Reading
Every book South African radio talked about this month: the authors interviewed, the titles recommended, and what was said about each, with the audio.
127 titles · 250 airings · 5 stations · last 30 days
Newest airing first. Clear the chips above for the whole month.
Book · non-fiction · South African
Nandanda Rambani
A new book by Tando Rambani about motherhood, launched on the show with the author as a guest. The host congratulates her on writing it.
2 airings · Cape Talk
Book · non-fiction · South African
Stephen Bookey Siddeley
A book on Shoprite Checkers' rise as an iconic success story, covering its data-driven strategy, market power, labour and privacy criticisms. The author says the company's executives were pleased with the account despite some criticisms left unaddressed.
11 airings · Cape Talk
Book · historical · South African
Craig Higginson
A novel about a British-South African historical setting and a character who changes over the story, exploring why people return to national touchstones. The host strongly recommends it as spectacular writing with interesting history.
3 airings · Cape Talk
Book · memoir · South African
Popina Kumanda
A memoir by Popina Kumanda about her harrowing but inspiring survival story, recently published by Penguin Random House. The host urges listeners to get a copy.
3 airings · Cape Talk
Book · non-fiction
Stormy Omartian
A guest describes The Power of a Praying Woman as a book she returns to whenever she is confused, especially its chapter on forgiveness. She says it helps her with prayer, parenting and centering herself.
4 airings · Cape Talk
Book · historical fiction
Maggie O'Farrell
A novel set in Ireland beginning in 1865, following a family of surveyors working for the British and a magical wood with a spring. The host praises the crisp, poetic writing and the recurring themes of the author's earlier books, and recommends it.
Book · historical fiction
Maggie O'Farrell
Described as the novel that followed Hamnet. The host feels it received less attention than it deserved because listeners were still focused on the earlier book.
Book · non-fiction · South African
Ashley Khan
An author interview about a book on the making of Paul Simon's Graceland album, marking its 40th anniversary. The host urges listeners to get the book, which is out now in bookstores.
4 airings · Cape Talk
Book · memoir · South African
Lulama Marley
A slim memoir subtitled Portrait of the Black Family, following three generations of a family in Guguletu's Native Yards. It describes township life unblinkingly, with music as a recurring theme, and its lyrical prose is praised as readable and beautiful.
5 airings · Cape Talk
Book · literary fiction
Marlon James
A novel set in Jamaica about two gay men who are savagely attacked by a homophobic mob in 1988. The guest calls it transcendently good and one of the best novels in a long time, but warns that its violence and explicit sex make it a tough read.
3 airings · Cape Talk
Book · thriller
Liz Moore
A literary thriller with elements of police procedural, described as more about character than plot. It follows a woman's struggle with her self-awareness and her difficult family relationships, and the guest calls it an absolutely beautiful book.
3 airings · Cape Talk
Book · dark comedy
Percival Everett · 2021
A listener-chosen book by Percival Everett, described as an unlikely dark comedy zombie story about lynchings in the American South and across the United States. The speaker says they love its interesting ideas, though they admit it is a weird pick.
Book · non-fiction
Edward Fishman
The host discusses Chokepoints, a book by Edward Fishman about economic warfare, and considers whether South Africa's geographic position gives it real leverage as a choke point. The host argues that the advantage is limited.
3 airings · Cape Talk
Book · memoir · South African
Anna Marie van Neckerk
The author discusses her book, first published in Dutch, then translated into Afrikaans and English, which grew from trips to South Africa and a friend's funeral. She describes how writing from the Netherlands gave her the distance to see the bigger picture. The book is published by Tafelberg.
4 airings · Cape Talk
Book · memoir · South African
Prev Reddy
An actor known as Auntie Shamilla on TikTok shares a personal story of growing up queer, brown and ambitious in a conservative South African Indian household and building a comedy career. The title comes from a phrase the author used in a show before the book.
2 airings · Cape Talk
Book · memoir · South African
Melinda Ferguson
A memoir by Melinda Ferguson about her grief after her husband Matt died, centred on a moment of release involving a baby bird. Guests describe it as moving and hopeful, though hard to read, and advise listeners to have tissues ready.
3 airings · Cape Talk
Book · non-fiction
Graham Farmelo
A biography of physicist Stephen Hawking, written by physicist Graham Farmelo with family approval. The host calls it fascinating and balanced, showing Hawking's flaws alongside his genius.
