Talk of the Town

by Fred Khumalo

Talk of the Town by award-winning writer Fred Khumalo comprises short stories he wrote over many years. In this vibrant collection Khumalo explores identity and belonging through tales about African foreign nationals in South Africa, xenophobia, South Africans abroad, exiled comrades during apartheid, and past and current township life. At times hilarious and at times gut-wrenching, this is a collection that will move you.

Genres: Short Stories

224 pages, Paperback

First published April 25, 2019

About the author

Fred Khumalo is the author of the novels Bitches’ Brew, which was a joint winner of the 2006 European Union Literary Award, and Seven Steps to Heaven. His memoir, Touch My Blood, was shortlisted for the Alan Paton Prize for Non-fiction in 2007, and his most recent book, #ZuptasMustFall and Other Rants, was published in 2016. His short fiction has appeared in various anthologies, literary journals and magazines. He holds a MA in Creative Writing from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, where he lives.

Reviews

[Mishka]

Picked up this book of short stories at the Johannesburg airport. Some are light while some are deep, but all are stories of African culture (mostly South Africa). I enjoyed reading a story every night and learning things I never knew about Africa.

[Lorraine]

This collection of short stories is 214 pages of indictments against society. I loved and enjoyed most of the stories, actually 8 out of 10. "Talk Of The Town" reminded me of growing up in Meadowlands, my granny's house. The 2nd story was a bit confusing for me but Guz-Magesh redeemed himself in "The Invisibles". 6 were my favourites but I couldn't help but gasp at the 9th tale😳😮😳😮😳😮😳😮 #MorutiWaTsotsi. Punchy delivery. Very reflective stories laced with humour. 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟@fred_khumalo writes with a great deal of understanding of the subject matter and with the reader in mind. This collection is not for the squirmish or the fainthearted. .
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Prepare to have the wind knocked out of your sails...🌟🌟🌟🌟

[Philisiwe Twijnstra]

Good read.

[Carmen]

This collection features some pieces written years ago, and some newer pieces. As a result, the tone is a bit uneven. It’s probably not a good place to start reading Fred’s work, but if you have read him then it’s interesting to see how his writing has evolved. The stories set here also provide a good lens into life in SA. There are some really fantastic stories in here (favourites are Queenface and Ancestral Voices).

[Sipho Lukhele]

I am a big Fred Khumalo fan, through and through. I enjoyed this collection of stories, that touched on the theme of xenophobia as well. One of the stories, on Zimbabwe, reminded me of Su Nyathi's novel, An Angel's demise.

I recommend this book.

[Maniki_021]

We need a stand alone book for Queen Face & family then we can close it.

My favorites were :

Talk of the town
Water no get enemy
This bus is not full
Queenface
Learning to love
TP Phiri Esquire

These were the most memorable for me.

[Bell]

An enjoyable read that warms the heart and equally sets it alight.

[Vuyiswa Fumba]

Lovely collection of short stories by such a talented writer. Many of these stories were engaging and so fun to read. However, there was a lot of lull and I was quite underwhelmed by the end of it.

[Dave]

Enjoyed. Most of the stories are good.

[Shaun]

In this collection of short stories, they are short, but they can be a tad mouthful. A page-turner. The book touches on heavy themes, some themes are an ugly reflection of South Africa. The collection explores identity and belonging in South Africa with stories of exiled comrades, studying abroad, xenophobia, and past and current township life. Beautifully written, every story was just too perfect, and the writing was brilliant. The book opens several difficult conversations on religion, ancestors, spirituality, “men are trash”, xenophobia, cultural differences, and more importantly, the book puts black people at the forefront as they are the protagonist and antagonist in this book. You can easily recognise them; they are too familiar. At some point in the book, my feminist blood was boiling when I was reading: “Queenface” and “Beds are Burning”. You can start with any short story. But I would not recommend you read this collection in one sitting, you need time to digest and engage with it. I loved this book so much, 10 – 10 – 10 – 10 across the boards. Listen: I am a Fred Khumalo stan. This book is in my top 5 books I’ve read in 2021 so far. I highly recommend this book. This was my first Fred Khumalo read. I am on the lookout for his other books.