Almini van der Merwe

About

Almini van der Merwe is a South African writer based in Liechtenstein and the author of Ghost Limb, published by Penguin Random House South Africa in its prestigious Trailblazer Imprint. Ghost Limb was longlisted for the 2024 Sunday Times Fiction Prize, South Africa's most renowned literary award, and has received wide media attention and critical acclaim.

She holds a Master's degree in Creative Writing from the University of Cape Town, where she was mentored by prominent authors including Booker Prize–winner Damon Galgut. Almini has collaborated with Alison Lowry, former CEO of Penguin Random House South Africa and one of the country's most respected literary editors.

Her work probes repression, past trauma, race relations, and the interchangeable roles of victim and perpetrator — rendered with fearless clarity and a mastery of language that critics have called irresistible.

MA Creative Writing · UCT Mentored by Damon Galgut Liechtenstein

Books

Available Now

Ghost Limb

Almini van der Merwe

Set in the dying days of apartheid, Ghost Limb unfolds with fearless clarity, laying bare uncomfortable truths with little psychobabble or interpretation. What emerges is a complex, fascinating portrait of an angry, damaged and dangerous woman — unfolded without heavy-handed explanation, allowing the reader to decide for themselves.

Longlisted for the 2024 Sunday Times Fiction Prize — South Africa's premier literary award. Praised by critics as "a brave book, fearless and irresistible" and awarded four stars by the Sunday Times.

Published by

Trailblazer Imprint · Umuzi

The Widow Almini van der Merwe

Forthcoming

The Widow

Almini van der Merwe

The upcoming second novel from Almini van der Merwe. Details to follow.

Awards & Recognition

Longlist

2024 Sunday Times Fiction Prize

South Africa's premier literary award

Published in

Trailblazer Series

Umuzi / Penguin Random House South Africa — a prestigious imprint for high-quality fiction

Kulturstiftung Liechtenstein

Grant Recipient

Kulturstiftung Liechtenstein

Supported by the Liechtenstein Cultural Foundation — promoting literature and the arts

Press & Reviews

Deborah Steinmair

Award-winning literary critic and long-time book editor. Twice named Rapport-kykNET Book Reviewer of the Year.

"It is a brave book. Many recent books about grim childhoods focus only on personal trauma, with apartheid as mere background décor. Ghost Limb is different: set in the dying days of apartheid, it unfolds with fearless clarity, laying bare uncomfortable truths with little psychobabble or interpretation."

"Power is a sly, slippery thing. It feels politically incorrect to speak of the trauma apartheid caused white people, but did our psyches escape unscathed? Here it is articulated fearlessly and irresistibly. Ghost Limb is a book that will make me think for a long time."

★★★★Brave, fearless & irresistible

Sanet Oberholzer

Lifestyle and books writer for the Sunday Times — South Africa's most widely read Sunday publication.

"In her debut novel, Almini van der Merwe creates a nuanced portrait of a disturbed person as she probes repression, past trauma, race relations and the interchangeable roles of victim and perpetrator."

★★★★Four-star review · Sunday Times

Jonathan Amid

One of South Africa's leading literary critics and cultural journalists. Widely published in Rapport and the Sunday Times Literary pages.

"What makes Almini van der Merwe's debut novel Ghost Limb so compelling is her mastery of language and expression... paragraph after paragraph holds you in stillness. There is not a single superfluous word."

"It is an evocative, unsettling debut filled with moments of haunting clarity and a cumulative power that lingers long after the final page."

Susan Booyens

Respected South African media personality and literary critic. Widely published on LitNet — one of South Africa's go-to platforms for in-depth literary commentary.

"The fine way in which Van der Merwe balances the familiar and the eerie throughout the novel is striking. The reader is led into unease with subtlety, without ever being alienated."

"The description of this outing, which so callously destroys Johanna's chance to officially exist, is a fine example of the author's acute perception — crystallising the locally genial, everyday suburban life, behind which the cruelty of the system is plastered over, into something sinister and deeper."

Reader & Influencer Praise

Anschen Conradie

"Uit die Perd se Bek"

Popular South African book influencer — ranked #13 on Goodreads South Africa. Columnist for "Uit die perd se bek".

"It is hauntingly nostalgic and melancholic at times; beautiful in its simplicity and is recommended for readers enjoying reminiscence and reflection. The novel examines the long-term effects of our childhood experiences; the lengths to which we will go to deny the inevitable; the consequences of our choices and the past following us like a shadow — remaining an undeniable part of both our present and future."

★★★★ Four-star review

Rina Coetzee Gous

"The Cat Juggles"

Book blogger and reviewer who selected Ghost Limb as her Book of the Year.

"Without a doubt the highlight of the book is the beautiful language and descriptive phrases used by the author. It is a joy to read and that alone makes it well worth the read. This book deserves its place in the 'Trailblazer' series of high quality fiction published by Umuzi, an imprint of Penguin Random House."

★★★★★ Five-star · Book of the Year

Full reviews available on request. German translations of Afrikaans reviews also available.