aside from masterfully juggling intricate plot details and ripping off some bloodcurdling action scenes, Meyer lays bare more ruthlessly than ever before the chaos that lurks beneath South Africa's new identity as a playground for terrorists. And he throws into the bargain a chilling assessment of the average citizen's hopelessly myopic worldview. Meyer has few equals when it comes to combining biting social critique and riveting action scenes.' -- Joanne Wilkinson, Booklist (starred review)

'South African mystery maven Meyer returns with a complex tale of intrigue and mayhem most satisfying. …Meyer's carefully plotted narrative is multilayered and rich in detail, and it's to his credit that he is able to pull these separate, seemingly unrelated threads into an a-ha conclusion. In the end, it's about smuggling, killing, and other crimes, but also about the quotidian sins of racism, fear, aloofness, self-interest and mistreatment of others-in short, the ordinary human failings as well as their spectacular transgressions. A first-rate thriller.' -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Praise for Deon Meyer:
'Deon Meyer is one of the best crime writers on the planet.' -- Mail on Sunday

'Deon Meyer's novels...are absolutely worthy of Hammett and Chandler, the great North American Masters of the Thirties and the Forties' -- Carmen Méndez, Expansión

'Deon Meyer is one of the giants of crime fiction.' -- Emma Rodriguez, El Mundo

'Without a doubt, Deon Meyer is one of the greatest contemporary crime novelists.' -- Alexandre Fillion, Livres Hebdo

'In his native South Africa…Meyer is a bigger hitter than his namesake TWILIGHT author…His books regularly slay the vampire romances in the charts, with their gritty realisations of the seamier side of South African life.' -- Catherine Neilan, The Bookseller Blog

'Deon Meyer is the best of the best.' -- The Mail & Guardian

'Deon Meyer is becoming a national treasure.' -- Chris van der Merwe, Rapport

'I've been reading a new book by Deon Meyer, a South African, writer of crime fiction, set in his homeland. I love crime fiction and I'm always on the lookout for a new talent and Mr Meyer certainly fits the bill.'    -- Michael Parkinson

Manu Joseph’s SERIOUS MEN shortlisted for ALOA Prize.

SERIOUS MEN is published in the UK by John Murray, by Harpercollins in Canada and India, and has been sold in Brazil (Record), Denmark (Thaning & Appel), Germany (Klett Cotta & Suhrkamp), Holland (Podium), Italy (Edizioni Dedalo), Serbia (Laguna), and Spain (El Aleph). The novel won The Hindu Best Fiction Award 2010 and the PEN Open Book Award last year.

Manu Joseph will be in the UK for launch of his second novel, THE ILLICIT HAPPINESS OF OTHER PEOPLE, which will be published in August 2012 by John Murray. He will be in conversation with Patrick French at Asia House in London on 22 August. Manu is the editor of the Indian newsweekly, OPEN, and a columnist with The International Herald Tribune, the global edition of The New York Times.

Michiel Heyns, Henrietta Rose-Innes and Hugh Lewin on the Sunday Times fiction and non-fiction shortlists.

Michiel Heyns, Henrietta Rose-Innes and Hugh Lewin are on the Sunday Times fiction and non-fiction shortlists. The shortlist for the Sunday Times Fiction Prize was announced on the 12th May 2012 at the Franschhoek Literary Festival.

The fiction list features Henrietta Rose-Innes (Nineveh), Yewande Omotoso (Bom Boy), Adam Schwartzman (Eddie Signwriter),  Michiel Heyns (Lost Ground) and debut novelist HJ Golakai (The Lazarus Effect).

The shortlist for the Sunday Times Alan Paton Award was announced on the same evening and this year sees six titles on a shortlist usually limited to five. The list includes Andrew Feinstein (The Shadow World), Anton Harber (Diepsloot), Jonny Steinberg (Little Liberia) , Mandy Wiener (Killing Kebble), McIntosh Polela (My Father, My Monster) and Hugh Lewin (Stones Against the Mirror).

The winners of each prize, awarded last year to Ronnie Kasrils for The Unlikely Secret Agent and to Sifiso Mzobe for Young Blood, will be announced at an awards ceremony in Johannesburg on 21 June.

Praise for LOST GROUND:
Also shortlisted for Herman Charles Bosman Prize 2012
'The short review of this book is simply this: it's remarkable ...It's hard to know how Michiel Heyns does it - he is part magician, part juggler and fine linguist.' --Jane Rosenthal, Mail & Guardian

'A whodunit with a difference…The surprising end is the cherry on top. Read this book.' -- Dries Brunt, The Citizen
'The style is a remarkable combination of erudite and accessible. How many writers can achieve that?…Razor-sharp satire…It's wildly entertaining, and I suspect that it will delight a very wide range of readers.' -- Maya Fowler, book.co.za.

