‘Spud – Learning to Fly is a tale to be devoured, relished and savoured – leaving you on a precipice, in the sure knowledge that one final leap of faith remains.’

As Spud Milton continues his diabolical stagger through adolescence, he learns one of life’s most important lessons: when dealing with women and cretins, nothing is ever quite as it seems. ‘I’m practically a man in most areas,’ writes Spud confidently on his sixteenth birthday. The year is 1992 and, as always in South Africa, radical change is in the air. The country may be on the bumpy road to an uncomfortable redemption, but Spud Milton is hoping for a smooth ride as he returns to boarding school as a senior. Instead, he discovers that his vindictive arch enemy is back to taunt him and that a garrulous Malawian has taken residence in his dormitory, along with the regular inmates and misfits he calls friends. Spud’s world has never seemed less certain. He attempts to master Shakespeare, wrestles constantly with God and the power of negative thinking, and develops an aversion to fried fish after a shocking discovery about his grandmother, Wombat.

Spud – Learning to Fly transports the reader on an authentic tragicomic journey, deep into the sublime and ridiculous world of being a teenager. It is the third and penultimate instalment in the series of Spud Milton’s schoolboy diaries, following on the best-selling Spud and Spud – The Madness Continues …

About the Author:

John van de Ruit was born in Durban, South Africa and educated at Michaelhouse and the University of Natal, where he completed a Masters degree in Drama and Performance. He is an actor, playwright, producer and writer. His first novel, Spud, has sold record numbers in South Africa and has been published around the globe.