Book · comedy
Patrick DeWitt
A novel about a man who drives a car to Canada and takes a road trip across America to say goodbye to his troubled family, meeting people in crisis along the way. The host praises its warmth, lovely jokes and great dialogue.
2 airings · Cape Talk
Book · comedy
Patrick DeWitt
A Western with jokes that the reviewer read earlier and remembers as a wonderful book, shortlisted for the Booker Prize about ten to fifteen years ago.
Book · thriller
Chris Hammer
A satisfying thriller set in Victoria, Australia, that touches on Australian dynasties and robber baron families. The reviewer found the characters great and the story coming together well, at just under 500 pages.
2 airings · Cape Talk
Book · thriller
Ian Fleming
The host re-reads the first James Bond novel and compares Fleming's physical description of Bond with the actors who have played him. He asks whether any of the current candidates fit that description.
Book · non-fiction · South African
Martin Plaut · 2020
An author discusses his biography of Dr. Abdullah Abdurahman, a South African politician and community leader, drawing on archive research. He argues the book's subject deserves rediscovery and offers copies as giveaway prizes.
Book · non-fiction
Spencer Johnson
A short book, described as a metaphor for life lessons on adaptability, about people who complain when their cheese is moved versus those who find new ways to find more. The speaker calls it a great read worth giving time to.
2 airings · Cape Talk
Book · non-fiction · South African
Adriana Marias
A book on the history of human exploration, from the origins of life to the space age, described as a South African take on Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time. The guest presents it as a book that links exploration to making money.
Book · literary fiction
Rebecca Perry
A reviewer calls May We Feed the King by Rebecca Perry, a poet's debut novel, their favourite of the Booker shortlist. The book follows a contemporary curator and an unnamed historic king, written in poetic, hard-to-classify prose.
2 airings · Cape Talk
Book · crime
Daniel Woodrell
A speaker says they absolutely love Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell and that they are working through a Booker Prize shortlist. The book is described in the context of Hill Billy Noir, with a 16-year-old at its centre.
Book · non-fiction · South African
Ashley Kahn
Author Ashley Kahn discusses his book about Paul Simon's album Graceland and its making, based on about 80 interviews. He describes the research process, the album's studio story, and his time touring South Africa with Simon and Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
Book · non-fiction · South African
Ashley Kahn
Music historian Ashley Kahn discusses his new book on the making of Paul Simon's Graceland album, published in South Africa by Jonathan Ball and now in store. Host Martin Myers interviews him about why the book matters and its personal connections.
Book · non-fiction
Eckhart Tolle
The host discusses Eckhart Tolle's book A New Earth and its idea of the pain body, which is passed down through generations and can build into collective catastrophe. He calls the book deep and beautiful and links its ideas to the present moment.
Book · non-fiction
Elif Shafak
A new book by author Elif Shafak, launched with a live interview hosted by Pippa Hudson at an Exclusive Books event. The host praises Shafak as a profound, deep-thinking author and says the full interview is available on the Exclusive Books Facebook page.
Book · non-fiction · South African
Diane Kutzer
Diane Kutzer, who reconstructed the life of a working sailor lost at sea from family, friends and recordings, discusses the book as a faithful memorial to three families' lost loved ones. She says the sailor might have wanted more of the rock and roll stories included.
6 airings · Cape Talk
Book · memoir
Prince Harry · 2023
Callers and hosts criticise Prince Harry's memoir Spare as a public airing of family grievances, arguing it made reconciliation harder and that he should apologise rather than attack his father and family.
Book · memoir · South African
Maria Erasmus
Former international cricket umpire Maria Erasmus discusses her book, which includes her picks for best Test, ODI and South African XIs drawn from players she stood in matches for.
4 airings · Cape Talk
Book · thriller · South African
Abigail Dean
A novel in which a woman, Isabel, is asked to prepare a victim impact statement after the man who assaulted her is caught. The novel gives her a chance to reclaim control over a situation in which she was powerless.
3 airings · Cape Talk
Book · thriller
Abigail Dean
Abigail Dean is interviewed about her novel Girl A, which tells of a daughter's escape from a family home where her father had chained her up. The host calls it one of her three excellent, disturbing books.
Book · non-fiction
Bronnie Ware
The show continues a conversation about Bronnie Ware's book on the regrets of the dying, focusing on the fifth regret, that people wish they had let themselves be happier. The discussion looks at what keeps people from happiness even when they have reasons to be happy.