Praise for NINEVEH:
'A gripping, thrilling allegory of a troubled nation, NINEVEH is executed with wit, panache, precision and something that I can only call wounded love for the country the author calls her home.' -- Neel Mukherjee, author of A LIFE APART

'This is a thought-provoking, densely imagined work of fiction in which no detail is out of place. It is a seamless and unusual blend of different modes of writing - the comic, the gothic and the social realist. It will appeal to any reader willing to ask questions and probe beneath the surface of our familiar urban reality.' -- Rob Gaylard, Cape Argus

'This wonderful novel may be about dysfunctional families and pestilence but it's loaded with sly, dark humour and would make a great comedy film. You can't help loving the Grubbs clan with all their faults and the depiction of Nineveh as some kind of biblical theme park adds an element of magical realism. A hugely entertaining read from this talented SA writer.' -- Willem Moeller, YOU Magazine

Praise for STONES AGAINST THE MIRROR:
'Written with incredible grace and insight.' -- Ivan Vladislavic

'Hugh Lewin's astounding new book titled STONES AGAINST THE MIRROR tells the most touching story of two intimate friends who decide to join the fight against apartheid in the 1960s.  What the beautiful story of these two men demonstrates is that it is still possible to find forgiveness, healing and reconciliation before it's too late . . . This is by far the best book written and published in 2011, and I would be very surprised if it did not win the Alan Paton award for non-fiction in 2012.' -- Jonathan Jansen, The Times

'Hugh Lewin weaves a powerful tale, showing a master craftsman at work... a deeply moving memoir' -- Nalini Naidoo, The Witness

THE CORNISH HOUSE, Liz Fenwick’s debut novel, is launched!

The debut novel of Liz Fenwick, THE CORNISH HOUSE was launched yesterday, 24 May, with a fabulous party at High Street Kensington's Waterstones. The room was adorned with Cornish flags, posters and displays of the book and guests were served delicious Cornish pasties too! A huge crowd came to toast the novel with several of Liz's friends, family and members of the Romantic Novelists' Association present - it was a great evening!  Many author friends came to celebrate with Liz, including Judy Astley, Elizabeth Buchan, Marika Cobbold, Julie Cohen, Lesley Cookman, Christina Courtenay, Jean Fullerton, Henriette Gyland, Jenny Haddon, Fiona Harper, Kate Harrison, Bernardine Kennedy, Beryl Kingston, Sue Moorcroft, Adele Parks, Talli Roland and Stephanie Zia.

THE CORNISH HOUSE is published by Orion:

When artist Maddie inherits a house in Cornwall shortly after the death of her husband, she hopes it will be the fresh start she and her teenage step-daughter Hannah desperately need. Trevenen is beautiful but neglected, a rambling house steeped in history. Maddie is enchanted by it and determined to learn as much as she can about its past. As she discovers the stories of generations of women who've lived there before, Maddie begins to feel her life is somehow intertwined within its walls.

But Maddie's dream of a calm life is far from the reality she faces. Still struggling with her grief and battling with Hannah, Maddie is unable to find inspiration for her painting and realises she may have to sell Trevenen, just as she is coming to love it.   As Maddie and Hannah pull at the seams of Trevenen's past, the house reveals secrets that have lain hidden for generations. Can a house heal a broken heart?

Praise for THE CORNISH HOUSE:

'An intriguing, deeply felt and poignant story, stuffed with insight and observation.' -- Elizabeth Buchan

'Intriguing with a great sense of place.  The perfect 'Cornish' holiday read.' -- Katie Fforde

A roar of approval as TARZAN helps the apes

Faber and Faber, the Edgar Rice Burroughs Estate and Blake Friedmann author, Andy Briggs, have donated over £2,500 to the EAZA Year of the Ape Campaign through sales of TARZAN: THE GREYSTOKE LEGACY.

With the funding provided EAZA can ensure to reach their aim to make a significant and lasting contribution to the continued survival of apes
and their habitats.

The sequel to TARZAN: THE GREYSTOKE LEGACY is published by Faber in July 2012.

Praise for TARZAN: THE GREYSTOKE LEGACY
'I fell in love with Edgar Rice Burroughs's Tarzan when I was 11 years old, and was jealous when he married that silly Jane. I would have been even more jealous of the Jane in TARZAN: THE GREYSTOKE LEGACY - she is not silly at all!  And what a stroke of brilliance to transform Tarzan into an eco-warrior. The Lord of the Jungle is with us still.' -- Dr Jane Goodall

'Tarzan is back with a bloodcurdling roar! An epic re-book of the classic series.' -- Eoin Colfer, author of ARTEMIS FOWL

'CRACKING jungle adventure with the one and only, all- time best eco-warrior, Tarzan.' -- MG Harris, author of THE JOSHUA FILES

'Wow! All the things I loved about the original Tarzan books rebooted for modern-day Africa, with a plot that will whisk you off your feet and swing you through the trees at breakneck speed.' -- Roderick Gordon, author of TUNNELS

'This is a lion-roaring read of an adventure that seized me from the first page and refused to let go.The action is breathless, the characters are enthralling and the environmental message is vital. Tarzan is not only stunningly reborn, he is more relevant today than he ever was.' -- Chris Bradford, author of YOUNG SAMURAI

'A hero that doesn't have special powers, can't do magic, and isn't an angel? Andy's Tarzan doesn't need them; he kicks ass from the moment he appears in the first chapter.' -- David Gatward, author of THE DEAD, THE DARK, THE DAMNED

'An awesome African adventure. The legend of Tarzan is in great hands.' -- Steve Feasey, author of CHANGELING

'A white-knuckle adventure worthy of Burroughs at his best. Andy Briggs' Tarzan is a stunning achievement.' -- William Hussey, author of WITCHFINDER