For those of you lucky enough to live in this part of the world, esteemed journalist and writer Max du Preez will be launching his new book Opinion Pieces by South African Thought Leaders, as well as the Rough Guide to Nelson Mandela on Sunday 13 November at 12 noon.

Join Max and Head Chef Robert Rainsford for an exquisite lunch at Allee Bleue featuring Salmon and Snoek Parfait, Veal Piccata and Strawberry Panacotta, as well as a choice of two delectable wines.

What’s more you can also win copies of the books, Wordsworth vouchers, meals and wine from Allee Bleue. 

Sit in a superb setting, listen to a highly respected writer and savour some of the best food and drink the region has to offer. What could be better?!

To book call Allee Bleue on 021 874 1021, supplying your credit card details and letting them know any dietary restrictions. Less than 48 hour cancellations and no-shows will be billed.

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In a new book, The South African Story, the Archbishop shows us around our beautiful country: from the grandeur of God’s Window to the Cradle of Humankind; from the golden veld of the Free State to the buzz of Jozi and Soweto and from the majestic Drakensberg mountains to the lushness of the Winelands.

Packed with vivid photography, this book is the perfect showcase for the breaktaking country that we call home.

 Take a look at the trailer to find out more.

The book will be available to purchase in November 2011.

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Morgan Tsvangirai: At the Deep End is the story of a man who through everything he has endured has remained committed to working for peace and democracy for all in his country, and in the process become a beacon of hope for a beleaguered nation.

Extracts across the Independent Newspaper Group: The Star, Pretoria News, Daily Voice, Cape Times, Cape Argus, Weekend Argus, The Mercury, The Post, Daily News, Independent on Saturday and Sunday Independent.

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‘Over the last 37 years, I have travelled and surfed many of the world’s best waves and have surfed with many of the world’s greatest surfers. Some very special surfers have a unique connection with the ocean and a sense of how they fit into the universe. I have taken pieces of wisdom from these surfers, and other people, and have used them throughout my surfing life.’

The new version of this book includes a brand new chapter, an afterword where Tomson tells us about light as a symbol of hope through his own very personal experiences of a wipeout, the loss of a precious son and the arrival of another son.

To celebrate the publication of the updated version of this book, we’re giving away three copies. All you need to do is email us at readmore@za.penguingroup.com with Surfer’s Code in the subject line. Winners will be chosen at random and announced on this blog on 3 October.

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Bev Baglione from Plattekloof Glen; Deborah Hele from Bryanston; Vanessa Chesno from Sandringham; Louise Hean from Durban North and Brett Beiles from Umhlanga – your books are on their way!

If you’d like to win books from us in the future (plus hear about all things book related!), you’ll need to sign up to our newsletter.

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By now, you should all be in the swing of things as far as the Rugby World Cup is concerned and we hope you’re looking forward to our next clash with Fiji on Saturday!

We’ve got an awesome line-up (or should that be line-out?!) of rugby related books to entertain you, while you’re breaking out the BLITZ or marinating those sosaties for your braai. Impress your mates with some jaw-dropping sports stats from the Penguin Book of South African Sports Trivia (also available in Afrikaans) or for something more inspirational, check out In the Words of South African Sporting Heroes (Afrikaans version also available).

We have also just released the biography of the much loved ‘No.8’ of SA rugby, Pierre Spies. More than Rugby is about faith, family and triumph – the story behind the man.

Spies has been described as one of the most imposing and explosive loose forwards that South Africa has ever produced and in More than Rugby, he shares his own story for the very first time.

We learn about the triumph of being capped a Springbok, the heartache when he was diagnosed with a blood clot and his unwavering faith amidst all of this. Packed with personal photos, a foreword by Victor Matfield and contributions from Morné Steyn, Bryan Habana and Juan Smith – this is the perfect read for fans.

There is also an Afrikaans edition available, which you can read more about here.

And finally, refresh your knowledge of the rules with another great little gift book called The Original Rules of Rugby, which brings together the original rules of the game drawn up at Rugby School in 1845 — very different from the modern game we know and love today!

So dust off those braai tongs, rearrange the lounge and prepare yourself for five more weeks packed with quickening pulses, roars of triumph and fits of swearing. There will be heartache, there will be bloodshed, and at the end, only one champion.

