A fantastic year for both local and international fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Publication dates are as currently given by the publisher, but very much subject to change. Expect a slew of titles commemorating the centenary of the Russian Revolution – publishers do love an anniversary!
January
Fiction
Paul Auster: 4 3 2 1 – New novel from the hugely-respected author of New York Stories, again echoing Auster’s own life.
Otessa Moshfegh: Homesick for Another World – Short stories from the author of the Booker-shortlisted Eileen.
Ismail Kadare: The Traitor’s Niche – A lyrical tale of the Ottoman Empire.
Roxanne Gay: Difficult Women – Short stories from the author of Bad Feminist.
Peter Swanson: Her Every Fear – New psychological thriller from author of brilliant The Kind Worth Killing.
Chibundu Onozo: Welcome to Lagos – From the author of The Spider King’s Daughter.
Non-fiction
Laurence Rees: The Holocaust – The holocaust expert’s magnum opus, the product of 25 years’ work.
Melissa Fleming: A Hope More Powerful than the Sea – The extraordinary story of one refugee, by the Chief Spokesperson at the United Nations High Comission for Refugees
Michael Rosen: The Disappearance of Émile Zola: Love, Literature and the Dreyfus Case. The story of Emile Zola’s exile from France in 1898, after his infamous ‘J’accuse’ letter.
Michel Houellebecq: Unreconciled: Poems 1991-2013 – Drawing on similar themes as his novels, Unreconciled is a journey into the depths of individual experience and universal passions.
Bettany Hughes: Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities – The historian and broadcaster tells the story of one of the world’s great cities through its Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman eras and into the present day.
February
Fiction
Sara Baume: A Line Made by Walking – New from the author of Spill, Simmer, Falter, Wither; a meditation on the interconnectedness of wilderness, art and individual experience.
John Burnside: Ashland and Vine – A novel of love and loss from the acclaimed novelist and poet.
Graeme Simsion: The Best of Adam Sharp – New fiction from the author of The Rosie Project. A settled, middle-aged man revisits a passionate affair from his youth.
Neil Gaiman: Norse Mythology – The wonderful Neil Gamin retells the Norse myths which have inspired his (and many others’) writings.
John Boyne: The Heart’s Invisible Furies – The eclectic author’s biggest project to date. A story of growing up lost in rural Ireland.
Mick Herron: Spook Street – The fourth part of the excellent Slow Horses series, will appeal to le Carré and Spooks fans.
China Miéville: The Last Days of New Paris – A thriller of a war that never was – of survival in an impossible city – of surreal cataclysm.
Shane Kuhn: The Asset – A man dedicates himself to airline security after his sister dies in 9/11 – until the CIA get wind of it…
Viet Thanh Ngugyen: The Refugees – Short stories from the Pulitzer prize-winning author of The Sympathizer.
Richard Russo: Everybody Falls – Russo returns to the rich and intimate lives of the characters of Empire Falls.
Emily Ruskovich: Idaho – An already highly acclaimed debut novel, centering around a violent event at a family gathering.
Sam Shepard: The One Inside – First full-length novel from the actor and writer. With a foreword by Patti Smith.
Poetry
Nathan Trantraal: Alles het niet kom wod – A powerful, vibrant new collection from the author of Chokers & Survivors, and winner of the Ingrid Jonker Prize.
Antjie Krog: Lady Anne: A Chronicle in Verse – From one of our most respected writers and poets. In an attempt to make sense of her own existence, Krog compares her own life in the midst of racial injustice to that of Lady Anne Barnard.
Francine Simon: Thungachi – this debut collection blends ancestral Catholic mysticism and ancient folk Hinduism to create new and essential portraits of modern South African-Indian identity and womanhood.
Non-fiction
Paul Bloom: Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion – A controversial treatise which argues that empathy is the problem, not the solution.
Ahmed Kathrada with Sahm Venter: Conversations with a Gentle Soul – The revered struggle veteran talks about his life and experiences with wit, optimism and enlightenment.
