January
Dark Matter & the Dinosaurs: The Astounding Interconnectedness of the Universe by Lisa Randall – A horizon-expanding tour of the cosmos that blends what we know about the universe with new thinking, from a gifted scientist and writer.
The Noise of Time by Julian Barnes – Another compact masterpiece from Barnes, which contemplates Art, Power and Dmitri Shostakovich. His first novel since the Booker winning Sense of an Ending.
The Widow by Fiona Barton – Billed as this year’s The Girl on the Train – definitely a thriller to watch.
The Portable Veblen by Elizabeth McKenzie – An exuberant, one-of-a-kind novel about love and family, war and nature, new money and old values by a brilliant New Yorker contributor.
Mr Splitfoot by Samantha Hunt – A New York Times Editors’ Choice and January 2016 Indie Next Pick. A contemporary gothic from an author in the company of Kelly Link and Aimee Bender, Mr. Splitfoot tracks two women in two times as they march toward a mysterious reckoning.
My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout – An exquisite story of mothers and daughters from the Pulitzer prize-winning author of Olive Kitteridge.
Their Promised Land: My Grandparents in Love and War by Ian Buruma – Through his parents’ letters, historian Ian Buruma has created a spellbinding homage to the sustaining power of a family’s love and devotion through very dark days.
Of Love and Desire by Louis de Berniéres – poetry from the author of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin.
The Prose Factory: Literary Life in Britain Since 1918 by DJ Taylor – An exploration of reading taste from the razor-sharp pen of the renowned literary critic – The Prose Factory is the book that D.J. Taylor was born to write.
And Yet: Essays by Christopher Hitchens – True to form, the wonderful Christopher Hitchens manages to get the last word in with these previously unpublished essays.
Letters of Stone by Steven Robins – An extraordinary account of Robins’ (author of From Revolution to Rights in SA) tracing of his family history during the Holocaust, and a wider exploration of the history of racial science.
The Final Solution: The Fate of the Jews 1933-1949 by David Cesarani – a sweeping reappraisal of the Holocaust from the acclaimed historian.
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February
In Other Words by Jhumpa Lahiri – In Other Words is at heart a love story of a long and sometimes difficult courtship, and a passion that verges on obsession: that of a writer for another language. For Jhumpa Lahiri, that love was for Italian.
Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift – The Waterland author returns with a novel of love and loss written in controlled and lapidary prose.
Quicksand by Henning Mankell – Mankell’s exploration of what it means to be human, written after his diagnosis with cancer in January 2014.
I Am No One by Patrick Flanery – Explores the tenuous link between fear and paranoia in our post-Snowden lives; a world of surveillance and self-censorship, where privacy no longer exists and our freedoms are inexorably eroded.
Leonard: My 50 Year Friendship with a Remarkable Man by William Shatner – A uniquely heartfelt book written by one legendary actor in celebration of another.
Shylock is My Name: The Merchant of Venice Retold by Howard Jacobson – In the (possibly) 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, this is the first of many retellings and re-examinings. But few will probably do it better than Jacobson.
Thus Bad Begins by Javier Marías – Prize-winning author Javier Marías examines a household living in the shadow of a strange and unhappy history, and explores the cruel, tender punishments we exact on those we love.
Murder at Small Koppie: The Truth Behind the Marikana Massacre by Greg Marinovich – The renowned photo-journalist, and author of The Bang Bang Club, examines the truth behind the notorious Marikana Massacre. He reconstructs that fateful day as well as the events leading up to the strike, and looks at the subsequent denials, obfuscation and buck-passing that characterised Lonmin’s, the SAPS’ and the government’s response.
The High Mountains of Portugal by Yann Martel – The Booker Prize-winning author takes us from Africa in the 1600s through Portugal at the turn of the last century to contemporary North America.
This Census-Taker by China Miéville – A novella filled with beauty, terror and strangeness, This Census-Taker by China Miéville is a poignant and riveting exploration of memory and identity.
