New Swell by Byron Loker. Prescribed in South Africa in Grade 9 English Lit. The narrator of all the stories is a young aspirant writer (a surfer, a traveller), a character who shares little with Oom Schalk Lourens except a wry point of view, an appreciation of irony and an ability to observe the world in fine (and usually sardonic) detail. ‘Demands to be read … different to anything that has been written in English in South Africa … fresh, honest, off-the-wall, but simultaneously clear moments of everyday life.’ – Mike Nicol

Now also available in Kindle Edition.

‘New Swell is a highly accomplished debut collection, making for entertaining and engrossing reading … his stories have been likened to those of both Herman Charles Bosman and Hemingway. There is, that is to say, a distinct and distinctive voice lending unity to this collection… If the flat naturalism recalls Hemingway, other stories, in their deliberately straight-faced contemplation of horrors, recall Bosman. Hardly constitutes a reasoned rejoinder to the dark prognostications of, say, Disgrace: the stories do not pretend to reflect in any serious way on South African realities, and we would not want them to.’ – Michiel Heyns, Sunday Independent

‘Byron Loker is a particularly gifted and dedicated young writer’ – André Brink

‘Great: funny and melancholy and understated. I really liked “Hemingway” and “My Friend Carl”, the Darrington stories are amazing, and the whole thing works really well as a whole.’ – Henrietta Rose-Innes

‘… true to life, anecdotal, funny and poignant… a very perceptive eye for the nuances of everyday life. A relaxing, fun read that won’t disappoint.’ – The Book Lounge

‘I liked the voice of the narrator and I found these stories fresh and just different enough to be intriguing. – Valerie Borchardt (gbagency.com – Elie Wiesel, John Ashbery, T.C Boyle, Andre Brink, Ian McEwan, David Guterson)

‘… an easy page-turner, rich with insight into what it means to be young, South African … carefree and conscious – alive with the unknown’ – Shape Magazine

”n kaliedoskoop van komieklike karakters en situasies en pleke … Byron Loker is ‘n kortverhaalskrywer om dop te hou … uitstekend … Dahlagtig’ – Dr. Abraham De Vries, Beeld

‘ … all SA surfers and students should read this, hilarious and real – beauty!’ – Bob Skinstad