The attraction between Hannah and Jillian, the main characters in Danila Botha鈥檚 new novel, 鈥淎 Place for People Like Us鈥 (Guernica Editions), is instantaneous. Jillian lives in the penthouse suite of a rental building that her parents own, a sumptuous arrangement that allows her to pursue her passions in the band Dissolve Into the Sky, whose performances infatuate Hannah further.
鈥淲hen Jillian performed,鈥 Hannah says, 鈥渟he was an arresting presence, like a tornado quietly building. The audience would sit, glued to her every movement, watching a piece of her wavy black hair come unpinned as she tossed her head back, or transfixed as she read from or tore up a set list.鈥
Hannah begins filming and editing promotional videos for the band, and the women鈥檚 exact relationship begins to blur between romance, friendship and convenient business arrangement.
“A Place for People Like Us,” by Danila Botha, Guernica Editions, 229 pages, $25.
鈥淚 never knew quite what we were,鈥 Hannah ponders. 鈥淚f we were friends or lovers, or artists in a situationship, or just each other鈥檚 biggest support systems, but the future felt more real and more exciting than I鈥檇 let myself even dream about before.鈥
After Jillian almost ends their lives in a car accident, Hannah entertains the advances of an Israeli man named Naftali. When he suggests that Hannah explore religious conversion to Judaism so that they can be together, it is only a matter of time before she asks herself whether sacrificing her past for an uncertain future is the only real way to move forward with her life.
Botha, a 海角社区官网writer born in Johannesburg, is the author of 鈥淕ot No Secrets,鈥 鈥淭oo Much on the Inside,鈥 and 鈥淭hings That Cause Inappropriate Happiness.鈥 鈥淰idal,鈥 her debut graphic novel, will be published in 2026.
What did you last read and what made you read it?
Heather O鈥橬eill鈥檚 “Valentine in Montreal鈥 and Etgar Keret鈥檚 鈥淎utocorrect.鈥 Heather O鈥橬eill鈥檚 writing is always so beautiful on a line level, and her descriptions are always so sensory and otherworldly. The imagination and beauty of Valentine鈥檚 perceptions, and Arizona O鈥橬eill鈥檚 illustrations, are beautiful too. Etgar Keret is one of the greatest short story writers of our time, and this collection is so funny and heartbreaking.
What book would your readers be shocked to find in your collection?
A lot of kids鈥 books, because my older kids want me to read to them before bed, and they put the books on my bedside table. My four-year-old is a big fan of Danielle Daniel, Marie-Louise Gay, and Sidura Ludwig, and my 10-year-old is really into the 鈥淒og Man鈥 and 鈥淐at Kid鈥 series.
Heather O鈥橬eill鈥檚 鈥淰alentine in Montreal鈥 was one of the last books Botha has read. She was also completely captivated by “The Color Master,” by Aimee Bender.聽
When was the last time you devoured a book in one, or very few, sittings?
I鈥檝e been into speculative short fiction lately, and I was completely captivated by 鈥淭he Color Master鈥 by Aimee Bender and Karen E. Bender鈥檚 鈥淭he Words of Dr. L.鈥 It鈥檚 not just the wildness and unexpected nature of what happens, it鈥檚 the way they both seamlessly move the reader into a place of dreams, vulnerability and true desire.
Who鈥檚 the one author or what鈥檚 the one book you鈥檒l never understand, despite the praise?
I have respect for every kind of book, but I really struggle with self-help books 鈥 anything with prescriptive, direct advice. I think it鈥檚 great if they help people, and my father, who reads a lot and is a very intelligent person, loves them. I just can鈥檛 get through even a chapter of one (sorry, Dad).
What’s the one book that has not garnered the success that it deserves?
Short story collections don鈥檛 get as much love and attention as they deserve, and I鈥檝e never really understood why. They鈥檙e perfect for people with busy lives, perfect for a subway commute or a lifestyle that doesn鈥檛 necessarily let you read every day. Zoe Whittall鈥檚 鈥淲ild Failure,鈥 Sarah Gilbert鈥檚 鈥淥ur Lady of Mile End鈥 and Marisa Labozzetta鈥檚 鈥淢en Who Walk in Dreams鈥 were all really beautiful.
What book would you give anything to read again for the first time?
I remember the first short stories that really affected me, and the feeling of trying to take them apart to try to understand how and why they worked. The first time I read Margaret Atwood鈥檚 early short story collections 鈥淒ancing Girls鈥 and 鈥淲ilderness Tips,鈥 I marvelled at how completely control of the form she was, of every sharp turn. The first time I read Hemingway鈥檚 鈥淗ills Like White Elephants,鈥 I understood how much he was conveying through dialogue: the misogyny, abortion rights, the power imbalances.
Danila Botha would love to read 鈥淒ancing Girls鈥 again for the first time and be friends with J.D. Salinger’s Franny Glass.聽
When you were 10 years old, what was your favourite book?
I was obsessed with Roald Dahl. He was so funny and dark, and so great at giving kids agency in impossible situations. I loved 鈥淢atilda鈥 the most. His characterization and turns of phrase have stayed with me. I also loved Judy Blume. She captured the secret perceptions of kids and preteens so beautifully. I loved her 鈥淔udge鈥 and 鈥淪heila the Great鈥 series, as well as 鈥淛ust as Long as We鈥檙e Together鈥 and 鈥淗ere鈥檚 to You, Rachel Robinson.鈥
What fictional character would you like to be friends with?
I鈥檇 love to be friends with Franny Glass from 鈥淔ranny and Zooey.鈥 She articulated the creative existential crisis so acutely. I鈥檇 love to actually spend time with Salinger鈥檚 whole Glass family: Zooey, the parents, even Seymour.聽
Do you have a comfort read that you revisit?
I love to reread classic short stories. Carver鈥檚 鈥淲hat We Talk About When We Talk About Love,鈥 the collected stories of Chekhov, Cheever, Grace Paley, and Isaac Bashevis Singer, as well as Abraham Karpinowitz鈥檚 鈥淰ilna My Vilna.鈥
What was the last book that made you laugh or cry?
Sadiqa de Meijer鈥檚 brilliant essay collection 鈥淚n the Field.鈥 The writing is so sensitive and lyrical and every line is full of profundities. I cried more than once, but I was especially moved by 鈥淏loodwork鈥 and 鈥淎fter Etty,鈥 which examine the life of Etty Hillesum, a writer who was killed in the Holocaust.
“When I Grow Up” is “unbelievably moving and heartbreaking,” says Danila Botha.
What is the one book you wish you had written?
鈥淲hen I Grow Up鈥 by Ken Krimstein is an incredible graphic novel, illustrated and written from a collection of Yiddish essay contest entries from teens in Lithuania. It鈥檚 unbelievably moving and heartbreaking.
What three authors living or dead would you like to have a coffee with?
I鈥檇 love to have coffee with Mariana Enriquez, Ottessa Moshfegh, Heather O鈥橬eill, Zoe Whittall, Martha B谩tiz, Leesa Dean, Roxane Gay, Banana Yoshimoto, Catherine Bush and Lorrie Moore. I would just sit there listening to them talk, my heart exploding with joy.
What does your definition of personal literary success look like?
Being able to write every day and read, having readers who are engaged deeply with the work, however they feel about it, and being part of the writing community in Canada and in the world. I鈥檓 incredibly grateful for all these things.
To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile.
Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation