Gary Cummiskey artwork used in a Pravasan Pillay story

 

I am honoured by Pravasan Pillay once again using once of my artworks for a short story of his, this time 'Silverfiskarnas språk' in Vernacular Journal.

The title of my artwork is 'Through the moods'. You can view more of my artwork on Instagram.

Curry and Bread will soon be back at Clarke's in Cape Town!

Pravasan Pillay's Curry and Bread, published by Dye Hard Press, will soon be available at Clarke's bookshop in Cape Town again -- watch this space!

 

No crumbs left behind: A spot-on review of Pravasan Pillay's Curry and Bread!

An excellent, glowing review of Pravasan Pillay's Curry and Bread has appeared in the new online literary journal Babas and Brasse. You can read it here.

Curry and Bread is published by Dye Hard Press, and is available at select Exclusive Books outlets, madeindurban.co.za, Love Books in Melville, and Clarke's in Cape Town.

Chops chutney with curry and bread

The dish at the top is called Chops Chutney, which was also the title of one of the stories in Pravasan Pillay's debut collection, Chatsworth, which was published by Dye Hard Press in 2018. Dye Hard Press also published Pillay's most recent book, Curry and Bread, which is available from select Exclusive Books outlets, Love Books in Melville, Clarke's in Cape Town and madeindurban.co.za.

It will also be on sale at the upcoming Durban International Book Fair.  

Curry and Bread is still on the boil!

Pravasan Pillay's latest book, Curry and Bread, was published in 2025 by Dye Hard Press. It is still available from selct Exclusive Books branches, Clarke's in Cape Town, Love Books in Melville, and madeindurban.co.za.

 

Curry and Bread still available at Sandton City

Pravasan Pillay's Curry and Bread is still available at Exclusive Books, Sandton City. Curry and Bread is also available from madeindurban.co.za, Love Books in Melville, and Clarke's in Cape Town.

 

A year ago today ...

It was a year ago today that we were proofreading Pravasan Pillay's new book, Curry and Bread!

Curry and Bread is available from Exclusive Books, madeindurban.co.za, Clarke's in Cape Town and Love Books in Melville, Johannesburg.

A list of Durban Breyanis -- from Curry and Bread

 

A page from Pravasan Pillay's new book Curry and Bread -- a list of Durban breyanis!

Curry and Bread is available from Exclusive Books, madeindurban.co.za, Clarke's in Cape Town, and Love Books in Johannesburg.

Curry and Bread still available at Exclusive Books Sandton City!

Good to see two copies of Pravasan Pillay's new book Curry and Bread at Exclusive Books, Sandton City! If you are in the area, pop in and buy a copy!

Curry and Bread is available from other Exclusive Books branches, as well as from madeindurban.co.za, Love Books in Melville and Clarke's in Cape Town. 

Look out for Curry and Bread in Umhlanga!

 

Diarise for the Umhlanga Book Fair, where Pravasan Pillay's Curry and Bread will be on sale!

Curry and Bread is also available at Exclusive Books, madeindurban.co.za, Love Books in Melville (Johannesburg) and Clarke's in Cape Town.

Curry and Bread in England!

Good to see that artist Paul Warren in England has received his copy of Pravasan Pillay's Curry and Bread -- the first copy to land in the UK!

You can buy Curry and Bread from Exclusive Books, madeindurban.co.za, Clarke's in Cape Town, and Love Books, in Melville, Johannesburg.

Start the new year with Curry and Bread!

 

Happy new year, folks! I hope that you have managed to kick the sand out from between your toes, and if you haven't bought a copy of Pravasan Pillay's new book, Curry and Bread, yet, you can buy copies from Exclusive Books, madeindurban.co.za, Love Books in Melville, Johannesburg, and from Clarke's in Cape Town!

Let the good times roll!

Pravasan Pillay on Literary Tourism

There is a nice wee entry on the Literary Tourism website about Pravasan Pillay, compiled just after the publication of his previous book, Aiyo!, and containing an extract from his short story 'Crooks' in his debut collection, Chatsworth.

Pillay's new book, Curry and Bread, is available from Exclusive Books, madeindurban.co.za, Love Books in Melville, Johannesburg, and Clarke's in Cape Town.

Christmas is coming with Curry and Bread

Christmas is around the corner, so why not buy a copy - or even two copies - of Pravasan Pillay's new book Curry and Bread as a Christmas gift? It will definitely bring the reader(s) joy and laughter this festive season!

