Shani Akilah’s stunning short story collection FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS pre-empted by Oneworld

Photo credit: Jonathan Osibo

Fighting off a competing pre-empt, Oneworld has pre-empted UK and British Commonwealth rights to debut Black-British author Shani Akilah’s richly imagined short story collection FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS from Sian Ellis-Martin.

FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS will publish in June 2024 as a superlead title under Oneworld’s new book-club imprint, Magpie, underpinned by an extensive publicity and marketing campaign. A sampler of one of the stories will be available at Waterstones’ TikTok Festival later this month.

Partly set during the pandemic years, this collection brings to life the stories of Black-British Londoners as they navigate their way through relationships that break them, shape them, and sustain them through good times and bad. Linked to a central main character, they explore love and friendship, identity and community, loss and faith.

Shani Akilah says: ‘I'm absolutely delighted and honoured to have my debut short-story collection come to life with Oneworld. This journey has been a labour of love, and I'm deeply grateful for the opportunity to be in the company of some of my favourite writers whose work has inspired me over the years.’

Juliet Mabey says: ‘Shani has brilliantly captured the Black-British and diasporic experience through a millennial lens, providing a fresh and contemporary spin on the challenges faced by a group of friends living in extraordinary times. Sitting at the literary-commercial sweet spot, it’s a stunning first outing for a writer of real strength and ambition.’

Sian Ellis-Martin says: ‘I’m thrilled that FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS has found a home with Juliet Mabey and the team at Oneworld. Shani’s beautifully crafted stories give an insight into the joys – and struggles – of the many variations of love and friendship and I can’t wait for readers to have the chance to enjoy them as much as I have.’

About Shani Akilah
Shani Akilah is a Black-British writer from South London of Caribbean heritage (Guyana, Barbados and Jamaica). She is an avid reader and book blogger and was spotlighted as a ‘Key Black Influencer’ by DoubleDay Books. Shani is passionate about community and bringing people together and is the co-founder of Nyah Network, a book club for black women and is also the founder of contributor based platform, Bankra, that explored the navigated identities of black millennials. Shani loves travelling, and has spent significant time in Ghana as part of her studies. Shani has a Masters degree in African Studies from Oxford University with research exploring counter-diasporic return and issues of home and belonging amongst second-generation British-Ghanaians.

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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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Romalyn Ante, Janice Galloway and Kaite O’Reilly made Royal Society of Literature Fellows

We are delighted that three Blake Friedmann authors, Romalyn Ante, Janice Galloway and Kaite O’Reilly, have been elected fellows of the Royal Society of Literature.

The election took place at the RSL’s annual summer party on 12 July, where the new Fellows signed their names in the RSL Roll Book, which dates back to 1825.

Founded in 1820, the Royal Society of Literature is a charity which represents the voice of literature in the UK. To be nominated as a fellow, a writer must have published or produced two works of outstanding literary merit, and nominations must be made by two fellows or honorary fellows. This was the second and final year of the RSL Open initiative, which has seen 60 new writers from backgrounds underrepresented in UK literary culture elected to Fellowship. Readers and writers from across the UK recommended writers for nomination, who were then considered by a panel. This year the panel consisted of Monica Ali, Nick Laird, Sabrina Mahfouz, Charlotte Mendelson, Daljit Nagra, Irenosen Okojie and Chibundu Onuzo, and was chaired by Damian Barr.

Damian Barr said of the new Fellows: ‘This is a list of powerful talents and pioneering trailblazers; gifted writers of all genres who lit the way and who continue to inspire us in darker times. Their recognition is richly deserved and, for some, long overdue. The Royal Society of Literature is all the richer for these new Fellows, just as the world is for their words.’

About Romalyn Ante

Photo: S Chadawong

Romalyn Ante was born and lived in the Philippines until she migrated to the UK when she was 16 years old. She is now based in Wolverhampton. Romalyn is a poet and works as a specialist nurse practitioner. She is a co-founding editor of harana poetry, and the first East-Asian to win the Poetry London Prize (2018) and the Manchester Poetry Prize (2017). She also won the Creative Future Literary Award 2017. 

Romalyn’s debut poetry collection, ANTIEMETIC FOR HOMESICKNESS, was published by Chatto & Windus and was an Irish Times Best Poetry Book of 2020, an Observer Poetry Book of the Month and a Poetry School Poetry Book of the Year 2020. It was also a National Poetry Day UK Recommended Read and is longlisted for the Jhalak Prize and the Dylan Thomas Prize.

