What are the recent South African books (past ten years or so) that you have loved? Books that you feel capture something of what South Africa is like now, post 1994?

In response to an informal poll run by the Centre for the Book, in collaboration with the Cape Town International Book Fair, the Centre for the Book has compiled a list of great books written by South Africans.

‘This is a great way to show that South Africans are reading books written by South Africans,’ said Vanessa Badroodien, Managing Director of the Cape Town Book Fair. ‘And not only that, but that South African books are equal to any book out there.’

The final list of ‘Must Read’ books - 25:

* A change of tongue — Antjie Krog, RANDOM HOUSE SA (also as ‘n Ander Tongval -TAFELBERG )

* African Salad - a portrait of South Africans at home — Tamsen de Beer and Stan Engelbrecht, DAYONE PUBLISHERS

* Agaat — Marlene van Niekerk, JONATHAN BALL

* Coldsleep Lullaby — Andrew Brown, ZEBRA PRESS (STRUIK)

* Confessions of a Gambler — Rayda Jacobs, KWELA

* Die Aandag Van Jou Oe: Gedigte Vir Die Liefde — Petra Muller, TAFELBERG

* Disgrace — JM Coetzee, VINTAGE RANDOM HOUSE IMPRINT

* Dog Eat Dog — Niq Mhlongo, KWELA

* Green-eyed Thieves — Imraan Coovadia, UMUZI

* I remember King Kong (The Boxer) — Denis Hirson, JACANA

* Jamela’s Dress — Nicky Daly, TAFELBERG

* Karoo Boy — Troy Blacklaws, DOUBLE STOREY

* Orion — Deon Meyer, TAFELBERG

* People who have stolen from me - David Cohen, PICADOR AFRICA (PAN MACMILLAN)

* Portrait with Keys — Ivan Vladislavic, UMUZI

* Seasonal Fires — Ingrid de Kok, UMUZI

* Shirley, Goodness and Mercy — Chris van Wyk, PICADOR AFRICA (PAN MACMILLAN)

* Skyline — Patricia Schonstein Pinnock, DAVID PHILLIP

* Some Afrikaners Revisited — David Goldblatt, UMUZI

* Song Trials — Mxolisi Nyezwa, UKNZ PRESS (THE UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU-NATAL PRESS * originally a Gecko Press publication)

* Spud — John van der Ruit, PENGUIN

* The Abundant Herd — Marguerite Poland and Leigh Voight, FERNWOOD PRESS

* The Children’s Day Michiel Heyns JONATHAN BALL, (also as Verkeerdespruit HUMAN & ROUSSEAU)

* The Good Cemetery Guide * Consuelo Roland, DOUBLE STOREY

* The Native Commissioner — Shaun Johnson, PENGUIN

* The Quiet Violence of Dreams — K Sello Duiker, KWELA

* The Whale Caller — Zakes Mda, PENGUIN

* Touch my Blood — Fred Khumalo, UMUZI

* Welcome to my Hillbrow — Phaswane Mpe, UKNZ PRESS (THE UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU-NATAL PRESS)

* ZAPIRO, The Zuma Code — DOUBLE STOREY

Source: SA Literature http://www.literarytourism.co.za/