First five years of list building done. Phew.
I discovered 245 books published by 122 authors, a huge range of self-published books (mostly in the romance and crime thriller genres), and many many authors that I wasn’t aware of. I discovered how many of SA women authors are on GoodReads and realised that we need to go and rate their books to encourage awareness of their writing beyond SA.
Who were the lucky publishers to publish these writers? Themselves, mostly. 50 self-published books over the last five years (that I could find). It really inspired me. Umuzi (20), Penguin (15) and Kwela (10) were the top three local publishers of SA Women’s English novels in this five year range.
Here is the full list, in alphabetical order by surname. Enjoy.
- Wilna Adrianse, Blindside, Tafelberg (Translation) , 2019
- Natasha Anders, A Ruthless Proposition, Montlake Books, 2016
- Natasha Anders, More than Anything, Montlake Romance, 2019
- Natasha Anders, Nothing But This, Montlake Romance, 2019
- Natasha Anders, Promises of Forever, Romance Association of South Africa, 2019
- Natasha Anders, The Best Man, Montlake Romance, 2018
- Natasha Anders, The Wingman, Montlake Romance, 2018
- Dee Andrew, This Earth is Mine, Self-published, 2016
- Sally Andrew, Death on the Limpopo, Umuzi, 2019
- Sally Andrew, Recipes for love and murder: A Tannie Maria Mystery, Umuzi, 2015
- Sally Andrew, The Satanic Mechanic, Canongate (UK), 2016
- Tammie Baiki, Selling Lip Service, Jacana, 2017
- Jayne Bauling, New Keepers, Tafelberg, 2017
- Therese Beharrie, A Marriage Worth Saving, Harlequin, 2017
- Therese Beharrie, A Wedding One Christmas, Carina Press, 2018
- Therese Beharrie, Falling for His Convenient Queen, Mills&Boon Forever Romance, 2018
- Therese Beharrie, From Heiress to Mom, Harlequin, 2019
- Therese Beharrie, Her Festive Flirtation, Harlequin, 2018
- Therese Beharrie, Her Twin Baby Secret, Harlequin, 2019
- Therese Beharrie, Island Fling with The Tycoon, Harlequin, 2019
- Therese Beharrie, One Day to Fall, Carina Press, 2019
- Therese Beharrie, Second Chance with Her Billionaire, Harlequin, 2019
- Therese Beharrie, Surprised Baby, Second Chance, Harlequin , 2018
- Therese Beharrie, Tempted by the Billionaire Next Door, Self-published, 2018
- Therese Beharrie, The Millionaire’s Redemption, Harlequin, 2017
- Therese Beharrie, The Tycoon’s Reluctant Cinderella, Harlequin, 2017
- Therese Beharrie, United by Their Royal Baby, Mills&Boon Forever Romance, 2018
- Elleke Boehmer, The Shouting in the Dark, Jacana, 2015
- Barbara Boswell, Grace, Modjaji, 2017
- Nechama Brodie, Knucklebone, Pan Macmillan, 2018
- Karin Brynaard, Homeland, Penguin (translation) , 2018
- Dudu Busani-Dube, Hlomu The Wife, Self-published, 2015
- Dudu Busani-Dube, Naledi His Love, Self-published, 2015
- Dudu Busani-Dube, Zandile the Resolute, Self-published, 2015
- Dudu Busani-Dube, Zulu Wedding, Hlomu Publishing, 2018
- Carol Campbell, The Tortoise Cried its Only Tear, Umuzi, 2019
- Maxine Case, Softness of the Lime, Umuzi, 2017
- Maxine Case, Papwa: In the Grip of a Champion, Kwela, 2015
- Panashe Chigumadzi, Sweet Medicine, Black Bird Books (Jacana) , 2015
- Briony Chisholm, One Night Only, Self-published, 2017
- Evelyn Clayton, Thwala, Self-published, 2017
- Marilyn Cohen De Villiers, A beautiful family, Mapolaje, 2018
- Marilyn Cohen De Villiers, Deceive and defend, Mapolaje, 2018
- ZP Dala, The Architecture of Loss, Pegasus Books, 2017
- ZP Dala, What About Meera, Umuzi, 2015
- Joan De La Haye, Fury, Self-published, 2016
- Joan De La Haye, Requiem in E Sharp, Self-published, 2016
