Looking for the best South African books of 2026? The Sunday Times Literary Awards longlist offers an excellent place to start. Recognising outstanding South African fiction and non-fiction, the awards celebrate writers whose work is shaping the country’s literary landscape. This year’s longlist features stories of family, crime, history, politics, resilience and identity, alongside powerful explorations of South Africa’s past and present. We’re especially proud that nine Penguin Random House South Africa titles have been nominated. From gripping novels to thought-provoking non-fiction, these are the books generating conversation ahead of the Sunday Times Literary Awards shortlist announcement in September.
On the 23rd of May, the nominees for the 2026 Sunday Times Literary Awards were announced and we’re very proud to announce that nine titles from Penguin Random House made the list.
For more than three decades, the Sunday Times Literary Awards have celebrated the books shaping South Africa’s literary conversation. Widely regarded as among the country’s most prestigious literary honours, the awards recognise exceptional storytelling, bold ideas and powerful new voices across fiction and non-fiction. Beyond the prize money and acclaim, they offer something equally valuable: visibility for South African writers and their work in an increasingly crowded cultural landscape. Each shortlist becomes a snapshot of the questions, histories and imaginations defining the moment. For readers, the awards remain a trusted guide to the books worth talking about long after the final page has been turned.
The nominees in the fiction category are The Nicotine Gospel by Sven Axelrad, Canary by Dr. Onke Mazibuko, An Act of Murder by Tom Eaton and The Immortalites by Claire Robertson.
In the non-fiction category, The Smallest Ones by Popina Khumanda, Under Smuts’s Rule by Bongani Ngqulunga, Death in Pretoria by Peter Auf Der Heyde, Attacking the heart of Apartheid by Yunus Carrim and Blood’s Inner Rhyme by Antjie Krog.
The shortlist will be announced in September, with the awards ceremony taking place in November.
The Fiction Longlist
Sven Axelrad
The Nicotine Gospel by Sven Axelrad
After a family tragedy, two brothers are raised on their father’s eccentric belief system. Years later, a road trip to his funeral forces them to confront grief, estrangement and a troubled past.
Tom Eaton
A struggling actor’s life unravels when he is accused of murder. To clear his name and win back lost love, he must perform the role of a lifetime.
Claire Robertson
Abandoned in a harsh and unfamiliar land, a young governess joins a settler caravan and searches for belonging amid hardship, conflict and uncertainty in nineteenth-century southern Africa.
The Non-Fiction Longlist
Popina Khumanda
A survivor recounts her childhood during conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, tracing a journey marked by violence, displacement and resilience, while bearing witness to war’s lasting scars.
Bongani Ngqulunga
Through speeches, letters and historical records, this study examines Jan Smuts’s impact on black South Africans, exploring segregation, political rights and evolving attitudes during a formative period.
Peter Auf Der Heyde
This powerful history tells the stories of political activists executed during apartheid, uncovering forgotten struggles, contested justice and the human cost borne by ordinary participants.
Yunus Carrim
Drawing on interviews and historical records, this oral history explores the operations of Umkhonto we Sizwe’s Special Operations Unit and its role in the armed struggle.
Antjie Krog
Blending memoir, letters and diaries, this deeply personal work explores a complex mother-daughter relationship, ageing, creativity, heritage and the tensions between generations in South Africa.
YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY
From mastering your mindset to reshaping how you think about time, money, meaning and confidence, these bestselling books offer wisdom that endures for a reason.
