PRONK

Category: Happenings

  • Hello hardback: A London inauguration

    Celebrating the arrival of a brand-new edition of The President in the UK.

    The worldwide inauguration of The President’s Pocket Hardback Edition was held in London (UK) on Sunday 7 September 2025 at The Common Press Bookshop.

    The evening was hosted by Dr Jaco Barnard-Naudé, legal professor, author, and winner of the Ingrid Jonker Prize for his debut poetry collection, om my kastele in Spanje te sloop.

    With the Artist Edition of The President nearly sold out, this was the first time readers anywhere in the world had the opportunity to get their hands on the brand-new A6 pocket hardback. The Pocket Hardback was gorgeously printed and hand-bound by Pulp Paperworks in Johannesburg and published by PRONK.

    Signed copies of the hardback are now available for purchase in person from The Common Press in Shoreditch for £20. It will soon be available for UK residents to purchase online.

    Inaugural proceedings

    Launch of The President’s Collectable Pocket Hardback edition.
    Xander reads from The President.
    Few places rival The Common Press went it comes to being a welcoming and comfortable place for literary conversation in London. Xander was interviewed by Jaco Barnard-Naude. Not only is Jaco a notable legal scholar; he is also a poet, and recently won the Ingrid Jonker prize for his debut poetry collection, om my kastele in Spanje te sloop.

  • At the Joburg Art Fair

    The artist edition of The President (together with its accompanying Risograph print by Brett Murray, All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go) was showcased at the 2025 FNB Joburg Art Fair by our friends at PULP1. PULP’s booth was in the print-focused ETC section of the fair, which ran from 5 to 7 September 2025 at the Sandton Convention Centre.

    As of late September 2025, there are only 24 copies left of the artist edition (and the fine art print by Brett which accompanies it) available; you can buy one in person at PULP or from its online store.

    1. The talented folks who printed and bound this beautiful thing! ↩︎

  • ‘The President’ comes to San Francisco

    On 11 July, Et al. hosted the San Francisco launch of The President. Xander gave a reading, and then chatted about the novel with the fabulous SF-based speculative fiction writer and essayist Ploi Pirapokin.

    We couldn’t have asked for a lovelier spot than Et al. for The President’s Californian inauguration. The high-ceilinged, white-walled gallery in the Mission has a lively calendar of readings, events, exhibitions etc. (Its bookshop has a terrific selection of mostly secondhand books1, too.) For a list of folks who have spoken there (Xander is in truly great company!), as well as ways to support, check out its website.

    1. As of this week, it also has three copies of The President available for purchase. ↩︎

  • Jozi! A homecoming story

    The President is a globetrotting beast — set in Cape Town, written (mostly) in Skukuza, extensively revised in California and designed in Berlin. But, we’d argue that the book’s true “home” is arguably Johannesburg, where the first edition was printed and hand-bound by PULP Paperworks.

    On 5 May, we hosted a little Jozi launch in PULP’s light and airy workspace.

    The author was in conversation with GALA Queer Archive‘s Karin Tan. (Thanks for the lively convo, Karin!) As South Africa’s preeminent LGBT archive, GALA is doing vital (and vibrant) work with a publishing programme and a library that’s open to all.

    PULP has copies of The President for sale; pop in to grab yours (and some stunning PULP stationery). Or order it from them online1.

    If you weren’t able to join our Joburg or Cape Town launches, no fear! We’re hosting a virtual launch from 5-6pm SAST on Saturday 14 June 2025.  Here‘s where you can register.

    1. If you’re based in South Africa, that is. If you’re overseas, please contact us to arrange a copy to be posted to you. ↩︎

  • Once upon a time in Cape Town

    Looked on by Brett Murray’s print All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go (and the gigantic painting of Brett’s upon which the print was based), The President had its first-ever launch at Everard Read Gallery in Cape Town, South Africa.

    The event was held on the evening of 30 April 2025.
    The author was in conversation with the wonderful Sinazo Chiya.
    Xander Beattie reads from the novel’s opening pages.
    A full house!
    The author with Nicole Alexander, executive director of the Pride Shelter Trust. Proceeds from the sale of the artist edition of the book and print are going to this incredible organisation.