Local books dominate Nielsen Top 20 in August

Readers’ love affair with expletives continued into the year with no less than three titles containing the word f*ck making it to the Top 20 in August. South Africa’s plague of corruption remains a source of fascination, with Bosasa, the tobacco industry and the so-called Stellenbosch Mafia all covered on the bestseller list, the latter topping the charts. The boom in local memoir  and biography goes from strength to strength, seeing the month dominated by Letshego Zulu, Gabi Lowe and the story of Zephany Nurse. The surprise hit of the month was undoubtedly Living Coloured by Yusuf Daniels, making it to number 19 on the list. The most anticipated release of the month did not disappoint: Dr. T: A Guide to Sexual Health & Pleasure shot straight to number 17. Afrikaans books are still strongly supported in the market, with two titles on the top 20 list. The release of Mncebisi Jonas’ After Dawn was met with great enthusiasm, entering the chart at number 6. Only one children’s book featured on the list: Australian author Andy Griffiths’ The 117-Storey Treehouse. He tours South Africa later in September, which should further boost sales. Still lingering on the charts is Michelle Obama’s Becoming, where it has been since publication in November 2018.