The Book Lounge is an independent bookstore located in the beating heart of Cape Town’s city centre. Its eclectic medley of books is as enticing as the historic building that houses them, with a floor-to-ceiling window display that immediately goads you in for a browse. And is there anything better than to lounge with a book?
The Book Lounge frequently updates its inventory of local authors, exhibiting the wealth of literary talents we have in South Africa.
Also read: 5 Cape Town-based authors whose books you need to be reading
The Book Lounge opened in the Eastern Precinct of the Cape Town City Centre in December 2007 and has since become known for the variety of book-related events it hosts. On other days, it’s ideal for a relaxing cup of coffee in the lounge area and a perusal through its diverse selection of books.
Bring your kids for a browse through its most enchanting children’s section, and if you know a 3- to 8-year-old who enjoys a good story, story time at the Book Lounge is every Saturday morning at 11am.
The following are some of the newly shelved books by local authors that are now available in-store and online:
Jonathan Jansen is an internationally recognised education expert who became the University of the Free State’s first black rector and vice-chancellor in 2009. He is a frequent newspaper contributor who is well-known for his views on transformation, peaceful reconciliation, and unity.
“Corrupted” delves deeper into the dysfunction to try to uncover its root causes in a sample of South African universities. Jonathan Jansen describes the daily struggle for institutional resources from a political-economic standpoint and provides accessible, practical insights. This groundbreaking and long-overdue study will pave the way for universities to better serve their communities and the country as a whole.
Tebelo Mzamo: I Did Not Die
“I Did Not Die,” tells the story of a mineworker and his family.
Botho Pere finds work as a miner in South Africa and has to leave his wife Nthatisi and their two children in Lesotho to go work. There are secrets that threaten to unravel the fragile thread that has held their family together. And, while some of Botho’s problems are his fault, others are said to be the result of witchcraft.
“The Institute for Creative Dying” is unique in its bold and imaginative exploration of mortality and how all forms of being are largely interconnected.
Ashti Juggath: Peaches and Smeets
Caught between beloved Indian traditions and life in a rapidly modernising South Africa, between family roots in Natal and a prosperous present in the Transvaal, between apartheid’s madness and the pull of her own desires, Smita struggles to find her feet in a world of contradictions.
This book examines the cultural, political, and legal roles and the value of an apology in South Africa, drawing on the histories of injustice, dispossession, and violence.
“In My Life” follows a group of racially diverse young AIDS activists from Khayelitsha and Atlantis as they grow from hopeful and passionate teen activists to the tragedies and triumphs of adulthood over the course of twenty years.
Their stories, linked to one another and to their communities, provide a glimpse into the long story of activism and educational work, always asking the question: What difference does it make?
Ron Irwin: My Side of the Ocean
A professional writer and lecturer, Ron Irwin was born in Buffalo, New York; however, he has lived and taught in South Africa since the 1990s. Ron is a senior lecturer in the Centre for Film and Media at the University of Cape Town. He was the writer in residence for the University of Cape Town’s prestigious MA in Creative Writing in 2008 after teaching in the programme for ten years.
“My Side of the Ocean” is an empathetic and insightful novel that explores fundamental questions about what it means to live and love when life’s secure foundations have been ripped away.
Find the complete catalogue of new local books here.
How to request a book order through The Book Lounge:
If there’s a book on your wishlist that you cannot find on The Book Lounge’s website or within the physical store, you are able to email a request for it to be ordered. If your request is still in print, you will receive a quote with an estimated cost and shipping time.
The time it takes for The Book Lounge to source your request depends. If the book is in stock at the local supplier’s warehouse, it takes around a week to ship. If not, it can take between 4 and 12 weeks for them to import books from the UK or US.
Talk to its knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff about the book you’re looking for, or drop in for a chat about the novel in which you’re currently engrossed.
Details:
- Location: 71 Roeland Street, Corner of Buitenkant & Roeland Street, Cape Town
- Hours: Monday to Saturday: 9am – 6pm | Saturday 9am – 4pm | Sunday: 10am – 4pm
- Contact: 021 462 2425 | booklounge.co.za/contact-us/
- Website: booklounge.co.za
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Picture: The Book Lounge / Facebook