Category : K.Sello Duiker Memorial Literary Award
Author : Nthikeng Mohlele
Book : Pleasure
Pleasure is an exploration of that elusive destination human beings have long been obsessing with and which they believe were created to pursue with absolute, often reckless abandon. Some might say pursuit of pleasure is an exercise in vanity given that its very definition is subjective.
Nthikeng Mohlele narrates a tale of a father-son relationship that becomes a destructive obsession with betterment. Contesting against shadows that loom larger in one’s imagination is an unwinnable fight. The plot of Pleasure is complex with sub-plots Mohlele manages to fuse together as the narrative progresses. As a result the novel becomes a potpourri of stories about love, competition, confusion and madness. It’s a whole new approach to South African writing that elevates Mohlele’s storytelling to greater heights.
The plot is as dense. The narrative fluid. And the style rich with global perspectives. The book deserves to be properly rewarded. The literary forebearer who inspired this award K.Sello Duiker was a sophisticated complex novelist. We expected nothing short of excellence and we got it.
We recommend the K.Sello Duiker Memorial Literary Award for 2017 to Nthikeng Mohlele for Pleasure.