Curry and Bread is available from Exclusive Books, Clarke's in Cape Town, madeindurban.co.za, and Love Books in Melville, Johannesburg.

Curry and Bread at the Books & Chai Festival

Pravasan Pillay's new book, Curry and Bread, will be on sale at the Books & Chai Festival in Umhlanga, on Sunday 30 November.

Curry and Bread is also available from Exclusive Books in Gauteng, Love Books in Melville, madeindurban.co.za, and Clarke's in Cape Town.

Adding curry spices to canned pea soup, and other tales from a Durbanite abroad

 

A warm and enthusiastic review of Pravasan Pillay's new book has been published in Daily Maverick.

Curry and Bread is available from Exclusive Books, Love Books in Melville, Johannesburg, madeindurban.co.za and Clarke's in Cape Town.

Curry and Bread at News24

In his latest book, Curry and Bread, Pravasan Pillay explores, among other things, a georgraphy of pickles and lists his six favourite South African breakfasts. You can read these extracts at News24.

There is a paywall, but you can sign up for a free 14-day trial.

Curry and Bread is published by Dye Hard Press, and is available at select Exclusive Books branches, Love Books in Melville, Johannesburg, Made in Durban, and Clarke's in Cape Town.

Curry and Bread at Exclusive Books Sandton City

Pravasan Pillay's new title Curry and Bread on display at Exclusive Books, Sandton City, Johannesburg.

Curry and Bread is also available from other select Exclusive Books branches, Love Books in Johannesburg, Made in Durban, and Clarke's in Cape Town.

Curry and bread on sale at Exclusive Books Hyde Park, Johannesburg

Pravasan Pillay's new title Curry and Bread on display at Exclusive Books, Hyde Park, Johannesburg.

Curry and Bread is also available from Love Books in Johannesburg, Made in Durban, and Clarke's in Cape Town.

6 Things You Should Know About Eating a Crab Curry: an extract from Curry and Bread by Pravasan Pillay

 6 Things You Should Know About Eating a Crab Curry

 

1. A crab curry – given the per kilo price for crabs – is one of the most expensive Durban-style curries to make. It’s also an intimate dish that involves using your hands and mouth a lot, what with all the loud biting and crunching of shells and the sloppy chiselling out of crab meat with your thumb – i.e. it’s not exactly a first-date dish. So, if someone cooks this curry for you or invites you over to share one, you can be sure that they really like you and are super comfortable around you. You should probably marry this person.

2. Eating a crab curry is, apart from working on an oil rig, one of the messiest activities known to humankind. Crab juice and curry squirts everywhere, into your eyes, onto the person sitting opposite you. It dribbles down your chin, arms, and it stains your clothing. Crab curry stains are harder to get out than an in-form Hashim Amla, so it’s strongly advised that you purchase a special T-shirt, to be used only for eating crab curry. Of course, you could also use a bib or napkin but those items are best left for amateur crab curry eaters. After several years, your crab- eating T-shirt will be a beautiful patchwork of built-up curry gravy stains, a sort of abstract impressionist painting of poor table manners.

3. Warning: no matter how proud you are of your crab curry T-shirt, never ever show it to visitors to your home. It is not, as this author has sadly learnt, the conversation piece you think it is.

4. A perfect crab curry is brown-red in colour and its gravy is thin yet deeply rich in flavour, both sour and spicy at the same time. In fact, a good crab curry is so hot that it should cause your eyes to tear, your nose to run, and your scalp to sweat. Tip: if your wife, husband, or partner is emotionally distant, feed them crab curry every day and they will be bawling their eyes out in no time. That’s right, crab curry could very well save your relationship.

5. In terms of etiquette, it’s acceptable, and indeed expected, to stick a crab leg into your mouth and to loudly suck out the delicious, curried juices. However, it is not acceptable to blow into the crab leg, pretending that it’s a saxophone and that you are John Coltrane.

6. After you have eaten a crab curry, its gravy will have, crab T-shirt or not, left its mark and odour on your body. Thus, it is strongly advised that you take two showers. The first shower should be taken in conjunction with a powerful sheep dip as a disinfectant to get rid of any trace of the curry. Once dried off with a towel, you should take a second shower to rid yourself of the poisonous sheep dip which has now likely seeped into your skin. A little sheep dip poisoning is par for the course when eating crab curry, so ignore the retching and think fondly of your next crab feast.

Curry and Bread by Pravasan Pillay is available from Made in Durban, Clarke's bookshop in Cape Town, and select Exclusive Books branches in Gauteng and Durban.