- Joan De La Haye, Shadows, Self-published, 2016
- Lissa Del (aka Melissa Delport), Riven, Self-published, 2017
- Melissa Delport, Rainfall, Self-published, 2015
- Melissa Delport, The Balance of the Blood, Self-published, 2016
- Melissa Delport, The Cathedral of Cliffdale, Self-published, 2016
- Melissa Delport, The Clock Keeper, Self-published, 2016
- Melissa Delport, The Legend, Tracey McDonald Publishers, 2015
- Melissa Delport, The Return, Tracy McDonald Publishers, 2017
- Nerine Dorman, The Company of Birds, Immanion Press, 2019
- Nerine Dorman, The Firebird, CreateSpace, 2018
- Ceridwen Dovey, In the garden of the fugitives, Hamish Hamilton, 2018
- Finuala Dowling, Okay Okay Okay, Kwela, 2019
- Finuala Dowling, The Fetch, Kwela, 2015
- Tracey Farren, The Book of Malachi, Kwela, 2019
- Maire Fisher, The Enumerations, Umuzi, 2019
- Maya Fowler, Patagonia, Umuzi, 2018
- Jane Fox, The Unofficial Odyssey, Otterley Press, 2017
- Lynn Freed, The Last Laugh, Sarah Chrichton Books, 2017
- Dawn Garisch, Accident, Modjaji Books, 2017
- Dawn Garisch, Breaking Milk, Karavan Press, 2019
- Carol Gibbs, All things bright and broken, Jacana, 2018
- Anelile Gibixego, Igoli Dreams, Caption Communications, 2018
- Gail Gilbride, Under The African Sun, Cactus Rain, 2017
- Kerstin Hall, The Border Keeper, Tor.com, 2019
- Rachel Haze, The ecstasy of brushstrokes, MF Books, 2018
- Pamela Heller-Stern, Who’s knocking on my door?, Element, 2015
- Cat Hellinsen, Empty Monsters, Self-published, 2018
- Joanne Hichens, Sweet Paradise: A Rae Valentine Thriller, Tattoo Press (Self-published) , 2015
- Jenny Hobbs, True Blue Superglue, Umuzi, 2015
- Mishka Hoosen, Call it a Difficult Night, Deep South, 2015
- Clare Houston, An unquiet place, Penguin, 2018
- Qaanitah Hunter, Diary of a Guji Girl, Wordflute Press, 2015
- Lauren Jacobs, Yehudit: Chosen by god, Lux Verbi, 2016
- Cynthia Jele, The Ones with Purpose, Kwela, 2018
- Karen Jennings, Travels with father, Holland Park Press, 2016
- Jo-Anne Joseph, Destiny, Self-published, 2018
- Jo-Anne Joseph, Inevitably Yours, Self-published, 2019
- Jo-Anne Joseph, Infinity, Self-published, 2017
- Jo-Anne Joseph, Mariticide, Self-published, 2018
- Jo-Anne Joseph, Misandry, Self-published, 2019
- Jo-Anne Joseph, Serendipity, Self-published, 2017
- Jo-Anne Joseph, Siren, Self-published, 2017
- Irma Joubert, Child of the River, Thomas Nelson, 2015
- Irma Joubert, The Crooked Path,Thomas Nelson (translation) , 2017
- Irma Joubert, The Girl From the Train, Thomas Nelson, 2015
- Rashida Khan, The Fragrance of Forgiveness, Kwarts Publishers, 2019
- Rashida Khan, Mirror Cracked, Kwarts, 2018
- Joyce Kotzé, The Runaway Horses, Jonathan Ball, 2015
- Lauri Kubuitsile, The Scattering, Penguin Random House, 2016
- Jacqui L’Ange, The Seed Thief, Umuzi, 2015
- Bronwyn Law-Viljoen, The Printmaker, Umuzi, 2016
- JT Lawrence, Grey Magic, Pulp Books, 2016
- JT Lawrence, How We Found You, Fire Finch Press, 2017
- JT Lawrence, Jigsaw, Fire Finch Press, 2019
- JT Lawrence, Why You Were Taken, Pulp Books, 2015
- Fiona Leonard, The Chicken Thief, Penguin, 2015
- Sarah Lotz, Day Four, Hodder and Stouton, 2015
- Sarah Lotz, The White Road, Hodder and Stoughton, 2017
- Qarnita Loxton, Being Kari, Kwela, 2017
- Qarnita Loxton, Being Lily, Kwela, 2018
- Qarnita Loxton, Being Shelley, Kwela, 2019
- Joanne MacGregor, The First Time I Fell, Self-published, 2019
- Joanne Macgregor, The First Time I Died, Self-published, 2018
- Jassy Mackenzie, Bad Seeds, Umuzi, 2017
- Sindiwe Magona, Chasing the Tails of My Father’s Cattle, Seriti Sa Sechaba, 2015