Jonathan Unleashed by Meg Rosoff – The first novel for adults from the hugely popular children’s author.
The Life of Elves by Muriel Barbery – A long-awaited new novel from the author of The Elegance of the Hedgehog.
The Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee – From a writer praised by Junot Díaz as “the fire, in my opinion, and the light,” a mesmerising novel that follows one woman’s rise from circus rider to courtesan to world-renowned diva.
Black Deutschland by Darryl Pinckney – An intoxicating, provocative novel of appetite, identity, and self-construction.
The Stopped Heart by Julie Myerson – A devastating depiction of profound loss, sexual longing, love and true evil, The Stopped Heart is the finest novel to date from this most fearless and original of writers.
Thomas and Mary: A Love Story by Tim Parks – Lurching from comedy to tragedy, via dependence, cold re-examination, tenderness and betrayal, Thomas and Mary is a fiercely intimate chronicle of a marriage from a truly brilliant writer.
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March
Broken Vows: Tony Blair, the Tragedy of Power by Tom Bower – The investigative journalist turns his beady eye on Tony Blair, and produces a dramatic re-evaluation which disentangles the mystery of an extraordinary politician. Billed as the Political Thriller of the Year.
A Very Expensive Poison: The Definitive Story of the Murder of Litvinenko and Russia’s Threat to the West by Luke Harding – An expert chronicle of a sensational but opaque crime, and of the terrifying lawlessness it epitomised.
At the Existentialist Café: Freedom, Being and Apricot Cocktails by Sarah Bakewell – Bakewell tells the story of modern existentialism as one of passionate encounters between people, minds and ideas. From the ‘king and queen of existentialism’ – Sartre and de Beauvoir – to their wider circle including Albert Camus, Martin Heidegger, Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Iris Murdoch.
Hot Milk by Deborah Levy – A richly mythic, colour-saturated tale from the Man Booker-shortlisted author of Swimming Home – it explores the violently primal bond between mother and daughter.
Mmusi Maimane: Prophet or Puppet by S’thembiso Msomi – The author asks, and attempts to answer – is Maimane his own man, and can he deliver the electorate that the DA so fervently desires?
Some Rain Must Fall by Karl Ove Knausgaard – The fifth, and penultimate, volume of the hugely successful autobiographical novel series.
Ten Days by Gillian Slovo – In this gripping thriller by the Orange Prize-shortlisted author, ten unpredictable days of violence erupt from a stifling heatwave. And, as Westminster careers are being made or ruined, lives are at stake.
Affluenza by Niq Mhlongo – A collection of short stories from the author of the wonderful Dog Eat Dog and The Way Back Home,
Aeneid: Book VI by Seamus Heaney – Heaney’s translation of the epic poem that was always closely intertwined with his work.
Umkhonto We Sizwe by Thula Simpson – A narrative history of the Umkhonto We Sizwe (MK) – the armed wing of the ANC – from 1952 to 1994.
The Other Side of Silence by Philip Kerr – The 11th in the brilliant Bernie Gunther series finds the world-weary detective on the French Riviera in 1953.
Blackass by A. Igoni Barratt – Furo Wariboko – born and bred in Lagos – wakes up on the morning of his job interview to discover he has turned into a white man. Funny, fierce, inventive and daringly provocative – a very modern satire, with a sting in the tail.
What is Not Yours is Yours by Helen Oyeyemi – Short Stories from the wonderful Helen Oyeyemi, author of Boy, Snow, Bird.
The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney – A sharp, funny and deftly observed debut about a wonderfully dysfunctional New York family. A highly anticipated debut that comes recommended by Amy Poehler amongst others.
Patience by Daniel Clowes – A psychedelic science-fiction love story in the form of a graphic novel from the author of Ghost World.
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April
Fragments by Elena Ferrante – Essays and other bits from the mystery author of the hugely successful Neopolitan novels.
Chronicles: On Our Troubled Times by Thomas Piketty – The author of Capital in the 21st Century sets out his analysis of the financial crisis, what has happened since and where we should go from here.
