Visiting Author – Tlotlo Tsamaase – House of Margins
September 17 @ 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
On Thursday, September 17th, Francie and Finch Bookshop will welcome award winning author Tlotlo Tsamaase at 5:30 PM. Her latest novel House of Margins,“delivers a mesmerizing story of a young generation facing colonialism’s cultural legacy in Africa.” We can’t wait to see you there!
“With melodic prose that stares down post-colonial racism, the ‘true-crime’ commodification of missing and dead bodies, and the infantilization of Black authors, House of Margins is a brilliant work that gives the immersive feeling of being trapped in a nightmare. Interactive and deeply imagined, Tlotlo Tsamaase has crafted a stunning examination of abuse, cultural appropriation, and eternal hauntings.” —Tamika Thompson, author of The Curse of Hester Gardens
To order your copy of House of Margins, follow the link HERE
About the Book:
Serial the podcast meets The Other Black Girl in a haunted house, as young African author disappears after being invited to an exclusive writing residency, and her sister is left only with a true crime podcast to help her uncover the truth about what really happened…Anaya Sebeya is missing.Before her disappearance, Anaya was a brilliant writer: a rising star. Invited to a prestigious writing residency at Günter Huis, an eerie colonial mansion on the slopes of Devil’s Peak, Anaya was supposed to craft the next great African literary masterpiece—and so were four other young, emerging writers, all competing for the grand prize. But Anaya never made it home.
Serial the podcast meets The Other Black Girl in a haunted house, as young African author disappears after being invited to an exclusive writing residency, and her sister is left only with a true crime podcast to help her uncover the truth about what really happened…Anaya Sebeya is missing.Before her disappearance, Anaya was a brilliant writer: a rising star. Invited to a prestigious writing residency at Günter Huis, an eerie colonial mansion on the slopes of Devil’s Peak, Anaya was supposed to craft the next great African literary masterpiece—and so were four other young, emerging writers, all competing for the grand prize. But Anaya never made it home.
When a sensationalized true crime podcast about Anaya emerges, claiming to reveal everything that happened at Günter Huis, her sister Ranewa is both skeptical and furious. But with each surreal episode, Ranewa begins to piece together a truth worse than she ever could have imagined…
At Günter Huis, Anaya’s nightmares consume her. Time slips away from her. Günter Huis inflicts distorted visions and terrible supernatural visitations, pushing Anaya to tell a story no one dares. But exorcising the house’s endless cycle of evil requires a sacrifice that neither Anaya nor her fellows are ready to make.
In House of Margins, award-winning Motswana author Tlotlo Tsamaase delivers a mesmerizing story of a young generation facing colonialism’s cultural legacy in Africa.
About the Author:Tlotlo Tsamaase is a Motswana author of House of Margins and The Silence of the Wilting Skin. Her novel, Womb City, is a Nommo Award winner, an Ignyte and Locus Award finalist. Her debut YA fantasy, The Bloodwinds, is forthcoming from Knopf in 2027. A Caine Prize finalist, she received support from the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative. Tlotlo’s short fiction has appeared in Africa Risen, New Suns 2, The Best of World SF Volume 1, Clarkesworld, and other publications. She is a Rhysling Award nominee and a Bessie Head Short Story Award winner. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Botswana and has an MFA in Creative Writing from Chapman University. She is currently a PhD student in English (Creative Writing) at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. She can be found at tlotlotsamaase.com
More Praise for House of Margins:
“House of Margins skillfully dissects bloody colonial history with a tale of sisterly devotion, righteous anger, and sacrifice too big for one person to shoulder. This will live with me for a long time. Make no mistake—Tsamaase pulls no punches.” —Vincent Tirado, author of You Should Have Been Nicer To My Mom “Taking aim at colonization, Tsamaase masterfully utilizes the gothic genre to blend the unfolding horror of the house with the horror of a brutal regime that destroyed people, culture, and land in ways that reverberate to this day. A stunning commentary that balances atrocity with art, House of Margins is a must-read for fans of gothic horror the world over.” —Maria Tureaud, author of This House Will Feed
“House of Margins skillfully dissects bloody colonial history with a tale of sisterly devotion, righteous anger, and sacrifice too big for one person to shoulder. This will live with me for a long time. Make no mistake—Tsamaase pulls no punches.” —Vincent Tirado, author of You Should Have Been Nicer To My Mom “Taking aim at colonization, Tsamaase masterfully utilizes the gothic genre to blend the unfolding horror of the house with the horror of a brutal regime that destroyed people, culture, and land in ways that reverberate to this day. A stunning commentary that balances atrocity with art, House of Margins is a must-read for fans of gothic horror the world over.” —Maria Tureaud, author of This House Will Feed
“Identity, ambition, and the deep wounds of South Africa’s colonial heritage collide in this razor-sharp horror-mystery that horrifies and haunts well past the last page. . . Tsamaase’s latest (after Womb City) is mesmerizing and compulsively readable. . .”—Library Journal starred review