The President by Xander Beattie
When a salacious fictional story about the nation’s president is published, the ruling party and its supporters are enraged. As pressure grows for the story to be erased, its young author flees into hiding, carrying with him an explosive secret — and plans for revenge.
Deftly plotted and gorgeously told, The President is a nail-biting exploration of bigoted backlash against provocative art. While set in South Africa in 2012, the novel is painfully relevant to our contemporary moment, where — in too many places around the world — powerful demagogues scapegoat the marginalised, imperil human rights and brutally suppress artistic expression.
A limited edition book and art print
Only 150 copies of the first edition of The President are available for purchase. Printed and hand-bound by the Pulp team, the book was designed by Catarina Pereira of Voodoo Voodoo studio in Berlin. Each copy of The President comes with a fine art print by the acclaimed (infamous?!) South African artist Brett Murray entitled All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go. Proceeds from the sale of the book and art print are going to the Pride Shelter Trust. Based in Cape Town, the Pride Shelter is the first formal haven in Africa providing short-term accommodation to LGBTQI+ folks during crisis periods.