Girl Up by Laura Bates – the author of Everyday Sexism on the often false advice that girls are given
The Blade Artist by Irvine Welsh – the return of the incendiary Francis Begbie, whom we first met in Trainspotting.
The Cauliflower by Nicola Barker – An inventive biographical novel from ‘one of the most exhilarating, audacious, and . . . ballsy writers of her generation’ (Observer).
Gate of Lilacs: A Verse Commentary on Proust by Clive James – A paean to the author’s lifelong passion for Proust’s À la recherche du temps perdu.
A Time of Torment by John Connolly – The 14th of the excellent Charlie Parker novels
Hystopia by David Means – The eagerly awaited first novel by cult author David Means.
The Crow Girl by Erik Axl Sund – A very creepy psychological thriller. Already published to great acclaim in Europe.
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May
The Wicked Boy: The Mystery of a Victorian Child Murderer by Kate Summerscale – The author of The Suspicions of Mr Whicher returns with another masterful Victorian true crime tale.
East West Street: On the Origins of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity by Philippe Sands – The human rights lawyer on the origins of international law and his own familiy’s history. ‘A monumental achievement: profoundly personal, told with love, anger and great precision.’ – John le Carré
Dutch Courage by Paige Nick – Our very own Paige is back with a new novel which follows the fortunes of a South African schoolteacher as she is forced to stand in for her injured sister as a Rihanna impersonator at a ‘Cabaret Bar’ in Amsterdam. Little does she know that she will be working at Legends –a strip club with a difference, where celebrity impersonators bare all by night and live together in a crowded apartment by day.
Zero K by Don DeLillo – The American master’s seductive new novel weighs the darkness of the world – terrorism, floods, fires, famine, plague – against the beauty and humanity of everyday life; love, awe, “the intimate touch of earth and sun.”
The Gustav Sonata by Rose Tremain – The wonderful Rose Tremain returns with the story of a friendship born in the shadow of World War II – and the consequences that reach down the years.
Sigh the Beloved Country: Braai Talk, Rock n Roll & Other Stories by Bongani Madondo – Essays from the writer described as a cross between Riaan Malan and Hunter S Thompson.
Serious Sweet by AL Kennedy – Serious Sweet is about two decent, damaged people trying to make moral choices in an immoral world: ready to sacrifice what’s left of themselves for honesty, and for a chance at tenderness.
LaRose by Louise Erdrich – A dark tale of sacrifice and revenge from the National Book Award-winning author of The Round House.
Our Young Man by Edmund White – A modern-day Dorian Gray, in which White has created some of the richest representations of gay male identity, from the disco era to the age of AIDs.
The Pier Falls by Mark Haddon – short stories from the author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time
Selection Day by Aravind Adaga – As sensitively observed as The White Tiger – Winner of the Man Booker Prize 2008 – was brilliantly furious, Selection Day reveals another facet of Aravind Adiga’s remarkable talent.
Everybody’s Fool by Richard Russo – The Pulitzer Prize-winning author, at the very top of his game, now returns to North Bath, in upstate New York, and the characters who made Nobody’s Fool, his third novel, his first great success.
This Must be the Place by Maggie O’Farrell – The dazzling new novel from bestselling, award-winning author Maggie O’Farrell, This Must Be The Place crosses time zones and continents to reveal an extraordinary portrait of a marriage.
The View from the Cheap Seats by Neil Gaiman – A Collection of Introductions, Essays and Assorted Writings from the wonderful Neil Gaiman.
The Woman Next Door by Yewande Omotoso – The keenly-awaited new novel from the author of Bom Boy takes a wonderfully acerbic look at enmity and friendship.
Who Rules the World by Noam Chomsky – Internationally renowned political commentator Noam Chomsky examines America’s pursuit and exercise of power in a post 9/11 world.
Tuisland by Karin Brynard – The Weeping Water author’s third thriller sees the return of Kaptein Beeslaar and the people of the Kalahar.