- Ishara Maharaj, Namaste Life, Modjaji, 2016
- Angela Makholwa, The Blessed Girl, Pan Macmillan, 2017
- Bianca Marais, Hum If You Don’t Know The Words, Putnam, 2017
- Paula Marais, Under the Surface, Logogog, 2017
- Mohale Mashigo, The Yearning, Pan Macmillan, 2016
- Kopano Matlwa, Period Pain, Jacana, 2016
- Eva Mazza, Sex, Lies, and Stellenbosch, Jacana, 2019
- Angela Meadon, Strong medicine, Lyrica Publications, 2016
- Fiona Melrose, Johannesburg, Corsair, 2017
- Kirsten Miller, Hum of the Sun, Kwela, 2018
- Kharnita Mohamed, Called to Song, Kwela, 2018
- Nedine Moonsamy, The Unfamous Five, Modjaji Books, 2019
- Barbara Mutch, The Girl from Simon’s Bay, Alison Bushy, 2017
- Susan Newham-Blake, As if Born to You, Penguin, 2019
- Chwayita Ngamalana, If I Stay Right Here, Blackbird Books, 2017
- Paige Nick, Unpresidented: A Comedy of Errors, N&B Books, 2017
- Paige Nick, Death By Carbs, N&B Books, 2015
- Paige Nick, Dutch courage, Penguin Random House, 2016
- Neliswa Faith Ntulini, Cloudy Before Sunrise, BK Publishing, 2016
- Lebogang Neo Matseke, Queen B E E, Otterley Press, 2015
- Yewande Omotoso, The Woman Next Door, Chatto & Windus (UK) , 2016
- Charlotte Otter, Karkloof Blue, Modjaji Books, 2015
- Ameera Patel, Outside the Lines, Modjaji Books, 2016
- Chanette Paul, Sacrificed, Lapa, 2017
- Bridget Pitt, Notes From the Lost Property Department, Penguin, 2015
- Sheila Pike, The Lucky Bean Tree, Footprints Press, 2017
- Jackie Phamotse, Bare, Porcupine Press, 2017
- Marguerite Poland, A Sin of Omission, Penguin, 2019
- Pamela Power, Delilah Now Trending, Penguin, 2017
- Pamela Power, Ms Conception, Penguin, 2015
- Pamela Power, Things Unseen, Clockwork Books, 2016
- Michelle Pretorius, The Monster’s Daughter, Melville House (UK) , 2016
- Vanessa Raphaely, Plus One, Pan Macmillan, 2018
- Dani René, Among Ash and Ember, Self-published, 2019
- Dani René, Bound, Self-published, 2019
- Dani René, Broken by Desire, Self-published, 2016
- Dani René, Callum, Self-published, 2016
- Dani René, Covet, Self-published, 2017
- Dani René, Crave, Self-published, 2017
- Dani René, Cruel War, Self-published, 2019
- Dani René, Cuffed, Self-published, 2016
- Dani René, Envy, Self-published, 2019
- Dani René, Fragile Innocence, Self-published, 2018
- Dani René, Indulge, Self-published, 2018
- Dani René, Liam, Self-published, 2016
- Dani René, Love Beyond Words, Self-published, 2017
- Dani René, Kneel, Self-published, 2017
- Dani René, Obey, Self-published, 2017
- Dani René, Obsessed, Black Collar Press, 2018
- Dani René, Perfectly Flawed, Self-published, 2018
- Dani René, Ruthless, Self-published, 2018
- Dani René, Ryan, Self-published, 2017
- Dani René, Shattered by Love, Self-published, 2016
- Dani René, Vice, Self-published, 2019
- Dani René, Volatile Love, Self-published, 2019
- Dani René, Within Me, Self-published, 2019
- Kuli Roberts, Siren, Blackbird Books, 2019
- Claire Robertson, The Magistrate of Gower, Umuzi, 2015
- Claire Robertson, Under Glass, Umuzi, 2018
- Consuelo Roland, Wolf Trap, Jacana, 2017
- Usha Roopnarain, The Girl From Ceza, Reach, 2015
- Henrietta Rose-Innes, Green Lion, Umuzi, 2015
- Rehana Roussouw, New Times, Jacana, 2017
- Rehana Roussouw, What Will People Say, Jacana, 2015
- Michele Rowe, Hour of Darkness, Penguin, 2015
- Karen Runge, Seeing Double, Grey Matter Press, 2017
- Beverly Rycroft, A Slim Green Silence, Umuzi, 2015
- Gail Schimmel, The Park, Pan Macmillan South Africa, 2017
- Ashni Shah, Naomi Frank: A Woman’s Journey, Self-published, 2015
- Brenda Shepard, Men of the Mendhi: South Africa’s Forgotten Heros of World War 1, 30 Degrees South Press, 2017
