Tag: Joanne Hichens | CatalystPress

The Spark: Events Edition

Our authors are busy these days, and it looks like they’re mostly busy with events— lots of events! So this edition of The Spark will put them all in one handy place, so that you can fill your month with literary goodness.

Wednesday, March 16 at 3:00pm South African Time: Joanne Hichens (Divine Justice) appears on the panel, “Beyond the Words in Shorts Stories,“ as part of the Time of the Writer Festival, a virtual festival sponsored by The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts. The panel will discuss how their work answers the question: what does being haunted and hauntings mean in our southern African world, in the past, the present and the future?

Tuesday, March 29, at 6:30pm PT: Authors Richard Conyngham (All Rise: Resistance and Rebellion in South Africa) and Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu (The History of Man) will be appearing at PubWest Live, a virtual event hosted by PubWest and Massy Arts. The event also features Christopher Chávez, author of The Sound of Exclusion: NPR and the Latinx Public (University of Arizona Press). Register here

Tuesday, April 5, 7:00pm PT: Caroline Kurtz celebrates the release of her new memoir Today is Tomorrow with a virtual reading and discussion at Annie Bloom’s Books. And if you pre-order from Annie Bloom’s you can get a signed copy! More info and registration here

Friday, April 15, 12:00pm ET: Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu will be in conversation with Johns Hopkins University World Literature professor, Jeanne-Marie Jackson. Register here

This Week in Literary News: Week of September 12

In the upcoming months, you’re going to have a lot of opportunities to see Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu in person, well, virtually in-person. On September 25, the Theory of Flight author visits the Harare Book Club, and on October 3, she heads to the Brooklyn Book Fair. Visit our event calendar to find out more, and stay tuned for more events! The Theory of Flight is out now, and her follow-up The History of Man is out in January.

One school district doesn’t quite get the spirit of Banned Books Week. Students at a a Pennsylvania school are protesting “after their school board’s conversation about a proposed diversity curriculum turned into a list of banned books,” LitHub reports. The books are all written by authors of color and/or feature characters of color, which the school board insists in just a coincidence. Also a coincidence: this link to Banned Books Week, which highlights the “shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.” Banned Book Week runs from September 26 – October 2. Continue reading “This Week in Literary News: Week of September 12”

This Week in Literary News: Week of May 16

Lots to get into this week, so let’s do it!

On May 22, the Harlem Arts Alliance is hosting “Voices of the Coast,” an online exhibit and panel discussion that will “unite the voices and coasts of visual artists and cultural commentators from Nigeria, Tanzania, South Africa, and the African Diaspora.” The companion exhibition is scheduled for later this year.

Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate saw a picture “that would catapult her to global fame — not for what it showed, but for what it did not.” Great article in the New York Times exploring Nakate’s story of erasure, racism, being “a fighter for the people and the planet,” and her new book set for release this November.

And, hey, if you’re already at The New York Times, be sure to check out their Globetrotting feature of new and forthcoming international books. We’re thrilled to see our very own Madame Livingstone there!

Prepare to have your mind blown over at New Frame as Rofhiwa Maneta talks to multidisciplinary artist Nolan Dennis about his work a.sun.black, “an online game – or digital essay game, as he refers to it – that shares seminal Black liberation texts in the same fragmented way he was led to Black liberation theory.” Continue reading “This Week in Literary News: Week of May 16”

Sifiso Mzobe in The Big Thrill

We are thrilled to be the US publisher for Sifiso Mzobe’s multi-award-winning novel Young Blood. This gripping coming-of-age/crime novel is set in the South African township of Umlazi and centers on Sipho, a teenager who finds himself spiraling deeper and deeper into the township’s criminal underworld. How far can he push his luck before there’s no turning back?

Sifiso recently sat down with Joanne Hichens for an interview with The Big Thrill Magazine about his work and the novel. If that interviewer’s name sounds familiar, it’s because Joanne can also be seen around Catalyst HQ (virtually, anyway) as the author of another one of our books— Divine Justice, which is also out now! Continue reading “Sifiso Mzobe in The Big Thrill”

This Week in Literary News: Week of April 25

Congratulations are in order for three of our authors: Barbara Boswell (Unmaking Grace), Joanne Hichens (Divine Justice), and Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu (The Theory of Flight). Each of these talented authors have made the longlist for the 2021 Sunday Times/CNA Literary Awards in South Africa. Barbara and Joanne have both been nominated for their non-fiction books—Barbara for And Wrote My Story Anyway: Black South African Women’s Novels as Feminism (Wits Press), and Joanne for her memoir Death and the After Parties (Karavan Press); Siphiwe makes the fiction list for her novel The History of Man (Penguin Fiction). To celebrate, each of their Catalyst titles are on sale on our site from now through May 31!

This past year, book clubs have been making us feel closer even though we’re far apart. This piece at CNN explores how African book clubs are doing just that for many people.

The New York African Film Festival has a documentary for view on their website that sounds fascinating. “Bronx Princess follows headstrong 17-year-old Rocky as she leaves behind her mother in New York City to reunite with her father, a chief in Ghana.” The site also features a conversation with Rocky.
Continue reading “This Week in Literary News: Week of April 25”

This Week in Literary News: Week of February 14

In Catalyst news, Divine Justice author Joanne Hichens was this week’s guest blogger on the popular Murder is Everywhere blog, and The Theory of Flight author Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu received a rave review from Rupture Mag, who called the book, “an intelligent novel with a big heart.”

It’s Black History Month! To celebrate, here’s a quick read about Toni Morrison‘s time as a Random House editor, a crash course on the wonderful Zora Neale Hurston, a coder making stories by authors of color more accessible to young readers through the app We Read Too, and a new book highlighting the contributions of Black creators, publishers, and booksellers to the comics industry.

