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VOLUME 34 THE MAGAZINE ABOUT BOOKS FOR BOOK LOVERS COSMIC CALENDAR Astronomical dates to diarise FRESH FLAVOURS Healthy, feel-good recipes for the win I CHOOSE ME! Your go-to guide for self-care ON MY MIND Tshiamo Modisane on making new starts THE MAGAZINE ABOUT BOOKS FOR BOOK LOVERS WIN! A BOOK STACK TO THE VALUE OF R1 000! OLLIE Cooking outside the lines CHEF YOUR FREE COPY!Welcome! As we head into the new year, we’re thrilled to bring you a collection of stories, ideas, and inspirations that promise to delight your senses and spark your curiosity. We chat to the wonderful Chef Oliver Swart, who reminds us that cooking is all about connection and fun. His debut cookbook, Freestyle Cooking with Chef Ollie, puts creativity centre stage. We sit down with Alex Pavesi, whose latest thriller, Ink Ribbon Red, blurs the line between fiction and reality, leaving readers on the edge of their seats. Jojo Moyes brings us We All Live Here, a novel about second chances and family ties, while Layne Fargo’s The Favourites takes us to the high-stakes world of elite ice dancing, inspired by Wuthering Heights. For the foodies, we’ve curated a collection of wholesome recipes to nourish your body and soul as you embrace a fresh start. And for those who love a celestial view, our guide to 2025’s astronomical events will have you looking up with wonder. As always, our aim is to inspire – whether through tales of personal transformation, journeys to far-off places, or the joy of breaking convention. As we reflect on the year ahead, let’s celebrate the power of saying ‘no,’ embracing new beginnings, and savouring the wild beauty of the world around us. Cheers to a year of discovery and joy … and happy reading! contents 02 BOOKSCAPE A new Jamie Oliver, the book topping the charts, and five minutes with Alex Pavesi 06 COVER Oliver Swart is breaking the rules, one dish at a time 10 FICTION Layne Fargo on The Favourites, an extract from Jojo Moyes’ new novel, We All Live Here, and top new fiction 14 SPECIAL Take a peek at the books set to shape this year’s literary landscape 16 AFRIKAANS Vyf minute met Hans du Plessis, en Marie Spruyt oor outeurskap 18 INSIDER Dr Jordan B. Peterson invites us to reflect on our own consciousness as it engages with potential 19 NATURE Step into the wild heart of the Serengeti, and what the cosmos has in store for us this year 24 WELLBEING Your must-have guide to setting boundaries 27 FOOD Start your new year with a fresh approach to healthy eating with these delectable dishes 32 ON MY MIND It’s never too late to start again, says Tshiamo Modisane Johannesburg | Growthpoint Business Park, Unit 12A, 162 Tonetti Street, Halfway House Ext 7, Midrand, 1685 | 011 327 3550 Cape Town | Estuaries No 4, Oxbow Crescent, Century Avenue, Century City, 7441 | 021 460 5400 © Copyright Penguin Random House South Africa (Pty) Ltd. The Penguin Post is published by Penguin Random House South Africa. All rights reserved. Reproduction without the written permission of the editor is strictly forbidden. Editor Lauren Mc Diarmid Designer Sean Robertson Sub Editor Frieda Le Roux Contributors Alex Pavesi, Oliver Swart, Layne Fargo, Hans du Plessis, Marie Spruyt, Tshiamo Modisane Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. Lauren Mc Diarmid ThePost@penguinrandomhouse.co.zaTHE PENGUIN POST VOLUME 34 2 bookscape news | snippets | what’s new +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DOMINATING THE BESTSELLER LISTS A globally beloved chef and food activist, Jamie Oliver is known for his easy-to-follow recipes, vibrant flavours, and dedication to making healthy, home-cooked food accessible to all. From his breakthrough television show The Naked Chef, to his influential campaigns for better school meals and reduced food waste, Jamie’s work has had a lasting impact on home cooking. His friendly, down-to-earth style and dedication to delicious, fuss-free food make him a trusted authority in kitchens worldwide. Now, with Easy Air Fryer, Jamie brings his expertise to the world of air frying, promising to make it the only air fryer cookbook you’ll ever need. More than a collection of recipes, this book is a complete guide to the air fryer, covering everything from speedy weeknight dinners to impressive desserts. Jamie’s chapters include “Big Up the Veg”, “Cute Canapes”, and “Proper Puds”, showcasing his commitment to fresh, nutritious food that’s also bursting with flavour. What sets Easy Air Fryer apart is Jamie’s thoughtful approach to overcoming common air fryer challenges, like ensuring juiciness, achieving crisp textures, and adding layers of flavour. His tips, like using cured