- Miranda Sherry, Bone Meal For Roses, Head of Zeus (UK), 2016
- Gillian Slovo, Ten Days, Canongate (Scotland), 2016
- Fiona Snyckers, Lacuna, Picador Africa, 2019
- Fiona Snyckers, Now Following You, Modjaji, 2015
- Fiona Snyckers, Spire, Clockwork Books, 2017
- Monique Snyman, Muti nation, Omnium Gatherum (US), 2016
- Romy Sommer, Last of the Summer Vines, Harper Impulse, 2018
- Romy Sommer, Not a Fairy Tale, Harper Collins, 2015
- Dalena Theron, The Paper House, Umuzi, 2015
- Jen Thorpe, The Peculiars, Penguin, 2016
- Meg Vandermerwe, The Woman of the Stone Sea, Umuzi, 2019
- Marita Van der Vyver, You Lost Me, Penguin (translation) , 2017
- Marlene Van Niekerk, The Snow Sleeper, NB (Translation) , 2019
- Suzanne Van Rooyen, Scardust, Embrace (US), 2016
- Alex Van Tonder, This One Time, Pan Macmillan, 2015
- Irna Van Zyl, Dead in the Water, Penguin Random House, 2016
- Irna Van Zyl, Death Cup, Penguin Random House (translation) , 2018
- Irma Venter, Blue Sunday, Human and Rousseau, 2018
- Irma Venter, Circus, Human and Rousseau, 2018
- Melissa Volker, A Fractured Land, Karavan Press, 2019
- Melissa Volker, Shadow Flicker, Karavan Press, 2019
- Jo Watson, After the Rain, Headline Eternal, 2018
- Jo Watson, Almost A Bride, Forever, 2017
- Jo Watson, Burning Moon, Self-published, 2016
- Jo Watson, Finding You,Forever, 2017
- Jo Watson, Love to Hate You, Headline Eternal, 2018
- Jo Watson, Love You, Love You Not, Headline Eternal, 2019
- Jo Watson, The Great Ex-Scape, Headline Eternal, 2018
- Kathryn White, Anna Peters’ Year of Cooking Dangerously, Umuzi, 2015
- Ela Winckler, The Whisperer, HarperImpulse, 2017
- Elsa Winckler, Where the River Bends, Tule Press, 2018
- Ingrid Winterbach, It Might Get Loud, Human & Rousseau (Translation), 2015
- Ingrid Winterbach, The Shallows, Human and Rousseau (translation), 2017
- Ingrid Winterbach, The Troubled Times of Magrieta Prinsloo, Human & Rousseau (Translation) , 2019
- Joss Wood, Christmas at First Creek Farm, Tule Publisher, 2018
- Joss Wood, Claimed by the Warrior, Tule Publishing, 2015Joss Wood, Lone Star Reunion, Harlequin, 2019
- Joss Wood, Convenient Cinderella Bride, Harlequin, 2017
- Joss Wood, Friendship on Fire, Harlequin, 2018
- Joss Wood, Her Boss By Day…, Harlequin, 2015
- Joss Wood, His Ex’s Well-Kept Secret, Harlequin, 2017
- Joss Wood, His Toughest Call, Tule Publishing, 2016
- Joss Wood, Hot Christmas Kisses, Harlequin, 2018
- Joss Wood, Inescapable, Tule Publishing, 2016
- Joss Wood, In the Line of Fire, Tule Publishers, 2018
- Joss Wood, Married to the Maverick Millionaire, Harlequin, 2016
- Joss Wood, One Night to Forever, Harlequin, 2018
- Joss Wood, One Night, Two Consequences, Harlequin, 2015
- Joss Wood, Pregnant by the Maverick Millionaire, Harlequin, 2016
- Joss Wood, Redeemed by Passion, Harlequin, 2019
- Joss Wood, Reunited…And Pregnant, Harlequin, 2017
- Joss Wood, Second Chance Temptation, Harlequin, 2019
- Joss Wood, Taking the Boss to Bed, Harlequin, 2015
- Joss Wood, The Honeymoon Arrangement, Harlequin, 2015
- Joss Wood, That Night in Texas, Harlequin, 2019
- Joss Wood, The CEO’s Nanny Affair, Harlequin, 2017
- Joss Wood, The Nanny Proposal, Harlequin, 2018
- Joss Wood, The Rival’s Heir, Harlequin, 2018
- Joss Wood, Trapped with the Maverick Millionaire, Harlequin, 2016
- Joss Wood, Undaunted, InterMix, 2016
- Joss Wood, Unexpectedly Pregnant, Harlequin, 2018
- Anne Woodborne, The Cry of the Hangkaka, Modja, 2016
- Rahla Xenopoulos, The Season of Glass, Umuzi, 2018
- Rahla Xenopoulos, Tribe, Umuzi, 2015
Jen Thorpe 