The Lion Sleeps Tonight

Description

For Rian Malan, the blessing of living in South Africa is that every day presents him with material whose richness astounds those who live in saner places. Twenty years after the publication of his bestseller My Traitor's Heart, he is still strongly committed to the struggle against suffocating political rectitude. Malan eviscerates politicians, provokes rabid fury in Aids activists, pursues justice in the music industry, and exults in the company of an extraordinary cast of characters from truckers to tycoons.

Rian Malan has worked as a journalist in South Africa and the United States. My Traitor's Heart was his first book. He lives in South Africa.

Malan is South Africa's Christopher Hitchens, similarly touched with genius. -- Justin Cartwright * Daily Telegraph * Cynical, lively and above all, opinionated.... Malan's writing remains relevant and provides a fascinating glimpse of post-apartheid South Africa. * The Sunday Times travel section * Hugely alive. Malan's writing is animated by anger and a savage irony, yet it is always controlled, clear and readable. * Sunday Herald * Bracing, cheeky, and a damn good read. * Spectator * The Lion Sleeps Tonight is an arresting collection. South Africa should treasure Malan, but it won't. One suspects he wouldn't have it any other way. * The Sunday Times *