meats to enhance flavour or wrapping ingredients to lock in moisture, will help home cooks everywhere create mouthwatering dishes that make the air fryer a star in any kitchen. Jamie’s easy hacks and reliable techniques make this cookbook the essential air fryer companion for beginners and pros alike, delivering meals that save time, money, and effort – without sacrificing taste. Everyone’s talking about … How Jamie Oliver is Transforming Air Fryer Cooking “Witness to Power leaves me with deep respect for a man seeking to build bridges across language and cultural divides; a man of integrity who, despite being close to the centre of power, seemingly never succumbed to the temptation to seize it for himself.” Bettina Wyngaard, LitNet PHOTOGRAPHS: David Loftus Jamie Oliver’s Easy Air Fryer hits shelves February 2025. IT’S FREE! Visit www.penguinrandomhouse.co.za/ penguin-post and sign up to receive each new edition directly to your inbox.VOLUME 34 THE PENGUIN POST 3 UPFRONT Micaela White discovered Bookstagram in October 2023, and it reignited her passion for reading. She now champions local authors, offering proofing and PA services, and shares heartfelt bookish content, fostering a vibrant community of readers and writers alike. “In We Solve Murders by Richard Osman , retired Steve Wheeler prefers quiet days with his cat and pub quizzes, while his daughter-in-law Amy thrives in high-stakes security. But a routine job on a remote island turns deadly, forcing Amy to call on Steve for help. Together, they race across the globe to outwit a killer, facing danger at every turn. Can they survive this pulse-pounding adventure? This book was jam packed with action from page one! It took me a good couple of chapters to understand what was going on in the book as there were a lot of characters in the cast – including a cat named Trouble. But once all the characters were introduced and we started solving the crimes it was unputdownable! I especially loved the character dynamics between Steve, Rosie and Amy. In fact, my favourite character has got to be Amy – what a strong female lead!” MUST of the MONTH A hamper of books from this issue valued at R1 000 is up for grabs to one lucky reader. To enter, scan the code using your phone camera, or visit www.penguinrandomhouse.co.za/ competitions. Ts & Cs apply. Entries close 28 February 2025. WIN! WIN! WIN! OUT IN PAPERBACK The No. 1 Lawyer by James Patterson Mississippi’s top defense lawyer, Stafford Lee Penney, faces his toughest case yet – defending himself in his wife’s murder trial. He must clear his name or lose everything. Spare by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex Prince Harry’s journey, from the searing moment of Diana’s funeral, offering raw honesty, insight, and hard-won wisdom on love’s power to transcend grief. 4.5k followers @pages_of_micaela #bookstagram My Favourite Mistake by Marian Keyes After losing it all, Anna returns to Dublin, single, jobless, and seeking purpose. A PR crisis in Maumtully offers a fresh start – but an old flame might complicate things. There is no such thing as being completely prepared. Life is an adventure, through which we learn and mature. Of course, we must consider all our options carefully. But if we wait for 100% certainty, then it is often too late. Haemin Sunim, author of The Things You Can See Only When You Slow DownTHE PENGUIN POST VOLUME 34 4 UPFRONT Five minutes with … ALEX PAVESI Your debut novel, Eight Detectives, plays with the conventions of classic mystery stories. What inspired you to take this approach? I’ve always loved those moments in classic mysteries where different interpretations of events are discussed. Best of all if it’s the detective giving a false solution before the real one. So the idea came to me of a detective novel where the entire plot would consist of two people discussing detective stories. Everything else flowed from that. Can you share more about the concept behind Ink Ribbon Red? How does it differ from your previous work? When I’d finished Eight Detectives, it occurred to me I could write a novel with a similar structure, where the reader wouldn’t know which chapters were stories and which were real. That question would form Alex Pavesi’s Ink Ribbon Red builds on the intrigue of his debut Eight Detectives, weaving a layered mystery where characters’ imagined murders blur the line between fiction and reality. Ink Ribbon Red is out now. the underlying mystery. So the characters in Ink Ribbon Red play a parlour game that requires them to imagine each other’s murders, then write those murders as short stories. The game leads to arguments, which in turn lead to more murders. But whether those murders