Book · cookbook · South African
Isabella Niehaus
The author discusses her cookbook of food stories and recipes, from a savoury smoked snoek cheesecake to a pork and pistachio terrine, and a final chapter of recipes sent in by friends. The host calls it an extraordinary book for its stories as well as its recipes and urges listeners to look for it in bookstores.
3 airings · Cape Talk
Book · memoir · South African
Mario Cesare
A nature book about the bush and its unique creatures, published by Jonathan Ball. Listeners are urged to look for it in bookstores.
3 airings · Cape Talk
Book · non-fiction
Josh Ireland
A caller recommends this book about the plot to kill Stalin's rival Leon Trotsky, covering his exile in Mexico, his life with Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, and the assassination by Ramón Mercader. The caller finds the assassination story fascinating.
2 airings · Cape Talk
Book · satire
John Lanchester
A reviewer discusses John Lanchester's latest novel about a wealthy London couple, where a widow discovers her late husband's secret life through a satirical TV show. The reviewer praises its black humour and its sharp skewering of contemporary concerns.
2 airings · Cape Talk
Book · thriller
Tess Gerritsen
A reviewer recommends Tess Gerritsen's latest Martini Club thriller, about retired American spies in the fictional Maine town of Purity. The book follows an old operation involving Russians and poisons, blending cozy crime with noir elements. The reviewer has enjoyed all three books in the series.
Book · memoir
Elizabeth Gilbert
A guest describes this book by Elizabeth Gilbert as a gift that spoke to them while grieving a lost partner. The guest says it felt like a message of comfort and calls it a highlight of their reading this year.
Book · memoir
Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone's memoir, the first part of which is called The Steps, is described as recounting a hard early life and the struggle to win the role of Rocky Balboa.
2 airings · Cape Talk
Book · non-fiction · South African
Hendrik More
A keto cookbook and lifestyle guide offering recipes and advice on adapting to a ketogenic diet, including substitutes for sugar and suggested serving sizes. The guest explains which artificial sweeteners suit keto eaters.
Book · non-fiction
Chad Orzel
A physics professor explains his book on teaching quantum physics to a dog, presenting the ideas through a dog's everyday perspective as a source of wonder rather than confusing maths.
Book · non-fiction · South African
Lizette Rabe
A non-fiction collection of stories about remarkable South African women, including an enslaved woman who became an entrepreneur and owned farms. Published by Tafelberg, it is praised as an inspiring collection and is recommended for the weekend, available in good bookstores.
2 airings · Cape Talk
Book · non-fiction · South African
Lizette Rabe
A compilation of short biographies of South African women, from prehistory to the present, covering figures in politics, the arts, media and sport. The author urges men as well as women to read it to understand the struggle women have faced, and it is presented as a book to read a story from each night.
Book · literary fiction
John Irving
A listener-style guest describes A Prayer for Owen Meany as a thick, funny and moving book about a boy with a strange voice who believes he is an instrument of God. The speaker has read it at least seven times and calls it an incredible story with a surprising ending.
Book · non-fiction · South African
Malcolm Fenter
A new book by Dr Malcolm Fenter that looks behind South African place names, organised by province, towns, rivers and mountains. The host describes it as quirky, reader-friendly and great fun to explore.
4 airings · Cape Talk
Book · non-fiction · South African
Nikki Verd
The author discusses how AI-generated evidence and voices make it hard to trust what we see and hear. She argues AI is here to stay, is neither good nor bad, and offers ways to navigate it, such as skepticism, safe words and pausing before authorizing transactions.
5 airings · Cape Talk
Book · non-fiction
Linea Patel
The author, Dr Linia Patel, is interviewed about her book, which includes scone and quinoa recipes and focuses on holding on to hope for long-term weight maintenance. The host calls it a very important book. Copies are stocked at Exclusive Books and on Takealot.
2 airings · Cape Talk
Book · children's · South African
Naliedi Masobam Sibi
A children's book about bullying, with lessons from each character at the end. The author describes a companion online platform that also speaks to adults about bullying in workplaces.
2 airings · Cape Talk
Book · non-fiction · South African
Nikki Verd
A local non-fiction book argues that artificial intelligence is neither simply good nor bad, but can empower and harm people at the same time. The author explains why she calls AI a frenemy and rejects both the hate and the uncritical hype.