It was also Valentine’s Day this week, and we’re blaming Geoffrey Chaucer. (This article also wins the award for the most brutal subtitle of all time).

In book news, the longlist was just announced for the Carnegie Medal, and LitHub has started spotlighting the finalists of the NBCC Award. A 1943 copy of Peter Pan was found in a railway station in France and the search for the owner has gone viral. Book Riot‘s Jessica Plummer continued her Fashion Disasters and Fashion Heroes series with Beast Boy. Tune into a Florida lesbian literature festival next weekend, or the Little Free Library‘s Unbound series. If Netflix is more your vibe, here’s some inside scoop on the Netflix adaptations of To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before: Always and Forever and Behind Her Eyes (which apparently has such a wild ending that it inspired the #WTFThatEnding hashtag).

In celebrity book news, Bill Gates’ new book on climate change came out this week, basketball star Chris Paul is releasing a memoir in September, and Mark Hamill (aka Luke Skywalker) has a new Dr.Seuss-esque children’s book about masking up in COVID times. All proceeds will go to World Central Kitchen. Celebrity magician Wayne Alan is releasing a book detailing the history of magic shows in the White House, and the Navy SEAL who oversaw the Bin Laden raid and the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips is publishing a children’s book about simple life lessons. The cast for the new Hulu adaptation of Sally Rooney’s Conversations with Friends was just announced, and Reese Witherspoon is starting an Instagram cooking show called #EatTheBook, where she’ll cook recipes inspired by her book club picks.

Book list round-up: practice self-love with these 16 self-love books, then check out these 10 modern retellings of classic stories. Here’s New York Times‘ picks for new visual books, Bustle’s picks for rom-coms, celebrity book club picks for February, and new YA reading recommendations from The Nerd Daily. For my friends in the States three-feet-deep in snow (it’s a balmy 75 degrees here in Cape Town), here’s some children’s books about snow and 11 amazing literary couples to cozy up with for the weekend while your power’s out. Bookmark this: 50 great classic novels under 200 pages. And my personal favorite list of the week, here’s ten bestselling books written by new mothers during maternity leave (yes, we’re making a point here: maternity leave rocks).

In South Africa news, eight-year-old comic book author Prince Mashawana, pen-named SuperMash, will become the youngest TEDx speaker ever in Johannesburg this April, and DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille announced her upcoming book, Stay Woke – Go Broke, on the threat American culture wars pose to South Africans.

For some thought provoking reads, here’s Jeffrey Davies on the joys of reading slower, Laura Sackton on why she’s reading mediocre books, and Ross Gay on the necessity of sadness. Check out these original reviews of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn the year it was released, and Anna Karenina and Madame Bovary discussing their suicides. Bestselling authors pick their top romantic moments in literature, and speaking of love, my top article of the week: should we be using sex to help us discover book structure?

And finally, here’s a quiz to waste some time on. I got Elizabeth Bennett and it pretty much made my month.

This Week in Literary News: Week of January 31

Lots of great stuff from all around the book world this week. Let’s get right to it!

Georgia College & State University is hosting a virtual African Writers Festival this month, featuring some amazing writers including Mona Eltahawy, Maaza Mengiste, and Novuyo Tshuma, among many, many more.

Black history is often reduced to moments, and those moments can become myths. As great as it is that we celebrate Black History Month, we need to be careful that the myths and moments don’t flatten, particularly with the Civil Rights Movement, what is often long, intentional, hard work that can’t be reduced to a single moment. At the New York Times, author Jeanne Theoharis, reflects on what this flattening has done to the work of Rosa Parks. “‘Over the years, I have been rebelling against second-class citizenship. It didn’t begin when I was arrested,’ Mrs. Parks reminded interviewers time and again.” Continue reading “This Week in Literary News: Week of January 31”

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”

This Week in Literary News: Week of January 10

I guess this is what is known as an eventful week. There is just so very much is happening in the world at any given moment. Here’s hoping everyone has what they need to make it through this, and what are sure to be many more, eventful weeks.

One of the big events here in the US is the second impeachment of Donald Trump. I, for one, have really been putting my high-school civics education to use over the past week (and four years). For those who either want to brush up on the impeachment process, or pass along that info to a young learner, Pop Culture Classroom has a free comic about the Watergate Scandal, and “using the Watergate Scandal as context, this comic also provides students insights into the impeachment process and how it protects the checks and balances between Federal branches.” And over at JSTOR Daily (full disclosure: I’m a regular contributor there), they’ve created “Politics and Power in the United States: A Syllabus,” to help put our current political moment into historical context. And the New York Times is soliciting comments on how “teachers, particularly history, social studies, or civics teachers […]” are “addressing last Wednesday’s storming of the Capitol with their students.”

Africa in Words has a wrap-up post featuring all of the literary happenings over the past month. Festivals! Readings! New Books! Events! They’ve even included one of our favorite events from December— our #ReadingAfrica Week celebration and panel discussions.

“Women had always been part and parcel of the independence movement in Africa. In Southern Africa and Tanzania they stood side-by-side with the men to fight, so they were very much part of it.” As part of their series, “Reclaiming Africa’s Early Post-Independence History,” Africa is a Country has an interview with Fatma Alloo of the Tanzania Media Women’s Association on how women have, and continue to, use media to create change. Continue reading “This Week in Literary News: Week of January 10”

New Releases This Month

We’re pleased to release two great new books this month: Divine Justice, by Joanne Hichens and The Theory of Flight by Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu. Both books are available now through your favorite bookseller (but we’d love it if you chose an independent bookstore!) Continue reading “New Releases This Month”