Michael Symons Roberts and Paul Farley: Deaths of the Poets – Two poets explore the melancholic, dissolute image that often goes with their craft.
Daniel Dennett: From Bacteria to Bach & Back: The Evolution of Minds – The respected philosopher explores how our minds developed throughout history.
March
Fiction
Helen Dunmore: Birdcage Walk – Historical fiction set in 18th century England, from the prize-winning author of The Siege.
Tim Parks: In Extremis – Tim Parks’ tour de force. A searing, darkly hilarious novel about family and what it means to be an adult.
Moshin Hamid: Exit West – A story of love and hope, travelling from the Middle East to London and beyond, from the bestselling, Man Booker-shortlisted author of The Reluctant Fundamentalist
Patty Yumi Cottrell: Sorry to Disrupt the Peace – A debut novel already receiving a huge amount of praise.
George Saunders: Lincoln in the Bardo – Highly anticipated debut novel from the bestselling short story writer, author of the award-winning Tenth of December.
Makhosazana Xaba and Karen Martin: Queer Africa II – New queer short stories from a wide range of African countries. Follow on from the award-winning first Queer Africa published in 2013.
Sarah Dunant: In the Name of the Family – Follow-up to the much lauded Blood & Beauty, a fascinating fictional look at the Borgia family.
Katie Kitamura: A Separation – Already being praised by literary heavyweights – promises to be one of the must-reads of the year.
Dan Chaon: Ill Will – A new thriller from the National Book Award finalist, already garnering enthusiastic reviews. Two unsolved crimes are linked by one man’s memory.
Non-fiction
PJ O’Rourke: How the Hell Did This Happen? – The ever-caustic and very entertaining O’Rourke turns his view on US Election of 2016 – which he says demonstrates “the most severe outbreak of mass psychosis since the Salem witch trials of 1692”.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions – The fantastic Adichie’s cogent and heartfelt advice to a friend on raising a daughter.
Martin Meredith: Afrikaner Odyssey: The Life & Times of the Reitz Family – A wide-ranging portrait of an aristocratic Afrikaner family whose lives form a fine thread through the turbulent times after the discovery of diamonds in South Africa.
Elena Favilli & Francesca Cavallo: Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls – In this anti fairytale collection, 60 female artists illustrate and celebrate the lives of 100 inspirational women.
Fatima Meer: Fatima Meer: Memories of Love and Struggle – An enchanting tale of a rebellious, revolutionary woman who never shied away from the truth. With a foreword by Winnie Madikizela Mandela.
April
Fiction
Hari Kunzru: White Tears – A feverish new tale from the bestselling author of The Impressionist: two ambitious young musicians are drawn into a dark underworld, haunted by the ghosts of a repressive past
Lisa McInerney: The Blood Miracles – New fiction from the author of the Baileys Prize–winning The Glorious Heresies.
Mariana Enriquez: Things We Lost in the Fire – Dark short stories already much praised by Dave Eggers and Helen Oyeyemi. Not for the faint of heart!
John Darnielle: Universal Harvester – From the cult author of Wolf in White Van comes a horror-infused thriller set in a tiny Midwestern town; Clerks meets Cormac McCarthy.
Lidia Yuknavitch: The Book of Joan – Set in the near future, a reimagining of the Joan of Arc story. Already highly praised by, amongst others, Roxanne Gay and Chuck Palahniuk.
Alain Mabanckou: Black Moses – The Man Booker International Prize-shortlisted novelist returns to the Congolese city of Pointe-Noire.
Poetry
Kuleka Putuma: Collective Amnesia – the long-awaited debut collection from this inspired and talented local performance poet.
Non-Fiction
Tariq Ali: The Dilemmas of Lenin: Terrorism, War, Empire, Love, Revolution – This book examines Lenin’s leadership, and asks important questions related to political representation and the popular institutions necessary to challenge capitalism today.
Allen Ginsberg: The Best Minds of My Generation: The Literary History of the Beat Generation – Edited from a series of lectures given by Ginsberg exploring one of the most popular and enduring of literary movements.
