Great African Reads discussion

We finally have a discussion thread for October. Men of the South won our poll.

From amazon, about the author:

"ZUKISWA WANNER was born in Zambia to a South African father and a Zimbabwean mother. Her mother claims that she has been rebellious ever since her birth at the momentous time of the Soweto Uprisings – although, unlike the Soweto martyrs, Zukiswa is yet to find a cause. Her primary and high school education was undertaken in Zimbabwe. An only child, Wanner insisted on studying her journalism undergraduate degree at Hawaii Pacific University in Honolulu – allegedly because she wanted to learn more about the fascinating Kanaka Maoli’s (native Hawaiian) rich history, but in actual fact because that was the only place she knew where her parents did not have friends. Craving independence and restless by nature, Wanner also lived in England for a time. However, she now insists that she is permanently tied to the cultural capital of the world, Johannesburg, where she lives with her son, her computer and her fridge."

and some more about the author:

"Born to a South African father and a Zimbabwean mother in Zambia, Zukiswa Wanner is the author of the novels The Madams (2006), Behind Every Successful Man (2008), Commonwealth and Herman Charles Bosman Award shortlisted Men of the South (2010). Her two children's books Jama Loves Bananas and Refilwe will be out in October this year.

As an essayist she has written The Politics of Race, Class, and Identity in Education http://www.guernicamag.com/blog/3429/...
and 2011 Mail & Guardian's book of Women Introductory essay , Being a Woman in South Africa http://bow2011.mg.co.za/essays/on-bei....

She co-edited Outcasts - a collection of short stories from Africa and Asia with Indian writer Rohini Chowdhury in 2012. Wanner is one of 66 writers in the world (with Wole Soyinka, Jeanette Winterson, and Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, among others) to write a contemporary response to the Bible. The works were staged in London theatres and at Westminister Abbey in October 2011.

66 Books: 21st Century Writers Speak to the King James Version Bible's proceeds benefit disadvantaged art students.
Wanner co-authored A Prisoner's Home (2010), a biography on the first Mandela house 8115 Vilakazi Street with award-winning South African photographer Alf Kumalo as well as L'Esprit du Sport (2010) with French photographer Amelie Debray.

She is the founder of ReadSA - a writer-initiated campaign to get South Africans reading more African literature with a particular emphasis on donating locally-written books to school libraries (and where unavailable, start libraries) and was in the inaugural writing team for first South African radio soapie in English, SAFM's Radio Vuka.

She has been a regular participant at the prime literary events in South Africa, Time of the Writer, Franschhoek Literary Festival and Cape Town Book Fair and has also participated in literary festivals in England (London Book Fair), Denmark, Germany (BIGSAS Festival of African Literature), Zimbabwe (Intwasa Arts Festival), Algeria (Algiers Book Fair), Norway and Ghana (Pan African Literary Festival). In addition to this, she has conducted workshops for young writers in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Denmark, Germany and Western Kenya.

Wanner has contributed articles to Observer, Forbes Africa, New Statesman, O, Elle, The Guardian, Africa Review, Mail & Guardian, Marie Claire, Real, Juice, Afropolitan, OpenSpace, Wordsetc, Baobab, Sunday Independent, City Press, & Sunday Times."

About the book:

"Shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize 2011: Africa Region, Men of the South is a fascinating novel about three men out from three worlds. Mfundo the musician and dad, Mzi - gay, but married, and Tinaye - a displaced Zimbabwean in South Africa."

Looks like I can't get hold of this at the moment =/

Well, I am not reading this title, but another one by the same author, London - Cape Town - Joburg, which is pretty good so far!