Launch of Jamala Safari’s The Great Agony and Pure Laughter of the Gods at The Book Lounge

Jamala will be in conversation with Lauren Beukes, author of the award-winning Zoo City, on Thursday 2 August at 5:30 for 6:00 PM.

See you there!

Jamala Safari at the 2012 Franschhoek Literary Festival

What a fabulous time I had at the 2012 Franschh

oek Literary Festival! Thanks for the FLF team for the invitation. My gratitude to the wonderful and enthusiastic audience, you listened carefully and passionately, and interacted with me with great interest– much love. I enjoyed the company of Elaine Proctor (Rhumba) with whom I shared the discussion table as we were interviewed by Meg Vandermerwe (This Place I Call Home).

The Great Agony and Pure Laughter of the Gods

Dear readers, I would like to introduce you to my debut novel " The Great Agony and Pure Laughter of the Gods" coming out in July 2012. The novel is being published by Umuzi, a South African branch of Random House Struik. This is story will stay with you!

Risto Mahuno’s agony is what happens to his sweetheart Néné, to his cousin, and to himself. In the east of the Congo, where the border with Rwanda is also the border between life and death, the boys are abducted and forced to become soldiers, the girls raped. Far too much happens for 15-year-old children. Néné is claimed by the warlord, Risto’s cousin killed, and Risto, his eyes already dead, is beaten to the brink. His fate flings him south, on a fraught journey by foot or whatever ride he can get, to Mozambique, where he arrives with even less of himself left. And yet the gods are laughing, for Risto’s journey back holds promise of love, peace and family. Risto’s story is based on real experiences.