Teju Cole: Blind Spot – In this innovative synthesis of words and images, the award-winning author of Open City and photography critic for The New York Times Magazine combines two of his great passions.
Thandeka Gqubule: No Longer Whispering to Power: The Tenure of Thuli Madonsela – sure to be explosive and revealing, the book examines Madonsela’s seven years in the hotseat: the highs and lows, but also something of the personal beliefs and values that have assisted her through her term of office.
Anne Lamott: Hallelujah Anyway: Rediscovering Mercy – The author of the hugely popular Bird by Bird explores life beyond pain.
Arundhati Roy: The Doctor and the Saint – In the run up to the new novel (see June) the fearless Roy examines caste in India through a critique of Gandhi.
Ariel Levy: The Rules Do Not Apply – Devastating memoir of a young woman who believed that life could be led outside convention. Already generation a lot of praise.
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May
Fiction
Paula Hawkins: Into the Water – At last! The follow up to the huge The Girl on the Train. Another tense thriller, about the power our secrets hold over us.
Tracy Chevalier: New Boy – In the latest of the Hogarth Shakespeare series, Chevalier retells the Othello story in a 1970s suburban schoolyard.
Jo Nesbo: The Thirst – The eleventh in the hugely popular
Harry Hole series.
Laurent Binet: The Seventh Function of Language – a literary conspiracy theory, from the author of the extraordinary HHhH, which asks what if Roland Barthes’ death wasn’t an accident…?
Haruki Murakami: Men Without Women – Murakami’s first short story collection in a decade, focusing on how men live life without women.
Colm Tóibín: House of Names – The masterful Tóibín draws on Greek mythology to tell the story of Agamemnon, and the tragedy his murderous deeds bring upon his children Electra and Orestes.
Scott Fitzgerald: I’d Die for You and Other Lost Stories – The last of the unpublished stories from the iconic master of the form.
Dennis Lehane: Since We Fell – The hugely successful author of Mystic River and Shutter Island returns. Expect a film in the not too distant…
M.R. Carey: The Boy on the Bridge – Carey returns to the world of his phenomenal The Girl With All The Gifts.
Hanif Kureishi: The Nothing – Kureishi vividly explores helplessness, revenge, lust and power with his characteristic dark humour.
Elizabeth Strout: Anything is Possible – A novel in stories, which returns to the characters of the much-loved My Name is Lucy Barton.
Ken Barris: The Life of Worm and Other Misconceptions – A lyrical and humorous collection of short stories combining the quotidian with the surreal.
Dawn Garisch: Accident – a novel about the complicated relationship between mothers and sons, the everyday heaviness of regret, the pleasure and pain of intimacy, and the mystery of life that science and logic can’t always explain.
Non-fiction
Robert Sapolsky: Behave: The Biology of Humans at our Best and Worst – The author of the brilliant A Primate’s Memoir examines the entire science of human behaviour.
Peter Ackroyd: Queer City: Gay London from the Romans to the Present Day – The preeminent chronicler of London looks at the history of the city through its gay population.
Jonathan Jansen: As by Fire – Jansen examines the root causes of the 2015-16 student protests, including interviews with 11 of the most affected Vice Chancellors.
Redi Tlhabi: Khwezi: The Story of Fezekile Ntsukela Kuzwayo – The moving and tragic story of the woman who accused Jacob Zuma of rape.
Richard Ford: Between Them: Remembering My Parents – The Pulitzer Prize-winner writes a deeply personal account of his parents – an intimate portrait of American mid-twentieth century life, and a celebration of family love.
China Miéville: October: The Story of the Russian Revolution – The renowned sci fi and fantasy author explores the story of the Russian Revolution, and how it came about.
Slavoj Žižek: The Courage of Hopelessness: Chronicles of a Year of Acting Dangerously – The global challenges of the world today, as eviscerated by the popular Hegelian philosopher and Lacanian psychoanalyst.
Mark Heywood: Get Up, Stand Up – The campaigner, and founder of the TAC, recounts the personal story behind his public persona in a gripping, readable tale.
