Books: Cape Town launch of Haram, debut novel by playwright Zubayr Charles

What: Haram – novel by Zubayr Charles Release date: January 2026 Publisher: Kwela Books (Jonathan Ball) Launch events include: Cape Flats Book Festival Event: Journeys of Belonging with authors Anwar Mc Kay and Zubayr Charles in conversation with Faraaz Fakier Date: February 1, 2026 Time: 11:50 – 12:30 Place: West End Primary School Entrance: Free Haram book launch Date: February 5, 2026 (Thursday) Time: 17:30 Place: Exclusive Books Cavendish   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zubayrcharles/

Haram, the highly anticipated debut novel of Zubayr Charles, is releasing now, January 2026, with several book events taking place in Cape Town in February.

Zubayr Charles is a playwright, theatre maker, poet and teacher. I have had the privilege of not only watching his plays, but also engaging with him about his work. We have had vital and vigorous conversations. At the age of 31,Charles has staged four plays, which include this bra’s a pyscho and Please, don’t call me moffie. Charles produced the plays. He is a creative who makes things happen. A 5^th play, is on the brew, scheduled for staging at Suidoosterfees 2026.

Charles describes Haram, as a coming-of-age story. On the morning of his marriage, a young man, Muhammad, “looks back on his life” so far and what has led him to this point. I look forward to reading the novel and finding out what happens. The genesis of the novel was presented as part of Charles’ Master’s at UCT, in Creative Writing, under the supervision of Imraan Coovadia. Read on for more. Info as supplied

Haram – novel by Zubayr Charles

Kwela Books proudly presents Haram, a debut novel by playwright and UCT Master’s in Creative Writing graduate, Zubayr Charles, to be released this January 2025.

Haram follows the narrator Muhammad, a young man on the morning of his marriage, as he reflects on a lifetime spent trying to be the praise-worthy son – obedient, devout, and faithful. Raised by his fiercely religious mother, Zaynab, Muhammad once performed his prayers on time and lived by the rules of his faith. Yet beneath the surface, he feels increasingly trapped between who he is expected to be and who he truly is.

Pulled into memories of his adolescence, a time when faith and forbidden desires collided, Muhammad confronts the quiet tensions that have shaped his life. One night, when he meets Riyaaz at a braai, his world shifts dramatically through an unexpected friendship that forces him to reckon with desire, identity, and belonging.

Set against the vivid backdrop of Cape Malay culture within Cape Town’s close-knit Muslim community, Haram explores the complexities of Coloured identity with tenderness and unflinching honesty. The novel captures the rhythms of prayer alongside the secrets families keep – in a bustling city alive with unspoken desires.

Haram marks the arrival of a bold new literary voice, offering an intimate and courageous exploration of identity and the difficulties of making sense of one’s sexuality and the aftermath of alcohol addiction within Cape Town’s fast-paced nightlife scene.

Praise for Haram

“Haram‘s emotional bravery lies in how it avoids sensationalism and simply lets you inhabit a young man’s private, conflicted truth; so intimate and honest that I often forgot it was fiction.’ — Shana Fife

“Haram takes readers on the painful journey of growing up queer and religious, yearning for love and acceptance while navigating judgement and neglect. It’s a courageous story. Tender, heartbreaking, and important.” — Alistair Mackay

✳ Zubayr Charles, Cape Town, Jan 29, 2026. Pic Robyn Cohen TheCapeRobyn