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In our weekly #MyJoburg interview series, local makers, thinkers, and city shapers tell all about life in Joburg – including their favourite book or most beloved author. We've rounded up these recommendations into one handy reading list.
Whether you're travelling somewhere for the festive season, enjoying a staycation, or holding down the fort while everyone else takes a break, there is no better friend at this time of a year than a book (or five). We rounded up the top picks from our #MyJoburg interviews conducted throughout the course of 2024 to bring you a Joburg-themed reading list that will keep you hooked well into the new year. Fiction, history, biography, poetry, and photography – they all shed light on the city and country we love, and are a worthy addition to your bookshelf.
Fiction
THE INSTITUTE FOR CREATIVE DYING BY JARRED THOMPSONGreg Homann's pick: Set in an unnumbered and seemingly neglected house in the Joburg suburb of Northcliff, The Institute for Creative Dying follows the journey of five strangers as they explore the interconnectedness of all beings and come to grips with their own mortality.
MAFEKING ROAD BY HERMAN CHARLES BOSMAN
Flo Bird's pick: A collection of 21 short stories, Mafeking Road takes the reader on a journey through the former province of Transvaal (now Gauteng). Meet herdsmen, concertina players, love-struck dreamers, and Bosman's iconic storyteller, Oom Schalk Lourens, as they navigate life in South Africa in the late 1800s.
ONCE REMOVED BY DAVID MANN
Editor's pick: Published in 2024 and authored by #MyJoburger David Mann, Once Removed is a wonderful collection of short stories that celebrate and poke fun at the local art world. To quote Mann: "I write about art and artists every day. It's how I make meaning out of the world and my place in it. I started writing about art and performance because, at the time, it was all that made sense to me. Now, it's what helps me make sense of everything else."
SMIT MOTORS BY RÉNEY WARRINGTON
Hannelie Coetzee's pick: Set in the Free State, Smit Motors describes the journey of urbanite Petra Smit as she learns to navigate life in a small town after the death of her beloved grandfather. Considered an unflinching portrait of life in small-town South Africa, it is, as Coetzee puts it, "a celebration of how normal queerness is!"
ZOO CITY BY LAUREN BEUKES
Molly Roberts' pick: A science fiction thriller set in a dystopian Joburg, Zoo City follows protagonist Zinzi December as she takes on the case of a missing girl and discovers a world of crime, hidden secrets, and magic.
Biographies and history
THE BANG-BANG CLUB: SNAPSHOTS FROM A HIDDEN WAR BY GREG MARINOVICH AND JOÃO SILVANickolaus Bauer's pick: The Bang-Bang Club is an autobiographical work that describes the journey of South African photographers Kevin Carter, Greg Marinovich, Ken Oosterbroek, and João Silva as they worked tirelessly to record – and eventually bring to the public eye – the violent events that unfolded towards the end of apartheid.
BORN A CRIME: STORIES FROM A SOUTH AFRICAN CHILDHOOD BY TREVOR NOAH
Jessica Redinger's pick: In this autobiography, South African-born comedian Trevor Noah describes his childhood journey in apartheid South Africa. Born to a Swiss father and a Xhosa mother at a time when interracial relationships were illegal in South Africa, Noah tells the story of a life lived as a walking sign of his parents' indiscretion. To quote Redinger, "[the book] allow[s] the reader to have an insight into South Africa’s history and culture".
CALL ME WOMAN BY ELLEN KUZWAYO
Mary Sibande's pick: Call Me Woman is an autobiography by 72-year-old activist, social worker, and politician Ellen Kuzwayo that describes the various power shifts that have marked the South African political landscape in the past 50 years. While it tells the story of one woman's struggles, it accurately depicts the hardships that were faced by millions of South Africans during that time.
ENDINGS & BEGINNINGS: A STORY OF HEALING BY REDI TLHABI
Ricci Kalish Liedeman's pick: In Endings & Beginnings, Redi Thlabi takes the reader on a journey that starts in a crime-ridden 1980s Orlando, Soweto, and ends when she confronts her demons and finds peace. Set in apartheid Joburg, this memoir explores themes such as grief, violence, and facing a painful past.
