Category: Newsletter | Page 2

Q&A with Joanne Hichens

This month, we were proud to release the thriller Divine Justice by Joanne Hichens. Divine Justice is the first book in Joanne’s Rae Valentine series, and we’re excited to introduce readers to this feisty, smart, and tough character.

Rae is a newly-minted PI, recovering addict, and in the middle of healing from a big breakup when she is hired to find a set of missing diamonds. The case sends her deep into the dark and violent world of the white supremacist gang, the Core, whose xenophobic and racist crime spree has been terrorizing Cape Town. And once the gang has Rae in their sights, the case may be more than she can handle. (And be sure to visit CrimeReads to read an essay from Joanne about the ways that the resurgence of white supremacist violence played a role in crafting hers, and other crime novels in South Africa.)

Divine Justice has earned praise from Publishers Weekly, The Mysterious Book Report, LitNet, and authors like David Swinson (The Second Girl and Trigger), who writes, “Divine Justice is a no-nonsense, walloping thriller, with an intoxicating and smart protagonist in Rae Valentine. Be sure to find a comfortable spot before opening the book because once you’re taken on the ride it is hard to get off.”

We chatted with Joanne about her work, how she handled having two books releasing at the same time, and why crime writing was a way for her to “see the baddies get what they deserve.”

Continue reading “Q&A with Joanne Hichens”

Q&A with Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu

This month, we were proud to release Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu’s award-winning novel The Theory of Flight in North America. When it was released in South Africa, the novel was awarded the Barry Ronge Fiction Prize. We are pleased to give even more readers the opportunity to read this beautiful book.

This sweeping epic explores decades of family and national history through the lives of a group of interconnected characters. Through the country remains unnamed in the novel, its history closely mirrors that of Zimbabwe, and the plot centers on Genie whose family and friends struggle to come to terms with her impending death. This novel sketches, through the lives of a few families and the fate of a single patch of ground, a nation’s history – from colonial occupation through the freedom struggle, to the devastation wrought by the sojas, the HIV virus, and The Man Himself. At turns mysterious and magical, but always honest, The Theory of Flight explores the many ways we lose those we love before they die.

The novel has earned praise from Bustle, Full Stop Magazine, and Publishers Weekly where it earned a starred review. Tsitsi Dangarembga, author of Nervous Conditions and the Booker-Prize-shortlisted novel, This Mournable Body also named the book one of her ten favorites in this list at Vulture magazine. (And you can read an essay at LitHub on how Zimbabwean authors like Tsitsi have inspired Siphiwe’s work.)

We chatted with Siphiwe about her work, the difficulties of defining a book like The Theory of Flight, and how fiction helps us “maneuver the often rocky and complicated terrains of the past and present.”

Continue reading “Q&A with Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu”

Q&A with Ameera Patel

We’re excited to bring another exciting new voice to North American readers. Ameera Patel’s genre-crossing novel Outside the Lines is part thriller, part family drama, part literary fiction, told from multiple viewpoints. Set in the middle-class suburbs of Johannesburg, South Africa, the novel’s narrative also crosses lines— class, racial, and religious—to peel back the facade of its characters’ seemingly placid suburban lives.

Drug-addicted Cathleen is kidnapped and her distracted family fails to notice her absence; Zilindile, who services Cathleen’s drug habit, and his Muslim Indian girlfriend Farhana, struggle to make sense of their relationship despite their very different backgrounds; and domestic worker Flora and the silent Runyararo, who was painting Cathleen’s house until accused of theft by Cathleen’s father, become entangled with romance and criminals, leading to the ultimate tragedy.

The novel has earned praise from several outlets— Shelf Awareness, CrimeReads, Mystery Scene, and a starred review from Publishers Weekly. We’re so proud to be the North American publisher for this book. Outside the Lines is out now, and available at your favorite bookstore and through our site. You can also head over to CrimeReads to read an excerpt from the novel.

We caught up with Ameera to chat about her book, her writing process, and how her experience as an actor and playwright helps her in her fiction writing.

Continue reading “Q&A with Ameera Patel”

Q&A with Niki Daly

This Q&A was done by our intern Naomi Valenzuela. Naomi is from Phoenix, Arizona and El Paso, Texas, and is majoring in Creative Writing and minoring in English & American Literature at the University of Texas, El Paso, with plans of working in the publishing business after graduation. You can find other author Q&As here.

This month, we have not one but two marvelous releases from award-winning author Niki Daly: Here Comes Lolo and Hooray for Lolo. The Lolo series introduces us to Lolo, a generous and artistic South African girl. Lolo always finds adventures, even in the most mundane situations. With her mother and grandmother by her side, Lolo is ready to take on anything. Children will love these stories as Booklist mentions in their review, “With a simply written, graceful text and gray-scale pictures on nearly every page, these appealing stories are just right for children moving from beginning readers to chapter books.”

Niki Daly is not only the author, but also the illustrator of these two books. Daly is a South African, author-illustrator, well-known throughout the world with a great number of children’s books written, and several awards won. Some of these books include Not So Fast Songololo, with awards in South Africa and the U.S., and Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky.