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 Q: Het jy dit geniet om jou boek, Woord vir Woord, te skryf? Wat kan lesers verwag?

A: ‘n Mens vergeet maklik wat als in jou lewe gebeur en as jy n outobiografie aanpak is jy verstom oor alles wat skielik na jou toe terugkom. Lesers kry ‘n humoristiese kykie na die ervarings van ‘n Namakwalandse seun in die 50 en 60er jare. Hulle kan ook verwag om te deel in my ervarings as ‘n student op Stellenbosch, my jare in die onderwys en dan die televisie en die programme wat ons in die 80er jare vervaardig het. Daar is ook ‘n hoofstuk oor Noot vir Noot, my vlieg ondervindings asook meer oor my privaatlewe.

 Q: Ons hoor Noot vir Noot is een van die top 10 speletjies reekse wat die langste al uitgesaai word IN DIE WÊRELD. Wat dink jy is die hoofrede vir die program se sukses?

A: Noot vir Noot is ‘n interaktiewe program en ons is gedurig besig om die samestelling te vernuwe deur die speletjies konstant aan te pas. Dit is ‘n gesinsprogram en ons sorg dat ons musiekkeuses van so aard is dat die hele gesin saam kan speel.

 Q: Hoe het die program oor die afgelope ongeveer 20 jaar verander?

A: Daar is gedurige evolusie in terme van stel en beligting, kostuumveranderinge, nuwe orkeslede, ander speletjies ens. Ons probeer tred hou met die tegnologiese ontwikkeling om sodoende die program vars te hou. So het ons byvoorbeeld wegbeweeg van truprojeksie op ons skerm na geanimeerde rekenaar gegenereerde beelde vir die speletjies.

 Q: Hoe lank neem dit om een reeks te skiet?

A: ‘n Reeks word binne 11 dae in die ateljee geskiet – twee programme per dag. Ons gebruik ook ‘n ekstra dag om die stel te installeer en die klank en beligting op te stel. Die voorbereiding vir ‘n reeks neem 3 maande. In hierdie tyd word al die vrae uitgewerk en geprogrammeer, die kunstenaars word gekies en hul keurspele word deur die orkes beplan, verwerk en ingestudeer. Deelnemers word ook landswyd gekeur tydens hierdie periode.

Q: Wie is die deelnemers wat jou die meeste bybly?

A: Daar was verskeie maar die wat duidelik uitstaan is seker onoorwonne Zelda Meyer van Secunda. Dan was daar ook ons eerste blinde deelnemer, Ferdi Venter, van Stellenbosch en natuurlik Daantjie Dinamiet wat die hele land aan die praat gehad het met sy ongelooflike musiekkennis en die feit dat hy aan Asperger sindroom gelei het.

Q: Na watter tipe musiek luister jy wanneer jy nie werk nie?

A: Ek luister graag na klassieke kitaar musiek van mense soos Andres Segovia, Julian Bream en John Williams. Ek is ook mal oor Portugese Fado musiek.

Q: En laaste (maar verseker nie die minste nie!): Almal onthou jou wonderlike onderbaadjies maar mens sien hul nie meer nie. Dit lyk of jy aanbeweeg het na meer deftige pakke. Wat het gebeur?!

A: Ons verander gedurig kostuums om kykers aan die praat te hou! Ons het begin met grys aandpakke, toe helder hempde, helder hempde met onopgesmukte onderbaadjies, helder onderbaadjies, geverfde onderbaadjies, versierde hempde, gekleurde pakke, gekleurde baadjies met motiewe op … en nou, meer deftige pakke om saam te val met my 60-jarige ouderdom.

Woord vir Woord is die ideale geskenk vir Noot vir Noot aanhangers en mense wat belangstel in hierdie ikoniese Suid-Afrikaanse persoonlikheid.

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See the pics of the two famous jaws on our Facebook page and if you correctly figure out who both belong to, you could win a copy of each book. Happy guessing!

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Marguerite explained to those present how Nguni cattle get their very poetic names such as ‘Stones in the River’, ‘Flies in the Buttermilk’ and my personal favourite ‘Beast whose thighs are like that of a lady’.

Marguerite is the acclaimed author of a number of successful novels inslucing Shades and Iron Love and has been awarded the Literary Lifetime Achievement Award for 2010 by the South African Literary Awards (SALA).

You can take a look at more photos from the event on our Facebook page.

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