LITERATURE, LIFE & CRICKET: TALES OF FIETAS BY YUSUF CHUBB GARDA
Nick Hamman's pick: Literature, Life & Cricket is an eclectic mix of short stories, articles, poetry, vignettes, literary essays, philosophy, and cricketing profiles written over 50 years. Grouped into three categories – literature, cricket, and Fietas – this collection delves into the things that Garda deems important.
LONG WALK TO FREEDOM BY NELSON MANDELA
Ruan Galdino's pick: A literary staple, Long Walk to Freedom is an autobiographical work that follows the journey of South Africa's first democratically elected president, Nelson Mandela, as he led the struggle against the apartheid regime. From his childhood in the Eastern Cape and his time on Robben Island and in Pollsmoor Prison to winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 and his election as president in 1994, this book is central to understanding the country's fraught history.
WINNIE & NELSON: PORTRAIT OF A MARRIAGE BY JONNY STEINBERG
Hugh Fraser's pick: Called "beyond absorbing" by Fraser, Winnie & Nelson is the story of a unique marriage between two of South Africa's most well-known historical figures. It delves into all the longings, obsessions, deceits, and passions that marked their union.
Poetry
RED ROMAN BY SASTA KUPPANGabrielle Onay's pick: Red Roman is a "poetic sandstorm" that explores themes such as imposter syndrome, heartache, and mental health.
Photo and collectors' books
HIDDEN JOHANNESBURG BY PAUL DUNCAN AND ALAIN PROUSTLesley Kellerman's pick: Joburg is a kaleidoscope of history, and to demonstrate this, Hidden Johannesburg gives the reader snapshots of the secret interiors and sometimes overlooked exteriors of 28 of the city's most interesting buildings.
JOBURG: POINTS OF VIEW BY GUY TILLIM
Alastair Mclachlan's pick: Authored by photographer Guy Tillim, Joburg: Points of View is an exploration of Joburg as a giant puzzle. Using photography as a medium, Tillim gives up trying to put the puzzle together and instead lets the city speak to him as he discovers his place in this urban landscape.
JOBURG THEN AND NOW BY MARC LATILLA
Alastair Findlay's pick: Described by Findlay as "a great snapshot survey of the city's rapid development and transformation", Joburg Then and Now is a series of photographs that record the city as it changed from a mining town to the sprawling, cosmopolitan metropolis it is today.
ON THE MINES BY DAVID GOLDBLATT AND NADINE GORDIMER
Alastair Meredith's pick: On the Mines is a journey through the history of the Witwatersrand's gold mines. Using photographs from David Goldblatt's exhibition of the same name, and text by author Nadine Gordimer, this book documents a pivotal moment in Joburg's history.
VELD: THE GARDENS AND LANDSCAPES OF PATRICK WATSON BY GARRETH VAN NIEKERK
Editor's pick: Joburg is more than just a concrete jungle, and the beautiful book Veld is evidence of that. In this beautiful photo book, the work of landscaper Patrick Watson – including the gardens he designed in Joburg – is celebrated with lovely descriptions and breathtaking full-page pictures. If you have a green thumb and an appreciation for sustainable gardening, discover some of the Joburg gardens featured in Veld here.
Books about Joburg
BOSMAN'S JOHANNESBURG BY STEPHEN GRAYFlo Bird's pick: Edited by Stephen Gray, Bosman's Johannesburg is an anthology of Joburg-themed stories written by Herman Charles Bosman. Considered one of the city's most talented residents, Bosman shares his various perspectives on Joburg in this work.
DIEPSLOOT BY ANTON HARBER
Ricci Kalish Liedeman's pick: Set in the settlement of the same name, Diepsloot is a reflection by journalist Anton Harber of his time spent here, as well as a meditation on the lives of the people he met.