See Romalyn’s website here

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About Janice Galloway

Janice Galloway was born in Ayrshire in 1955. Her first novel, THE TRICK IS TO KEEP BREATHING (Vintage), now widely regarded as a contemporary Scottish classic, was published in 1990. It was shortlisted for the Whitbread First Novel, Scottish First Book, Italia Premio Acerbi and Aer Lingus Awards, and won the MIND/Allen Lane Book of the Year. Her second novel was FOREIGN PARTS (Vintage, 1995), which won Te McVitie's Prize. CLARA (Vintage), a fictionalised account of the life of Clara Schumann, was published in 2003 and won the Saltire Book of the Year.

Janice is also the author of two works of ‘anti-memoir’: THIS IS NOT ABOUT ME (Granta, 2010), was shortlisted for The Biographer's Club First Book and won Scottish non-fiction Book of the Year; ALL MADE UP (Granta, 2011) won the SMIT Book of the Year and a Creative Scotland Award. Her latest book, JELLYFISH (Granta, 2019), is a short story collection exploring sex and sexuality, parenthood, relationships, the connections between generations, death, ambition and loss.

Visit Janice's website

About Kaite O’Reilly

Photo: Hayley Madden

Kaite O' Reilly is an award-winning playwright and poet (Peggy Ramsay Award, Manchester Evening News Best Play of 2004, International Susan Smith Blackburn Award 2009, Ted Hughes Award for New Works in Poetry 2011), a recipient of two Unlimited Commissions, part of the Cultural Olympiad for the London Olympics (for IN WATER I'M WEIGHTLESS and LEANER, FASTER, STRONGER) and a Fellow of International Research Centre ‘Interweaving Performance Cultures’, Freie Universität, Berlin.

Visit Kaite's website here

Click here to read about Kaite's scriptwriting

Hodder falls under the spell of Kate Hodges’ Macbeth-inspired historical fiction debut

Commissioning editor Lily Cooper from Hodder and Stoughton has pre-empted world all-language rights for Kate Hodges’ debut historical novel, THE WAYWARD SISTERS, from agent Juliet Pickering.

For fans of THE FAMILIARS, THE BINDING and PANDORA, THE WAYWARD SISTERS is a historical intrigue set in 18th century Scotland, which offers a modern, feminist perspective on Macbeth’s Three Witches. The story begins in 1769, the year of Venus’s second transit, when frustrated astronomer Nancy Lockaby is still reeling from the ridicule that her theories on the transit have earned her from her colleagues at the Greenwich Observatory. A mysterious invitation from Shakespearean scholar Caleb Malles to join him as a research fellow in Inverness, gives her a chance of escape. But while Nancy initially finds herself drawn in by Caleb’s eccentric, brilliant mind, when she crosses paths with three crones who warn her that the scholar is hiding dark intentions, Nancy finds herself wondering who she can trust. Especially when the women claim that they have their own relationship with one of the Bard’s greatest works…

Kate Hodges says: ‘I am thrilled to bring the stories of Nancy and the three witches of Macbeth to the world, and to have had the opportunity to explore that period in history when the lines between science and magic were blurred and porous. It’s been magical writing THE WAYWARD SISTERS, and I’m grateful to the team at Hodder for publishing my debut at the perfect time: Halloween!’

Lily Cooper says: ‘THE WAYWARD SISTERS serves up everything I love in a novel – wonderfully chilling atmosphere, a page-turning plot, and characters who speak to our times – with a delicious side-helping of Shakespeare. In her story, Kate interrogates the narrative of Macbeth’s Witches as a representation of evil and chaos, and offers us a fresh, imaginative take on one of literature’s most famous trios through a rollicking adventure that will leave readers under its spell. We’re very excited to be introducing her story to the world this Halloween.’

Juliet Pickering says: ‘I can think of no one better to explore the three women of Macbeth and who they really may have been behind the ‘‘double toil and trouble’’, than Kate and her imagination. THE WAYWARD SISTERS brings them into the spotlight and holds up a mirror to womanhood and power, deftly explored alongside by Nancy Lockaby and her intelligent curiosity. I can’t wait for readers to enjoy this rich, beguiling novel.’

THE WAYWARD SISTERS will be published in hardback, audiobook and eBook on 26th October 2023.

Photo: Jeff Pitcher

About Kate Hodges

Kate Hodges graduated from the University of Westminster with a BA in Print Journalism. She has over 20 years writing experience on magazines, having been a staffer on publications including The Face, Bizarre, Just Seventeen, Smash Hits and Sky, and written for many more, including The Guardian, Kerrang! and NME. She has also worked for Rapido TV, makers of cult show Eurotrash, and P For Production films. Since June 2012, she’s edited, researched and written the weekly Hopscotch newsletter, a guide for families to the best cheap, fun things happening in London.