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June
The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddartha Mukherjee – “The Gene is a magnificent synthesis of the science of life, and forces all to confront the essence of that science as well as the ethical and philosophical challenges to our conception of what constitutes being human.” – Paul Berg, winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. From the author of The Emperor of All Maladies.
White Sands: Experiences from the Outside World by Geoff Dyer – Taking the form of ten journeys, White Sands is an exploration of why we travel from perhaps Britain’s greatest globetrotter. Episodic, wide-ranging, funny and smart.
The Euro: How a Common Currency Threatens the Future of Europe by Joseph Stiglitz – The Nobel Prize–winning economist and best-selling author explains why saving Europe may mean abandoning the euro.
Do Statins Work? The Battle for Perfect, Evidence-Based Medicine by Ben Goldacre – A campaigning handbook, a thrilling work of popular science, and a call to arms for doctors, researchers and patients from Britain’s most popular writer on the science behind medicine.
Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler – Anne Tyler’s retelling of The Taming of the Shrew asks whether a thoroughly modern, independent woman like Kate would ever sacrifice herself for a man. Its answer is as individual, offbeat, and funny as Kate herself.
Barkskins by Annie Proulx – From the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning author of The Shipping News and Brokeback Mountain comes an ecological masterwork, five years in the writing: an epic, dazzling, violent, magnificently dramatic novel about the taking down of the world’s forests.
The City of Mirrors by Justin Cronin – The final part in the thrilling ‘Passage’ trilogy
The Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia by Mary Talbot and Bryan Talbot – The pioneering, husband and wife graphic novelists return with the story of a Utopian feminist in the Paris Commune.
The Long Cosmos by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter – The thrilling conclusion to the internationally bestselling Long Earth series explores the greatest question of all: What is the meaning of life?
Pleasure by Nthikeng Mohlele – A new novel from the author of Small Things and Rusty Bell.
The Empathy Problem by Gavin Extence – From the author of The Universe vs Alex Woods a new novel about emotion and death.
Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter – “Dazzlingly good . . . Anyone who has ever loved someone, or lost someone, or both, will be gripped by it. It’s very sad and very funny.” Robert Macfarlane
The Lost Time Accidents by John Wray – Part madcap adventure, part harrowing family drama, part scientific mystery – and never less than wildly entertaining – The Lost Time Accidents is a bold and epic saga set against the greatest upheavals of the twentieth century
The Mandibles by Lionel Shriver – The brilliant new novel from the Orange Prize-winning author of We Need to Talk about Kevin centres on three generations of the Mandible family as a fiscal crisis hits a near-future America.
A Quiet Life by Natasha Walter – inspired by the life of Melinda Marling, the wife of Cambridge spy Donald Maclean. It’s at once a heart-stopping cold war thriller and a profound study of one woman’s struggle for survival.
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July
You Hide That You Hate Me And I Hide That I Know by Philip Gourevitch – Philip Gourevitch returns, twenty years after the genoicide, to Rwanda and the eastern Congo. The result is a truly exceptional meditation on how individuals can continue with their lives under impossible conditions, and on the nature of evil.
Peacock and Vine by AS Byatt – An alluring and atmospheric enquiry into the creative impulse – as seen through the work and lives of Mariano Fortuny and William Morris – by one of our greatest novelists.
The Muse by Jessie Burton – Set in 1930s Spain and 1960s London, The Muse is the story of a young Caribbean immigrant, a bohemian artist and the mysterious painting that connects them across the decades. From the author of The Miniaturist.
The Girls by Emma Cline – Lots of praise already for this highly anticipated debut. Says Richard Ford “The Girls is a brilliant and intensely consuming novel – imposing not just for a writer so young, but for any writer, any time.”
Critics, Monsters, Fanatics, and Other Literary Essays by Cynthia Ozick – In a collection that includes new essays written explicitly for this volume, one of our sharpest and most influential critics confronts the past, present, and future of literary culture.
