It’s still in draft form and is yet to be reworked to become versions in two languages, but Eben Venter’s new novel will be published in both English and Afrikaans by Painted Dog Press. Rooted and fantastical in equal measure, a rare, beautiful book is being finalised in Eben’s study in Lismore, Australia, where he lives.
Raised on a sheep farm in the Eastern Cape, Eben returns to the landscape of his youth in his new work, telling the story of a fourteen-year-old boy caught up in the events surrounding an infamous North African statesman’s visit to his father’s farm. Who the visitor might be must remain a mystery for a while longer.
Three of Eben’s books are on Rapport newspaper’s list of 100 best Afrikaans novels of all time, and his most recent, Decima, a creative blend of autofiction, animal fable, mystery and scientific enquiry, was awarded the highest honour in Afrikaans literature, the Hertzog Prize, in 2025.
Eben is the author of the classics Ek Stamel Ek Sterwe (published in English as My Beautiful Death) and Horrelpoot (Trencherman in English), and his work has been translated into Dutch and German. We are honoured to be adding this world-class writer to our list and eagerly await his final draft.
Praise for Eben’s previous work
‘A remarkable literary achievement’ – The Witness, on Trencherman
‘A mesmerising novel ... he skewers his world into place with detail’ – The Guardian, on Wolf, Wolf
‘Extraordinarily beautiful ... a novel that chronicles the ordinary and reaches the sublime’ – The Cape Times, on Green as the Sky Is Blue
