Happy New Year! It’s January, which means I can officially reveal the cover of my new YA murder mystery, The Witches of Hogsback, coming out in May this year with Lapa. Here’s the short of… More
Some love for The Girl Who Chased Otters
The Girl Who Chased Otters is a sensitive tale of friendship, love and acceptance set in the southern suburbs of Cape Town. A keen observer of human behaviour, Nathan has never cared about fitting in, but when Olivia asks for his help becoming popular, he can’t refuse.
The Girl Who Chased Otters has been out for a few months, so I thought I’d do a quick round up of some of the love its been getting in the press.
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5 stars for The Tortoise Shell cat hotel
I am a big fan of mini breaks, and usually take the cats along with me. But this time… I guess after months of being stuck indoors and woken up at five o clock sharp everyday, I needed a little time away from both the house and the cats.
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Notes from the Paula Hawkins masterclass
The marvellous Fiona Melrose has put together a series of courses and workshops that draw on her own wealth of knowledge, as well as those of special guest authors and members of the publishing industry. I signed up for the Craft Masterclass with Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl On The Train, Into the Water and A Slow Fire Burning.
I needed a bit of a motivational boost and this class seemed just the thing to do it, and it was.
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My Book Dash storybook is free to download
Last year I signed up to participate in Book Dash, a 12-hour book making marathon featuring teams of writers, editors, illustrators, and designers gathered together to create brand new relevant children’s books for young South African readers. The books are free to download and print, and are distributed for free to kids across the country.
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What to read of mine in 2022
It’s a new year of …. much the same really. I’ll be the first to admit that getting back to (the new) “normal” has been extremely difficult. Sometimes it feels like the rest of the world has switched off their panic button, but mine seems to be stuck in place. But I hope to panic less and to write more this year. And most importantly, to live. The world just has to stop being so scary.
Last year was quite a productive one, with both English and Afrikaans novels and several short stories hitting shelves. So far this year I have one novel out and one short story coming soon.
The Girl Who Chased Otters is out at bookstores now. The story is about a boy who befriends a girl and neither of their lives are ever the same again. It’s a slice of life tale about being young and feeling different in contemporary Cape Town.
Buy it now:
Exclusive Books
Takealot
Raru
Next month I have a short story out in Please Like What You See and other stories. Mine is the title story, about a girl obsessed with social media. Having just taken a break from Instagram myself, I can’t tell you how much of a relief it is to just live to live, not just for a picture’s sake. The anthology also features stories by Pamela Newham, Nerine Dorman, Toby Bennett, Dumisani Hlatswayo, Ekow Duker, Cicely van Straten, Edyth Bulbring, Fred Khumalo, and others.
Please Like What You See and other stories will be published in February.
If you would like to review a copy of The Girl Who Chased Otters or request an interview, please get in touch. I would love to hear from you and get the word out about my books.
LEGO book review: Blood to Poison
Seventeen-year-old Savannah is angry, its an anger that has travelled through her family as a curse – a curse she is determined to lift. But blood curses are nearly impossible to break, and in her quest to discover the answers, Savannah finds herself in the middle of a war between rival factions of witches. Blood to Poison is Mary Watson’s third magical young adult novel (YA) with Bloomsbury, and it’s just as immersive and wonderful, with just a lick of darkness to set it apart.
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LEGO Book Review: Confessions of a Ginger Pudding
Any South African reader will tell you that Zelda Bezuidenhout is a huge deal in the local young adult scene. Her books are extremely popular and she has a huge following. So naturally, I was ecstatic when she was chosen to translate my novel Sharp Edges into Afrikaans. Skerwe was released earlier this year and I get a thrill every time I see both our names on the cover.
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Where To Eat In Jeffrey’s Bay
I am back in my favourite beach town, this time during the coldest part of winter in the middle of a global pandemic. Sounds like a terrible idea right? Thankfully I’m now fully vaccinated, its the first time I’ve left the house in months, and I never go anywhere unmasked. Most importantly, after three disastrous attempts to eat at restaurants in Cape Town during the last year I have officially given up eating out till this virus is officially obliterated from this planet.
But that doesn’t mean a girl can’t order in right?
There are several restaurants in Jeffrey’s Bay I always return to. In fact, some of the food is so good these eateries often become my first stop. Here are some of my must-visits, even during adverse conditions.
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2021 Titles Now Available
It feels strange to release books in the middle of a global pandemic, yet somehow I have four out this year, and they’re all available in September.
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Cover reveal time!
How exciting for an otherwise dull Monday. As soon as I saw the email I shouted a little ‘woohoo’ for myself.
This is the cover for my upcoming novel The Girl Who Chased Otters, which is being published by Modjaji and will hopefully hit shelves in September. It was illustrated by artist Carla Kreuser. The cover scene features characters Nathan and Olivia hanging out at Kirstenbosch Gardens – one of my most favourite places on earth. I love how it fits in with the Modjaji style – soulful and dreamlike, and distinctly local in flavour.
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Sally Partridge 