She is the author of three books on London, LITTLE LONDON, LONDON IN HOUR, RURAL LONDON, as well as I KNOW A WOMAN, WARRIORS, WITCHES, WOMEN, ON A STARRY NIGHT and ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS. Her latest book, WILD WORDS (Portico, October 2021), is a collection of words from around the world which are evocative of the wild.

She has twins, Arthur and Dusty, and lives in Hastings. In her spare time, she plays in bands including The Nuns and The Hare and Hoofe.

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A HISTORY OF WATER by Edward Wilson-Lee makes 2023 James Tait Black Biography Prize shortlist

A HISTORY OF WATER, Edward Wilson-Lee’s astonishing biography of Damião de Góis and Luís de Camões, has been shortlisted for the illustrious 2023 James Tait Black Biography Prize.

The James Tait Black Prizes are the longest-running literary prizes in Britain, with two prizes in total – one for fiction and one for biography.

The other titles shortlisted for this year’s biography prize are: HOMESICK by Jennifer Croft; A LINE IN THE WORLD: A YEAR ON THE NORTH SEA COAST by Dorthe Nors, translated from Danish by Caroline Waight; and COME BACK IN SEPTEMBER: A LITERARY EDUCATION ON WEST SIXTY-SEVENTH STREET, MANHATTEN by Darryl Pinckney.

The titles shortlisted for this year’s fiction prize are as follows: BITTER ORANGE TREE by Jokha Alharthi, translated from the Arabic by Marilyn Booth, DEMON COPPERHEAD by Barbara Kingsolver; BOLLA by Pajtim Statovci, translated from Finnish by David Hackston; and AFTER SAPPHO by Selby Wynn Schwartz.

On this year’s biography shortlist, judge Dr Simon Cooke comments: ‘Absorbing, resonantly voiced, and beautifully realised, these life-writings open fascinating and various worlds, and searchingly inquire into the transformative relations between literature and life.’

The winners of both prizes will be announced by the University of Edinburgh in July. Past winners of the biography prize include the likes of Martin Amis, Claire Tomalin and Doireann Ní Ghríofa.

A Times Literary Supplement ‘Book of the Year’ as well as one of The Times ‘Best History Books of 2022’,  A HISTORY OF WATER follows the interconnected lives of two men across the renaissance globe. One of them, Damião de Góis – an aficionado of mermen and Ethiopian culture, an art collector, historian and expert on water-music – returned home from witnessing the birth of the modern age to lock himself in the Torre de Tombo, the first great national archive of Europe, before dying in a mysterious incident, apparently the victim of a grisly and curious murder. The other, Luís de Camões – a ruffian, vagabond and braggart, chased across the globe from Mozambique to Japan – ends up becoming the national poet of Portugal.

The stories of Damião de Góis and Luís de Camões capture the extraordinary wonders that awaited Europeans on their arrival in India and China, the challenges these marvels presented to longstanding beliefs, and the vast conspiracy to silence the questions these posed about the nature of history and of human life. In vividly charting those struggles, Edward Wilson-Lee resurrects de Góis’ fluid and dynamic vision of history. A history whose currents endlessly rise up and converge, turbulent, sonorous, and powerful.

A HISTORY OF WATER was first published to great acclaim in hardback by William Collins in August 2022, and the paperback edition will be published in August this year.

About Edward Wilson-Lee

Edward Wilson-Lee is a Fellow in English at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, where he teaches medieval and Renaissance literature. After growing up in Kenya and Switzerland, he went to university in London, New York, Oxford and Cambridge, living briefly in Mexico and New Orleans in between.

His previous books SHAKESPEARE IN SWAHILILAND and THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS have been widely acclaimed, published in the UK and US, and translated into 11 languages.

Praise for A HISTORY OF WATER

‘A very few times in the course of a reader's life a book appears that shatters one's assumptions about how and why things came to pass. A HISTORY OF WATER is one such book. A mind-blowing achievement.’ – Alberto Manguel

‘This book is itself something of a wonder: beautifully written and utterly mesmerising. I loved every page.’ – Jessie Childs, The Sunday Times

‘A wonderful – and wonder-full – recreation of a crucial episode in European history… The book also has a rare beauty; written with elegant restraint, its every page is rich in numinous sense of vanishings and misunderstandings, gaps in the records, marvels and mysteries… hauntingly vivid’ – Rupert Christiansen, The Telegraph

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