I LOVE YOU I HATE YOU BY LOVE JOZI
Editor's pick: We're biased on this one. I Love You I Hate You by Love Jozi and Johannesburg In Your Pocket is a definitive work on 10 years of Joburg's history, told through 100 city-inspired T-shirts and a collection of 34 short essays by thinkers, doers, and observers that spell out a complicated relationship with the city. Celebrating five years since its publication in 2019, we shared four extracts from the book to entice you to dive in: read the essays here.
THE JOBURG BOOK: A GUIDE TO THE CITY'S HISTORY, PEOPLE & PLACES BY NECHAMA BRODIE
Nick Hamman's pick: Joburg can be a confusing place, which is why The Joburg Book is so useful. An exploration of the city's history through its spaces, places, and people, it includes songs, poems, articles, and essays written by experts on the subject.
JOHANNESBURG STYLE: ARCHITECTURE & SOCIETY BY CLIVE M. CHIPKIN
Rebecca Potterton's and Alastair Findlay's picks: Johannesburg Style, with numerous photos and detailed descriptions of Joburg's evolution from a mining town to an economic powerhouse, is a goldmine (pun intended!) for history buffs and city enthusiasts. "I can spend hours and hours buried in [this book]," says Potterton. Findlay echoes this: "[It's] an excellent survey of the city's layered architectural heritage, featuring the range of styles jostling for position during the course of its rapid development."
Favourite Joburg authors
CAN THEMBAChosen by Elroy Fillis-Bell as his favourite Joburg author, Can Themba was a South African journalist and short story writer famous for writing vignettes that depict the harshness of life in Joburg's townships. To quote Fillis-Bell: "I think of the texture of his descriptions of our city, the plots he wove into the fabric of Johannesburg, and realise it was the first time I understood that a good writer could turn the location of a story into one of the characters on the journey."
IVAN VLADISLAVIĆ
Ivan Vladislavić, a favourite of fellow-author David Mann, is a popular South African novelist and editor who works and writes in Joburg. The city has inspired many novels, including The Near North, which is Fiona Pole's pick, and Portrait with Keys, chosen by Hugh Fraser as a top Joburg read. With his keen eye for analogy and detail, Vladislavić plays with the line between fiction and non-fiction to bring the streets of Jobrug to life.
MIRIAM TLALI
Born in Doornfontein, Miriam Tlali was a South African novelist, and was chosen by Boemo Diale as her favourite Joburg author. Tlali is best known for her anti-apartheid work, much of which was inspired by her own struggles to become a writer during a time of oppression and discrimination.
NIQ MHLONGO
Nobantu Shabangu and Mbongeni Buthelezi both enjoy the work of Niq Mhlongo, a South African travel journalist, writer, and editor. To quote Shabangu: "He writes without a filter and his short stories capture the unique atmosphere I grew up in, in Soweto. He also writes boldly about the numerous and immense conflicts faced by the urban youth, grappling with what freedom means."
PHASWANE MPE
Picked by Leroy and Itumeleng Kgopa as their favourite Joburg author, Phaswane Mpe arrived in Joburg at the age of 19. Financial constraints sent him to Hillbrow, where he was inspired by the eclectic inhabitants of the area and the climate of political transition that the country found itself in. Mpe is best known for his novel Welcome to Our Hillbrow, which depicts the struggle to find an identity in post-apartheid South Africa.
WILLIAM KENTRIDGE
A wildcard on our list, the books of artist William Kentridge were chosen by Zydia Botes as her favourite Joburg read. "His work is fascinating," says Botes, and we have to agree: known for blurring the lines between film, sculpture, drawing, and theatre, Kentridge writes and reflects the city through his art. His work has been featured in more than two dozen books – all of them worth a peek.
ZAKES MDA
Sthandiwe Kgoroge is a big fan of Zakes Mda, a South African poet, novelist, and playwright who spent his childhood first in Soweto, and later in Lesotho. He has written several award-winning plays, and believes in writing "from the inside" to accurately depict the everyday struggles and concerns of the people he writes about. Mda has published an impressive collection of novels and poetry anthologies. One of Mda's most popular books, Ways of Dying, revolves around trauma and nation-building in the wake of apartheid.
Further reading: Our guide to pairing bookshops and coffee spots in Joburg.
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