Alistair Mackay (born 1984) is a South African novelist, short story writer and columnist. His debut novel It Doesn't Have To Be This Way was chosen by Brittle Paper as one of the 100 Notable African Books of 2022,[1] and was long-listed for both the 2023 British Science Fiction Association Awards (for best novel)[2] and the 2023 Sunday Times Literary Awards (for best fiction).[3]
Alistair Mackay | |
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.jpg) Alistair Mackay signing copies of his debut novel, It Doesn't Have to Be This Way (Kwela, 2022), at the Book Lounge, an independent bookstore in Cape Town, South Africa (19 February 2022). | |
| Born | April 18, 1984 Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Alma mater | University of Edinburgh Columbia University |
| Occupation | Author |
| Years active | 2017–present |
| Notable work | It Doesn't Have to Be This Way (Kwela Books, 2022) |
| Parents |
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| Website | alistaircharlesmackay |
Education
editMackay studied Politics at Edinburgh University, Scotland, and later completed an MFA in Creative Writing at Columbia University in New York City.[4]
Writing
editMackay's short stories have been published in Brittle Paper,[5] New Contrast, The Kalahari Review and in the anthologies Queer Africa 2 (MaThoko's Books, 2017), which was shortlisted for a Lambda Award for best anthology in 2018[6] and Queer Africa: Selected Stories (New Internationalist, 2018).
His first novel, It Doesn't Have To Be This Way, was published in South Africa by Kwela in 2022.[7]
Bibliography
editNovels
edit- The Child. Kwela Books. 2024.
- It Doesn't Have to Be This Way. Kwela Books. 2022.
Short stories
edit- "Going Home" in Queer Africa 2: New Stories. MaThoko’s Books. 2017. ISBN 9781928215424.[8]
- "The King of the Jungle". Penny. Sixpenny & Co Publishing LLC. Vol 3. 2017.[9]
- "Going Home" in Queer Africa: Selected Stories. New Internationalist. 2018. ISBN 9781780264639.[10]
- “Why Don’t South Africans Read Fiction?” Kalahari Review. 28 June 2018.[11]
- “Quiet as Ants”. New Contrast. Issue 184. Vol 46. Summer 2018.[12]
- “From the List of Options”. Kabaka Magazine. 2019.
- “Fever Tree”. New Contrast. Issue 186. Vol 47. Winter 2019.[13]
- “The Lucky Ones”. Brittle Paper. Brittle Paper. 2 March 2020.[14]
- “Young People Problems”. adda. Commonwealth Foundation. 15 October 2020.[15]
- “The Chair”. New Contrast. Issue 189. Vol. 50. Winter 2022. pp. 55–59.[16]
References
edit- ^ Edoro-Glines, Ainehi (18 December 2022). "Brittle Paper's Notable African Books of 2022". Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
- ^ "British Science Fiction Association Awards Longlist". British Science Fiction Association. 12 February 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
- ^ Staff reporter (16 July 2023). "2023 Sunday Times Literary Awards Longlist". Sunday Times. Times Live. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
- ^ "Columbia University School of the Arts Alumnus Alistair Mackay '18 to publish debut novel with Kwela". Columbia University. 5 April 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
- ^ Mackay, Alistair (2 March 2020). "The Lucky Ones". Brittle Paper. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
- ^ Malec, Jennifer (7 March 2018). "Queer Africa 2 announced as a 2018 Lambda Literary Awards finalist". Johannesburg Review of Books. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
- ^ "NB Publishers Catalogue". Kwela. February 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
- ^ Xaba, Makhosazana; Martin, Karen (2017). Queer Africa 2: New Stories. MaThoko's Books. ISBN 9781928215424. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
- ^ Mackay, Alistair (3 September 2017). "King of the Jungle". Penny. Sixpenny & Co, LLC. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
- ^ Xaba, Makhosazana; Martin, Karen (2018). Queer Africa:Selected Stories. New Internationalist. ISBN 9781780264639. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
- ^ Mackay, Alistair (28 June 2018). "Why Don't South Africans Read Fiction?". Kalahari Review. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
- ^ Mackay, Alistair (2018). "Quiet as Ants". New Contrast. 46 (184). Retrieved 10 July 2023.
- ^ Mackay, Alistair (2019). "Fever Tree". New Contrast. 47 (186). Retrieved 10 July 2023.
- ^ Mackay, Alistair. "The Lucky Ones". Brittle Paper. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
- ^ Mackay, Alistair (15 October 2020). "Young People Problems". adda. Commonwealth Foundation. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
- ^ Mackay, Alistair (2022). "The Chair". New Contrast. 50 (189). Retrieved 10 July 2023.