Reading Matters (week 20) May 12 2026

Sven Axelrad is one of the most quirky, friendly, kind and deeply philosophical authors I’ve yet interviewed. These characteristics emerge in a town, the fictional town of Vivo which, “has been the creative joy of my life”, he says.

That seeps, leaps…from every page in his fourth book, The Dogs of Vivo (Picador Africa.) Three young friends, Art, Maggie and Felix spend the book ie their time, in a bar, conjured out of Sven’s own memories of being young, “beautifully ruined but still kicking.” They’re artists, who smoke, have sex, paint, sing and write, in the most whimsical, wacky way. I believe Sven has created a cult that will grow with each passing book.

The Kingsmead Book Fair, a one day wonder of glorious books ranging from politics, romance, humour, travel and crime, not to mention food, is here again, about to take off in the heart of Rosebank, Jo’burg. I chatted to its director, Alex Bouche, now in her 10th year of organising this joyous affair and she rattled off a line-up of wonderful authors ranging from Mike Nicol (crime) to Justice Edwin Cameron (law and prisons), Mandy Wiener (politics), Yewande Omotoso (literary fiction) and Gus Silber (billionaires).

In-between the books are yummy eats, beer and wines, cakes to die for and delicious authors moving around you. The Book Fair’s website will tell you all you need to know.

Reading Matters with Sue Grant-Marshall