are real or not is something you’ll have to read to the end to find out. You have a passion for metaphysical detective fiction. What draws you to this subgenre, and how does it shape your writing style? The books I like best are the ones that confound me. I love mysteries, but I especially love ones that seem to defy not just explanation, but interpretation. On the other hand, I feel strongly that any intrigue built up in the first half of a book should be resolved – somehow – in the second half. It’s a challenge to reconcile those two preferences, but it’s a challenge I enjoy. How do you balance the experimental elements of your novels with maintaining the suspense and intrigue typical of detective fiction? The honest answer is trial and error, plus a few tricks I’ve picked up from experience. One thing I try to keep in mind is that however unusual and complex a novel ends up being, the mystery at its heart should be simple and clear and the reader should be able to state it themselves. What do you hope readers will take away from Ink Ribbon Red, and how do you see it contributing to the mystery genre as a whole? It’s a different type of puzzle to what you normally get. I hope that readers will find that engaging. A lot of mystery novels aim for a sense of familiarity, with good reason – the conventions of the genre are much loved. But there are pleasures in the unfamiliar too. PHOTOGRAPHS: Rich GilliganONE DISH AT A TIME BREAKING RULES THEVOLUME 34 THE PENGUIN POST 7 COVER For Oliver Swart, cooking isn’t just a job – it’s a way of life. From a childhood frying pan to a thriving catering business and now a debut cookbook, his journey is all about creativity, connection, and breaking the rules. Freestyle Cooking with Chef Ollie is packed with versatile recipes (like his Fridge-raid Fritters on the next page), celebrating flavour, fun, and flexibility. “M y love for cooking started early. When I was about six or seven, I got a frying pan for my birthday. It was the best gift because it gave me the freedom to cook whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. Growing up, my family didn’t rely on convenience foods. Everything was made from scratch, which taught me to be resourceful and creative in the kitchen. I remember coming home after school to a kitchen full of raw ingredients and figuring out what to make. One of my favourite go-tos was a simple linguine pomodoro with fresh rosa tomatoes, garlic and basil, finished with extra virgin olive oil, cracked pepper and parmesan. By the time I finished high school, I thought I was a decent cook, but going to cookery school showed me how much I still had to learn. And then working in professional kitchens taught me even more! My priority these days is catering. I’m part of the team at Annalize Catering, where we focus on high-end luxury events like weddings, corporate functions, and private parties. It’s an incredible space to work in because every day brings new challenges. We cook different menus at different venues, which keeps things exciting. I started at Annalize Catering 14 years ago. Back then, I helped Annalize with emails, worked at events and did her invoicing, while completing my three- year Grande Diploma at Silwood School of Cookery. During that time, I also interned at some of Cape Town’s finest restaurants, including The Test Kitchen, La Colombe, and The Pot Luck Club. Those experiences were eye-opening, to say the least! One moment that stands out is when I worked at The Test Kitchen, which was named Restaurant of the Year at the Eat Out DStv Food Network Restaurant Awards the same year I joined, in 2012. The Pot Luck Club was right next door, and the intensity of those kitchens was spectacular. They were run with a culture of respect, not fear. By the end of that year, Chef Luke Dale-Roberts offered me a spot to do my third year block at The Test Kitchen, but by then, I’d already committed to Annalize Catering. Over time, I went from being an employee at Annalize Catering to becoming a co-owner. One of our side projects is a sauce brand called AIOLI – which is the perfect cross between ‘Annalize’ and ‘Ollie’. We launched during lockdown and are now working on scaling up production. Lockdown was a pivotal time for me in other ways, too. During the pandemic, I started making cook-along videos for Instagram with my wife, Julia. They were long, interactive sessions that people loved when they had more time at home. But as life returned to normal, viewers couldn’t commit two hours to dinner prep, so I adapted by creating shorter, snappier videos. That’s when things really started taking off. The response was incredible and it opened new doors for me.Next >