June
Fiction
Arundhati Roy: The Ministry of Utmost Happiness – Probably the publishing event of the year. The very long-awaited second novel from the author of The God of Small Things, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of that publication.
Adam Thorpe: Missing Fay – The story of a missing girl and tangled lives, from the author of the extraordinary Ulverton.
Will Self: Phone – New, darkly humorous fiction from the author of Umbrella and Shark.
Joshua Ferris: The Dinner Party & Other Stories – Stories looking at the comic and strange realities of modern life, as we journey through the lives of the unlovable, the unloved, and those who love too much.
Rachel Joyce: The Music Shop – A story of music and love from the author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.
Barbara Boswell: Grace – Grace tracks a young woman’s experience of domestic violence within the intimate space of her family home while she negotiates the state violence inflicted upon her community during the dying days of apartheid.
Rachel Seiffert: A Boy in Winter – Seiffert returns to the territory of her devastating novel The Dark Room, with a story of survival against the odds in war-torn Ukraine.
Elif Batuman: The Idiot – First novel from author of The Possessed. Already receiving huge amounts of praise from the likes of Miranda July.
Non-fiction
Robbie Robertson: Testimony – The brilliant guitarist and founder of The Band tells the story of his extraordinary journey, and the music legends he met along the way.
Andrew O’Hagan: The Secret Life: Three True Stories – The novelist examines the porous border between cyberspace and the ‘real world’ with three very different tales of the ‘disruption’ of self.
Hedley Twidle: Firepool – a collection of non-fiction that is intellectually engaged, comic, personable and colloquial, but also engaged in tackling serious questions, emerging out of a difficult place at a difficult time.
David Sedaris: Theft by Finding: Diaries (1977-2016) – From the bestselling author of Me Talk Pretty One Day, for the first time in print: selections from the diaries that are the source of his remarkable autobiographical essays.
Mark Shaw: Hitmen for Hire: The Making of South Africa’s Underworld – an in-depth look at the hitman and assassination industry in South Africa.
Roxanne Gay: Hunger – A Memoir of (My) Body – From the author of Bad Feminist a searingly honest memoir of food, weight, self-image, and learning how to feed your hunger while taking care of yourself.
Graphic
Thibault Damour & Mathieu Burniat: Mysteries of the Quantum Universe – The bestselling French graphic novel about the wonders of quantum physics, translated for the first time.
July
Fiction
Nicola Barker: H(a)ppy – A new novel (as yet no details) from the author of The Yips and In the Approaches.
Otessa Moshfegh: McGlue – From the Booker-shortlisted author of Eileen, the story of an unforgettable blackguard on a knife-sharp voyage through the fogs of recollection.
Sarah Hall: Madame Zero – Short stories, from the author of Wolf Border, embracing the darkness, eroticism, and absurdity of human existence.
Poetry
Jolyn Philips: Radbraak – A very strong debut in Afrikaans poetry. The title refers to the act of bending and reshaping – which is exactly what she does in her creative use of language.
Non-fiction
Svetlana Alexeivich: The Unwomanly Face of War: An Oral History of Women in World War II – A long-awaited English translation of the classic oral history of women in World War II across Europe and Russia from Nobel Prize-winner Svetlana Alexievich.
Karina Szczurek: The Fifth Mrs Brink – André Brink’s fifth and last wife talks about the 10 years they spent together.
Glynnis Breytenbach with Nechama Brodie: The Rule of Law – The former prosecutor for the NPA reflects on her career, and the challenges faced today.
August
Fiction
Bernard Maclaverty: Midwinter Break – Sixteen years on from his last novel, MacLaverty reminds us why he is regarded as one of the greatest living Irish writers in this profound examination of human love and how we live together.
Achmat Dangor: Dikeledi – New fiction from the author of Bitter Fruit.
Amit Chaudhuri: Friend of My Youth – A novelist named Amit Chaudhuri visits his childhood home of Bombay. The city weighs heavily on Amit’s mind, as does the unexpected absence of his childhood friend Ramu, who is Amit’s last remaining connection to the city he once called home.
