Latest news with #JonathanBallPublishers
TimesLIVE
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- TimesLIVE
Dad, stop scrolling: grab a book
Father's Day is coming up, a perfect time to show the father figure in your life how much you love him. A book is always a great option, a special gift, from history to cooking, biographies to crime. Here are a few — new on the bookstore shelves — that we suggest We Two from Heaven: A Memoir by James Whyle. Image: Supplied We Two from Heaven: A Memoir by James Whyle (Jonathan Ball Publishers) In this memoir, Whyle weaves together his father's WWI war letters, his own apartheid trauma, and the makings of himself as a writer. Ivan Vladislavić recommends it: 'Whyle's prose is finely tuned, unflinching in its approach to painful subjects, but also laced with wry humour and the sheer delight of being alive.' Performing Masculinities: Izikhothane in a South African Township by Sifiso JG Mnisi (HSRC Press) This is quite heavily on the academic side, but it is essential reading for those who wish to delve into the complexities of township male youth identity in post-apartheid South Africa. Journey Kwantu: Exploring African Spirituality and Identity by Vusumzi Ngxande (Jonathan Ball Publishers) This book is inspired by Ngxande's popular podcast of the same name and examines South African spiritual beliefs and how they have all evolved. Perceptive stuff. Image: Supplied In a Rain of Dust: Death, Deceit, and the Lawyer who Busted Big Asbestos by David Kinley (Johns Hopkins University Press) For nearly 90 years, British company Cape Asbestos mined and milled asbestos in South Africa. Poor, mostly black, women and children (some as young as seven) worked each day in a smog of asbestos dust, which caused appalling levels of death and disease. Kelly tells of the legal battle that took place to hold the company accountable. Impactful. Strangers in Time by David Baldacci (Macmillan) Baldacci is a master at historical thrillers and he makes this WWII novel set in London unique, with characters that are instantly believable. An Act of Murder by Tom Eaton. Image: Supplied An Act of Murder by Tom Eaton (Penguin Books) The premise: It hasn't been a great week for struggling actor Arnold Prinsloo. His career has bottomed out, he's about to be evicted from his Melville cottage and the love of his life Zelda has had enough and left him. But it gets even worse when he is accused of murder. The promise: laugh-out-loud cackling and a twisty murder mystery. Image: Supplied One Small Step: A Definitive Account of a Run that Became a Global Movement — from the founder of Parkrun by Paul Sinton-Hewitt (Macmillan) Sinton-Hewitt is the international founder of Parkrun, which, for those who have not heard of it, started as a small weekly event for friends and has grown into an international phenomenon that takes place in over 23 countries every weekend with over nine million registered parkrunners. After the UK, South Africa offers the most Parkrun venues. Sinton-Hewitt writes about how his simple idea of coming together changed his own life and hopefully the lives of others. Men & Mental Health: Shattering the Silence by Marion Scher (Bookstorm) Men in South Africa are four times more likely to commit suicide than women, yet most men don't talk about depression or seek help. Scher talks to men from all walks of life about how hard it is to admit to mental health challenges. She also gets valuable contributions from psychiatrists and psychologists and points towards solutions that could provide relief and support. Walking Wild: Hiking the length of Kruger National Park by José A Neves. Image: Supplied Walking Wild: Hiking the length of the Kruger National Park by José A Neves (HPH Publishing) 'A must read for anyone who loves Kruger and adventure,' says Australian author Tony Park, who lives near the Kruger and writes about it. This is not about your typical hike or safari with sundowner G&Ts. Rather, it's about 605km of dust and sweat as a group sets out to walk the entire length of the Kruger National Park. Over six stages and three years they travelled through blistering heat and violent storms. This captures the deep connection of people and nature. Image: Supplied Blood's Inner Rhyme by Antjie Krog (Penguin Books) Everyone should read this book by the legend. It's an autobiographical novel in which she breaks the boundaries of genre to write about her complex relationship with her mother Dot, who in her nineties is