Jerusalem

Now translated into Afrikaans, Jerusalem brings together several characters in one place for one event and then jumps back to show vignettes of each character's life, building up to what brought them all there. It is a well-written and structured work, with themes of troubled relationships, mental illness, and the nature of evil. 

Jerusalem was originally published in Portuguese in 2005 and won the Prémio Literário José Saramago that year (José Saramago Literary Award).

“Yes, it's bleak—but it's also daring, thought-provoking and brilliant.” ~ Daniel Hahn - The Independent [UK]

“Claustrophobic, menacing, steeped in millenial angst, Jerusalem is part black comedy, part freak show, part philosophical treatise. The prose is bare; the plot bearer still. (...) This is a powerful little book “ - Toby Lichtig, Times Literary Supplement

Gonçalo M. Tavares has been hailed by Nobel Prize winner Jose Saramago, as the best writer of his generation and a likely future winner of the Nobel Prize. Pieter Odendaal is a poet, playwright, translator, and compiler. He won the 2019 Ingrid Jonker Prize and received the 2021 ATKV Woordveertjie for best new drama text.