Karl Ove Knausgaard: Autumn – The first book in the Seasons quartet, the major new project from the author of the international literary phenomenon, My Struggle.
Deon Meyer: Fever – The latest Deon Meyer, finally translated. A stunning standalone from a master of suspense, a compelling story of survival and betrayal set in a world after ‘The Fever’.
Alex van Tonder: The Last Memory – New fiction from the author of This One Time.
September
Fiction
Roddy Doyle: Smile – A razor sharp novel from the Booker Prize-winner, about the memories we try to suppress, lest they destroy our lives.
Kamila Shamsie: Home Fire – From the internationally acclaimed author of Burnt Shadows, a suspenseful and heartbreaking story of a family driven to pit love against loyalty, with devastating consequences.
Jenny Erpenbeck: Go, Went, Gone – In this radical, exquisite novel, Jenny Erpenbeck, author of Visitation, turns her attention to the contemporary refugee crisis and our responsibility in its creation.
Orhan Pamuk: The Red-Haired Woman – From the Nobel Prize-winner and best-selling author of Snow and My Name Is Red, a fable of fathers and sons and the desires that come between them.
Non-fiction
Richard Rogers: Inside Out: There is More to Architecture than Architecture – The engaging and inspirational story of Richard Rogers’ life as an architect and simultaneously a book about creating a better society by creating better places to live.
Iain Sinclair: The Last London – The urban shaman and psychogeograper’s last tilt at the city that has fascinated him all his life.
Norman Davies: Native Lands: A Global Journey into History and Memory – the renowned historian’s account of a global circumnavigation, of the places he visited and the history he found there. He asks the question – to whom are these lands really native?
Anne Applebaum: Red Famine: Stalin’s War on Ukraine – The historian and journalist on the political causes of the 1930s famine, in which approximately five million people died.
October
Fiction
Armistead Maupin: Logical Family: A Memoir – The much-loved author of the Tales of the City series turns his wit, humour and insight on to his own life.
Alan Hollinghurst: The Sparsholt Affair – A new novel from the Booker Prize-winning author of A Line of Beauty.
Nick Harkaway: Gnomon – New fiction from the author of The Gone Away World, which the author himself describes as “a novel bigger than the mind it came out of”. We’re excited!
Non-fiction
Nelson Mandela with Mandla Langa: Dare Not Linger: The Presidential Years – The long-awaited, much anticipated sequel to Long Walk to Freedom. This will be huge.
Jenny Uglow: Edward Lear: A Life of Art & Nonsense – The historian and publisher examines the wild, dark and comic work and life of the much-loved nonsense writer.
Rebecca Solnit: The Mother of All Questions: Further Reports from the Feminist Revolutions – A timely follow-up to the bestseller Men Explain Things to Me; a commentary on women who refuse to be silenced, misogynistic violence, the fragile masculinity of the literary canon, the gender binary, the recent history of rape jokes, and much more.
Erik Naki: Bantu Holomisa: My Story – The President of the United Democratic Movement talks about his life and politics.
Alice Walker: Gathering Blossoms Under Fire – Extracts from fifty years of journals and letters by the author of the classic The Color Purple.
November
Fiction
Ali Smith: Winter – The follow-up to Autumn, and the second in a series of four.
Han Kang: The White Book – New fiction from the author of the Man Booker International Prize-winning The Vegetarian.
William Boyd: The Dreams of Bethany Mellmoth & Other Stories – A short story collection from an absolutely outstanding author.
Non-fiction
Martin Amis: The Rub of Time: Bellow, Nabokov, Hitchens, Travolta, Trump. Essays and Reportage, 1986-2016 – Essays from the irrepressible Amis.
December
Terry Hayes: Year of the Locust – An eagerly awaited new novel from the author of the phenomenal bestseller I Am Pilgrim.
Cormac McCarthy: The Passenger – Long-awaited new novel from author of The Road. Publication date not set yet, though rumoured to be late 2017.