Book · non-fiction
Namon Abe Andrea
The author discusses his book, which argues that the human need for social belonging has been hijacked by modern technology, turning the like button into a dopamine-driven addiction. He describes it as a quick read and talks about how validation shapes people's thinking.
Book · memoir · South African
Fredoz Munda
A sports memoir of South African footballer Janine van Wyk, the most capped African footballer, male or female, with 185 international appearances. It was told to sports journalist Fredoz Munda, who discusses her childhood in Johannesburg and her career playing in African townships and abroad.
Book · non-fiction · South African
Umbali Mapoli
A South African registered dietitian discusses her book Inkonjane, a nutrition guide to heart health. It argues that South Africans can eat well cheaply using foods they already have, and covers salt reduction, sugary drinks, alcohol and cooking methods.
Book · non-fiction
Asne Seierstad
A 501-page book about Russia and its wars, described as forensic investigative reporting that gives the reader a much deeper understanding of Russia. The speaker says they learnt an enormous amount from it.
Book · literary fiction
Sebastian Faulks
A literary novel set in 1946 Palestine, following a British infantry officer overseeing relations between Jewish and Arab communities as Britain's mandate ends. The speaker has taken great delight in the author's work.
Book · thriller
Angie Kim · 2020
A courtroom drama about a mother raising a child on the extreme edge of the autism spectrum, praised for its insight into parenting. The speaker says it is well worth seeking out.
2 airings · Cape Talk
Book · children's · South African
Christina Castle
A children's book that teaches young readers about investing through an ant and acorn story. It is the third in a series, each book covering a different investing concept, such as speculating versus investing.
Book · non-fiction
Yuval Noah Harari
A guest names this earlier Harari book as a precursor to Nexus and calls it particularly enlightening.
Book · non-fiction
Yuval Noah Harari
A guest is asked why they read Nexus, which traces information networks from the Stone Age to AI. The guest says they have long admired Harari and began reading about how information and technology shape societies as disruptive technology became clear.
Book · biography · South African
Tom Lodge
An academic interview about a new biography of Walter Sisulu, begun by the late Tom Lodge and completed by the guest. The guest explains the title, the cover photo choice, and the aim of reaching ordinary South Africans, arguing Sisulu has been underrated.
Book · biography · South African
Tom Lodge
A new biography of ANC leader Walter Sisulu, begun by Tom Lodge and completed by Professor Roger Southall after Lodge's death. The guest argues it reveals Sisulu's organising skill and steely character, and that he has been overshadowed by Mandela.
Book · non-fiction · South African
Greeve Chila
Co-written by an associate professor of political economy, this book examines the role of the IMF in Africa, covering debt servicing, structural adjustment and the impact of austerity policies. The author says the analysis rests on evidence rather than assumptions.
Book · non-fiction · South African
Diane Kutzer
A true story about Anthony Murray and two crew members, Reg Robertson and Jared Payne, who vanished at sea in January 2015 while sailing a catamaran from Cape Town to Thailand. The author discusses the search and the events surrounding the loss.
Book · non-fiction · South African
Nicolaus Bauer
A free guide to South Africa's local government system, aimed at helping voters make an informed choice before the elections. It covers the metros, the municipal structure and the coalition landscape in simple terms.
Book · children's · South African
Lalo Mogoko
An author discusses her children's book Butterfly Heart and its translation into nine South African languages, including the choice of words for grief and the deep connection to the heart. Listeners are told it is sold in good bookstores and online, and that readings will be announced later.
3 airings · Cape Talk
Book · memoir
Andre Agassi
A sports autobiography by Andre Agassi, praised for its brutal honesty and its candid account of his relationship with tennis and his father. The host recommends it to listeners, and a guest says they would read it again.
Book · historical fiction
Louisa Traeger
A novel about Ruth Ellis, the last woman hanged in Britain, told through Holloway Prison, the courtroom and flashbacks to her abusive relationship. The author explains how she restructured the story to make it gripping while staying close to history.
4 airings · Cape Talk
Book · non-fiction · South African
Tara Russ
The author discusses coalition politics in South Africa and how parties will negotiate power nationally and locally. She urges young South Africans to research parties and vote responsibly. The host calls it a recommended read.
2 airings · Cape Talk
Book · children's · South African
Buno Seleisho
A children's book about a girl's first period, following her journey from surprise to confidence while staying bubbly and brave. The author discusses how it challenges stigma and helps children, boys included, talk openly about puberty. It was developed through a collaboration with a feminine hygiene brand.
