Nick Clelland

This is the cover of my novel, by @KaravanPress . Out soon!

. @geordinhl Geordin Hill-Lewis made some very important points in his speech today that provide a clear idea of what he wants for the DA if he becomes leader - the “mandate” he mentioned. Here’s a to-the-point interpretation of the speech. 1. He wants the DA to be a party “for all”. He’s not going to pander to one group or another. Everyone rises, or South Africa falls. This is a critical choice about the DA’s philosophy and strategy. 2. As part of his “for all” approach, he wants the DA to identify with and persuade more “people who have never voted DA” - and those people are overwhelmingly black South Africans. He was pretty brutally honest about the party’s failure to do so to date. 3. He wants DA governments to perform better; and not just get the basics right but put a belief in “enterprise” as the heart of their growth agenda. He wants government to create more opportunities for people and “for businesses.” This too is a critical choice about political philosophy - imagine an ANC politician saying so clearly that they are pro-business. 4. He wants the DA in the GNU to push the ANC harder on policy and to say “no” more forcefully on matters where “a line in the sand” needs to be drawn. This signals a new chapter in the nature of the GNU and how the DA and ANC relate inside it. 5. He wants the DA to project a sense of optimism about South Africa and its future. He is a naturally upbeat, positive personality and I think he wants the DA to reflect that.

I’ve enjoyed writing restaurant reviews on X so much I’ve decided to start a restaurant review website as a hobby. There are five pieces up already. See what you think. capefoodie.co.za

Thread on how the DA might have been thinking about this budget. 1. The DA has made clear its primary purpose in the GNU is to get growth up and unemployment down. 2. Achieving that objective requires a wide range of urgent reforms. 3. The underlying problem with…1/8

📣 IT’S OFFICIAL: TimeOut has ranked Cape Town the Best City in the World for 2025! 🇿🇦 Thanks to @TimeOutTravel! This will bring more tourists to our city ➡️ more jobs for Capetonians 👏✈️🌍

My piece in today’s @dailymaverick “…in fact, it is their very controversial or polarising stances that signify proof of a raw, unfiltered authenticity…” dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/20…

The Bitterness of Olives by Andrew Brown wins the 2024 Sunday Times Fiction Prize karavanpress.com/2024/11/01/the…

Welcome to the Good Hope Territory @KaravanPress

Last night Wordsworth Books Ocean Mall: the Durban launch of GOOD HOPE by @njclelland! Nick was in conversation with @Gregarde. Looks like it was a fun event. Thanks for sharing the photos. Congrats!

Please join @njclelland for the Durban launch of his novel, Good Hope. Nick will be in conversation with @Gregarde. Wordsworth Books Ocean Mall is hosting on Thursday, 10 October. Not to be missed!

I am very proud to report that #TeamHomeAffairs has cleared a major backlog of ID applications that started out at 247 500 and had been accumulating since November 2023. On 21 August, we adopted a clear plan to eradicate this backlog. Just one month later, we have succeeded, with the backlog today down to a beautiful, round 0. By working in a systematic and focused way, we are determined to reform Home Affairs into an efficient, world-class organisation that delivers dignity for all.

Karavan Press at the Woordfees karavanpress.com/2024/09/22/kar…

Bookstagram love for GOOD HOPE by @njclelland: instagram.com/p/C_x0ReCA6Wy/

“…There is a rebellion, there is extra-judicial killing. There’s a great story here of the very poor idea that is Cape Independence…” ⁦@ferialhaffajee⁩ reviews GOOD HOPE for ⁦@dailymaverick⁩ 🌟 dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-0…

What happens after 1,000 days of the GNU? Two must-read books - Ferial Haffajee reviews GOOD HOPE by @njclelland: dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-0…

Karavan Press authors and friends @OpenBookFest 2024: karavanpress.com/2024/08/20/kar…

Huge review in today’s Business Day 🙌 @BDliveSA @KaravanPress

Counterfactual Cape Town - @JohanFourieZA interviews Karen Jennings & @njclelland ourlongwalk.com/p/counterfactu…

Earlier today at Wordsworth Books Gardens: @njclelland signing GOOD HOPE, the number 1 bestselling book at the shop for the longest time of all local novels. Congrats, Nick! And thank you to Wordsworth Books Gardens for the support! To many more weeks at No. 1!

Next Saturday at Wordsworth Books Gardens: @njclelland will be signing copies of his "riveting" debut novel, GOOD HOPE! Hope to see you there!