‘Once upon a now now’: discover brilliant local reads at Exclusive Books

“Hectic”, “load-shedding”, “bru” ... our South African story is built on words that map Mzansi across the global dictionary. Words that say “That’s Home, Bru”.

This September, Exclusive Books salutes Heritage month with its 2023 Homebru campaign, That's Home, Bru, which reimagines classical book lines the South African way — you know, “on a plaas not so far away” where we all live “hectically ever after”. 

This campaign puts local wordsmiths and their stories on a literary pedestal through in-store displays, book launches and the release of Exclusive Books’ annual Homebru catalogue spotlighting an array of incredible local titles. 

The 54 titles in this catalogue capture the currents of “South Africanism”, acting as portals and mirrors of our time.

Sindiwe Magona’s I write the Yawning Void, Thandiwe Ntshinga’s Black Racist Bitch and Nechama Brodie’s Domestic Terror are self-reflective and critical, challenging the country’s trajectory. 

Topical handbooks that give local, practical and inspiring advice include Handle Black Tax Like A Pro by Ndumi Hadebe and Winning the Property Game by Koketso Milosevic. Moshitadi Lehlomela delves into the psychology of trauma and the buzzword of the moment, “the mother wound”, in The Girl Who Survived her Mother.

The range of fiction is deep and wide, from Lauren Beukes’ Bridge to Sunshine and Busisekile Khumalo’s Shadows to introspective narratives such as Vernon RL Head’s On That Wave of Gulls and Eben Venter’s Decima.

Biography reads like fiction in the rollicking Daisy de Melker by Ted Botha, which colours ragtime Joburg with fascinating personalities.

Local cookbooks that celebrate heritage, nostalgia and community through food include Fatima Sydow’s Cape Malay Cooking, Karen Dudley’s Onwards and Mmule Setati’s Feed my Tribe.

The charming Zandi’s Song by Zandile Ndlovu is for the next generation of ocean warriors, while Riaan Manser’s My First Wild Island Adventure and Jan Braai Junior introduce South African icons to younger readers.

In addition to highly-recommended reads, the 2023 Homebru catalogue boasts exclusive interviews and an exciting Braai Day competition. The article where featured writers were asked “If you could coin your own South African proverb, what would it be?” is a must read. Their responses conveyed the eccentricities, resilience and humour the nation holds onto in dark times (literally, thanks to the power crisis).

Read the 2023 Hombru catalogue (below), then shop the featured titles online or at your nearest Exclusive Books store. Fanatics members who do so will earn double points on their purchases until the end of September.

This article was sponsored by Exclusive Books which, in turn, is a proud sponsor of the 2023 Sunday Times Literary Awards. Click here to see the longlist of local authors in the running to win one of these prestigious annual literary awards.