2 airings · Cape Talk
Book · travel · South African
David Bristow
A new travel guide to the Cederberg region, published as it has just hit the shelves. The author joins the show to share advice on how best to navigate this part of the world.
Book · memoir
Khalida Popal
A non-fiction book by former Afghan footballer Khalida Popal about her love of football and the danger of playing it under Taliban rule. The presenter calls it fascinating and says she describes her passion beautifully.
Book · science fiction · South African
Anton Hur
A debut novel starting in Cape Town about nanotherapy that remakes patients' bodies and raises questions of self, memory and identity. The reviewer finds the ideas dense and fast-moving but the short book richly packed.
Book · thriller
Tim Sullivan
A DS George Cross thriller set in Bristol, where a man is found dead in his bookshop. The reviewer finds the series sweet, charming and old-fashioned, and suggests starting with the earlier books.
Book · non-fiction · South African
Max du Preez
A new book by Max du Preez reflects on growing up in a conservative Afrikaner household and on the unravelling of white power in South Africa. The interview covers white and Afrikaner nationalism, investigative journalism, and mental health among journalists. The host says it is well worth reading.
2 airings · Cape Talk
Book · non-fiction · South African
Greeve Chelwa and Vijay Prasad
A business book review on The Money Show examines this book, which argues that the International Monetary Fund has harmed Africa. The co-author Greeve Chelwa joins the show to explain that the argument rests on the historical record rather than assumptions.
2 airings · Cape Talk
Book · fiction · South African
Sven Axelrod
The host has read this quirky novel and found it absolutely fantastic, while warning that it will not suit everyone. It is one of the two books the host recommends right now.
Book · non-fiction · South African
Martha Evans
A new biography of anti-apartheid activist Lillian Ngoyi, written by a professor who examines the rumours about her relationship with Nelson Mandela and her political legacy. The host calls it an important contribution and says it should be added to any collection of struggle icons.
Book · poetry · South African
Atambile Masola
The author discusses Inheritance, a reissue of her poetry collection Ilifa under an international publisher, with the same cover and poem order. She describes launches in Cape Town and Johannesburg and a planned UK release.
2 airings · Cape Talk
Book · memoir · South African
Kim Ballantyne
A memoir of loss and hope by Kim Ballantine, published by Nerd and Cross, that the host calls utterly compelling. It is available in print and as an e-book from bookshops and online retailers.
3 airings · Cape Talk
Book · memoir · South African
Lebo Diseko
Presented as a memoir of uprising and exile, covering the author's parents' lives including their marriage across the Botswana border and joy as resistance during apartheid.
2 airings · Cape Talk
Book · crime · South African
Deon Meyer
Deon Meyer's latest novel, Scorpio Rising, has just hit the shelves. The host describes his interview about it as fantastic and says the conversation is available as a podcast.
5 airings · Cape Talk
Book · thriller · South African
Deon Meyer
Deon Meyer discusses his novel Blood Safari, about an expat woman searching for her long-lost brother and the bodyguard protecting her. He explains how the story was updated for a South African setting in its TV adaptation.
Book · crime · South African
Deon Meyer
A listener named Cheryl says 13 Hours was her first Deon Meyer book. She read it in a caravan at a Kalahari campsite and could not put it down, so she went on to buy more of his books.
Book · crime · South African
Deon Meyer
Deon Meyer discusses his Benny Griessel novel Touch Wood, in which the alcoholic detective is stable and happily married but working to repair his relationship with his son. Meyer describes his research into addiction, including attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
Book · crime · South African
Deon Meyer
Meyer explains that the drunken cop Benny Ghissel was created as a minor character to spoil the protagonist's fun. The character grew so much in the writing that he later got his own novel.
locl transcribes six South African radio stations as they air. Every hour a model reads the stretches that name a book, film or series and records each titled work that was discussed, reviewed or recommended, with the verdict and who gave it. Quiz clues, name-drops and the stations’ own programmes are left out. Titles and names are as the transcript heard them, so a spelling can be off. Opinions belong to the speakers. Press play to hear the opening window of the conversation; the transcript link has the rest. Only conversations whose audio is still held are listed, so a title leaves the page with its audio.
Updated Wednesday, 28 October at 12:51 SAST. Showing 30 days.