In this author Q&A, we talked to Niki about his inspirations when creating Lolo, how his childhood influenced his writing, and his advice for future writers.

Continue reading “Q&A with Niki Daly”

Q&A with Bridget Krone

This Q&A comes to us from SarahBelle Selig. SarahBelle is our representative for all things Catalyst/Story Press Africa in South Africa. If you’re following us on any of our social media accounts, look for the hashtag #CatalystSA, for news about our books in South Africa.

We are so thrilled to announce our February release, Small Mercies, a middle-grade novel by South African author Bridget Krone! Dubbed by Kirkus Reviews in a starred review as “sensitive, funny, and tender,” Small Mercies, which also features illustrations by Karen Vermeulen, tells the story of a Mercy, a shy girl from Pietermaritzburg with two eccentric foster aunts, a chicken named Lemon, and one big problem. When Mercy is faced with snooty school bullies and ruthless real estate developers, she learns that telling the truth – no matter how messy it is – may be the perfect remedy for life’s tricky situations. As put by New York Times bestseller Kathi Appelt, “You will not leave the pages of this book without feeling somehow smarter and wiser and kinder.”

A former English teacher, Bridget Krone has written many English language textbooks and short novels for use in South African schools. Bridget has spent most of her life in and near Pietermaritzburg, a town whose quirky residents and complicated history make it a microcosm of life in South Africa. We caught up with Bridget to chat all things Small Mercies – from bees, to bullying, to Gandhi. Check out an excerpt below, and read the rest at our site. And don’t forget to grab your copy online on IndieBound or in your favorite local bookstore! Continue reading “Q&A with Bridget Krone”

Q&A with David Muirhead

This year, we’re excited to publish the first release from our science-focused Powers Squared imprint. The books released under the Powers Squared banner will feature fun, accessible science writing with an eye on global events that will appeal to a diverse group of readers.

Our first release is a fun one: Cat Among the Pigeons by David Muirhead. This collection of short essays features the science, myth, and folklore behind a host of African animals. Featuring illustrations by Patricia de Villiers, Cat Among the Pigeons is a look at the creatures we share the world with, told with a bit of humor and whimsy. Sy Montgomery, author of Tamed and Untamed: Close Encounters of the Animal Kind praised the book, writing “this clever, breezy book delivers delightful surprises on every page, along with a bracing dose of wonder.”

Matt Powers, the editor for Powers Squared, did this Q&A with David where they covered obscure animals, our relationship with wildlife, and how each of us plays a role in their survival. Cat Among the Pigeons releases on February 4, and pre-orders are available now. Continue reading “Q&A with David Muirhead”

Q&A with Barbara Boswell

Huge congratulations to Barbara Boswell! Her novel Unmaking Grace is out now in the US! Released in South Africa under the title Grace, Barbara’s novel about one woman’s journey to break the cycle of intergenerational violence earned her the 2017 Debut Prize from the University of Johannesburg Prizes for South African writing. Here in the US, her novel has been praised by Kirkus Reviews as “A smart, compassionate portrayal of one woman’s quest to end the cycle of violence.”; author Yewande Omotoso (Bom Boy, The Woman Next Door) calls it “a deeply compelling and important story”; and Ms. Magazine included it in their list of must-reads for December. We couldn’t be prouder to publish this thoughtful and moving book.

You can order the book online from IndieBound, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, here on our website, and, of course, you can pick up a copy at your favorite local bookstore! We chatted with Barbara recently about her writing, Unmaking Grace, and the writers who shaped her life and work. Continue reading “Q&A with Barbara Boswell”

From the Editor’s Desk…

A few months ago, we introduced a semi-regular feature in our newsletter called From the Editor’s Desk, in which our intrepid founder/editor/publisher/almost everything else-r, Jessica, gives our subscribers an update on all of the Catalyst Press goings-on. Since we’d like as many people as possible to stay up-to-date on our new and upcoming releases, we’ve decided to repost them here beginning with the installment that appeared in our July newsletter. These will be posted after they appear in the newsletter, so if you want to find out what’s going on before they make their way here, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter!

This summer has felt a bit like getting hit by a truck. (This actually happened to me 13 years ago, so it’s not entirely a specious comment.) My husband took the position of Dean of Language Arts at the college where I teach, which meant my 10 year teaching career at that particular college was now over. (The college has certain rules against professors sleeping with the dean.) (And no, it didn’t matter that I had taught there for 10 years prior to his becoming a dean.) (Do I sound bitter? It’s OK. I’ll miss teaching but I love my job at Catalyst.) (Aaannnd….that’s probably enough parentheses….) This led to our putting our house up for sale. We got it ready in a month and sold it in one day, all of which has left us exhausted. We are now moving and will be doing the apartment thing for awhile. It’s a whole new life in foggy California, right beside the ocean, right along the San Andreas fault.

Continue reading “From the Editor’s Desk…”