If You Keep Digging is a 2019 short story collection by South African author Keletso Mopai. The collection explores themes such as identity, race, gender, sexuality, and social challenges in contemporary South Africa.

Background

If You Keep Digging is the debut book of Keletso Mopai, whose work has appeared in various literary journals and publications. Mopai's stories were previously published in outlets including The Johannesburg Review of Books.

Content and themes

The collection comprises several short stories addressing social issues in South African society. Themes include marginalized identities, domestic and gender-based violence, race dynamics, and the pursuit of personal and collective identity. Independent reviews highlight the diversity of narratives and the social commentary embedded in the stories.

Reception

The book received coverage from multiple independent literary and media sources. A peer-reviewed review in Tydskrif vir Letterkunde discussed the collection's contributions to contemporary South African literature.

An independent review on AfricanWriter.com highlighted the work's narrative depth and thematic complexity, noting the connection between stories and their social resonance.

South African media coverage also discussed the book's focus on identity, sexuality, and gender-based violence.

Awards and recognition

A story from the collection, Monkeys, was shortlisted for the 2019 Brittle Paper Award for Fiction.

The collection was listed among notable debut books of 2019 by independent literary outlets.

External links