frail and needs full-time care, but whose intellect is razor sharp and whose writing is comparable to her own. This is Krog's most intimate book, yet most universal. Faces and Phases of Resilience: A Memoir of a Special Kind by Tinyiko Maluleke (Tracey Macdonald Publishers) In this collection of essays, Maluleke begins his memoir with his eventful boyhood in Soweto and his life-changing upbringing in Limpopo. He then traces his time in academia and weaves it into his personal narrative of South Africa. The Nicotine Gospel by Sven Axelrad (Umuzi) Axelrad takes bits of his own life to create this novel about two brothers Nathan and Danny who after their mom dies, are left in the care of their eccentric dad, Esben Muesli. Esben invents a new set of rules to make sense of the world, calling it the Nicotine Gospel. Nostalgic, moving and funny but sad. Food Trail South Africa by Warren Mendes. Image: Supplied Food Trail South Africa by Warren Mendes (Penguin) Mendes, who now calls Australia his home, travelled back to his place of birth and the result is this cookbook filled with familiar local loves and an appreciation for South African kos. It has everything from how to make a Cape Masala mix, to koeksisters vs koesisters. Not difficult and very easy to follow, this is more than just the usual braai book to give dad.
IOL News
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Halala! Onezwa Mbola's cookbook dream comes true – get ready to cook sustainably
South African top food content creator Onezwa Mbola is finally releasing a cookbook. Image: Instagram/Onezwa Mbola Halala! Mzansi, the moment we've all been waiting for has arrived. Social media sensation and beloved food content creator Onezwa Mbola is set to unveil her much-anticipated debut cookbook, a treasure trove of culinary delights grounded in the principles of sustainability and slow living. Fans of her delightful cooking videos - who number over a million - will soon have the opportunity to recreate her passion for home-grown and foraged ingredients in their own kitchens. Jonathan Ball Publishers made the exciting announcement through social media, stating: 'We are thrilled to announce that a brand-new cookbook by acclaimed food lover and storyteller Onezwa Mbola will be published by Jonathan Ball Publishers in 2026. Stay tuned for more information.' Mbola herself took to social media, sharing her elation: 'What a full circle moment, from crying about wanting a book to being signed to the best in the game @jonathanballpublishers. Thank you @aneleandtheclubon947 for making the moment so special.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ For Mbola, the cookbook represents not just a collection of recipes, but a heartfelt homage to the way she was raised. In an interview conducted two years ago, she reflected on her childhood experiences with foraging and cooking, explaining how her late mother played a pivotal role in shaping her culinary journey. 'My mother was a great cook. She made everything from scratch because we lived far from town. She grew her own food and foraged for whatever else she could not grow,' she recalled. 'Food was the centre of our gatherings, and that's where my love for it blossomed.' As the founder of eMandulo, a health food store that produces home-grown and handmade condiments and seasonings, Mbola emphasised the importance of knowing one's food sources. 'I do not use any chemicals or pesticides on my food, so I know that it is one hundred percent natural. Growing my own food is just a way of living.' With the country reeling from a cost-of-living crisis, she believes that her focus on fresh ingredients, often foraged and free, can provide a welcome reprieve for many. 'It is much cheaper to buy seeds than it is to buy a head of lettuce,' she asserted. Earlier this year, Mbola took her culinary expertise to new heights by launching her first pop-up restaurant, 'A Harvest Table With Onezwa'. In an overwhelming demonstration of her popularity, tickets for the event sold out within minutes. Hosted in Cintsa, a picturesque village on the Wild Coast of the Eastern Cape province, the dining experience welcomed 30 guests to savour delectable dishes rooted in her sustainable cooking philosophy. As we eagerly await her upcoming cookbook, three things stand out that we anticipate: innovative recipes that emphasise foraged ingredients, a celebration of sustainable practices, and stories that intertwine her culinary journey with her cultural heritage.