Dead in the Water / Moordvis by Irma van Zyl – the long-awaited thriller debut by the well-known media personality is set in the seedy world of tow trucks and shark-cage diving
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August
I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life by Ed Yong – Ed Yong is an award-winning science writer who reports for The Atlantic. His blog, Not Exactly Rocket Science, is hosted by National Geographic, and his work has also appeared in Wired, the New York Times, Nature, the BBC, New Scientist, Scientific American, the Guardian, The Times and more.
Far and Away: Reporting from the Brink of Change by Andrew Solomon – From the winner of the National Book Award and the National Books Critics’ Circle Award (Far from the Tree) – and one of the most original thinkers of our time – a riveting collection of essays about places in dramatic transition.
Autumn by Ali Smith – New fiction from the hugely popular author of How to Be Both.
A Horse Walks into a Bar by David Grossman – The setting is a comedy club in a small Israeli town. Betrayals between lovers, the treachery of friends, guilt demanding redress – every human emotion from the brilliant David Grossman.
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September
Beryl Bainbridge by Brendan King – King sheds light on the life of the hugely popular and respected novelist – a life that was even more extraordinary than her fiction.
Homo Deus: A History of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari – Harari follows the huge bestseller Sapiens with Homo Deus, billed as “history of the future of the human species”.
The Pigeon Tunnel: Stories from My Life by John le Carré – John le Carré’s memoir and his first work of non-fiction, is a thrilling journey into the worlds of his ‘secret sharers’ – the men and women, who inspired some of his most enthralling novels – and a testament to the author’s extraordinary engagement with the last half-century.
Bolshoi Confidential: Secrets of the Russian Ballet by Simon Morrison – The story of the Bolshoi, showcasing the glamour, beauty, prestige, and cruelty of life in the spotlight — and of Russia itself.
The Lesser Bohemians by Eimear McBride – a story about love and innocence, joy and discovery – the grip of the past and the struggle to be new again, from the author or A Girl is a Half-formed Thing.
Here I Am by Jonathan Safran Foer – Foer’s first novel in a decade unfolds over a single month in present-day Washington, as a Jewish family with three sons falls apart after the parents’ marriage falters.
The Printmaker by Bronwyn Law-Viljoen – the publisher and academic’s long-awaited literary debut about an elusive artist
Exit by Grizelda Grootboom – An exploration of human trafficking by someone who was its victim (in Johannesburg), and now advocates and speaks out on behalf of others who wish to escape.
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October
Angela Carter: The Authorised Biography by Edmund Gordon – The long-awaited official account of one of our most inventive authors.
Total Intoxication by Norman Ohler – a “remarkably researched” account of the role of drugs in the Third Reich – from the over-reliance on a wide range of drugs by the top leadership to the industrial use of all kinds of stimulants among soldiers and civilians.
Bookworm by Lucy Mangan – Bookworm discusses classic children’s books that have shaped childhood, as well as those which have been overlooked.
Blood Riders by Gary Oldman and Douglas Urbanski – The actor (Dracula) and his manager team up to write a trilogy of vampire stories set in the Wild West during the Gold Rush! What’s not to love?!
History Matters by Bill Nasson – A new title from one of South Africa’s leading historians. No info yet, but definitely one to watch.
Float by Anne Carson – A New collection from the masterful poet exploring myth and memory, beauty and loss, all the while playing with – and pushing – the limits of language and form.
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November
The Worlds of Joseph Conrad by Maya Jasanoff – Jasanoff uses Conrad’s life and fiction to provide a transcontinental history of the world around 1900.
The Dark Flood Rises by Margaret Drabble – Multi award-winning novelist (and sister of A.S. Byatt) returns with new fiction, dealing with aging and climate change.
Helen Zille Memoir – Confirmation just in that the former leader of the Democratic Alliance will be publishing her autobiography towards the end of the year. Sure to be controversial!
*Please note – publication dates are not necessarily local, and may vary!