That sports titles like Captain in the Cauldron: The John Smit Story easily outstrip literary book sales in South Africa can be ascribed, on the one hand, to a culture of celebrity, and, on the other, to a lack of a culture of reading, say book personalities Stephen Johnson, Jenny Crwys-Williams and Jonathan Ball in this article by Adele Shevel:
Sporting heroes such as John Smit score big outside the field of play – their books tend to outsell those of literary luminaries in South Africa.
And while sporting biographies sell better than literary fiction, sporting heroes sell best of all.
Jake White’s In Black and White, published shortly after he coached the Springboks to a World Cup win in 2007, has sold 230000 copies, making it South Africa’s top-selling book, outstripping international best-seller Harry Potter in this country.
Smit’s In the Cauldron, launched in mid-November, has already sold more than 20000 copies, according to the Nielsen Book Scan. It helps that Smit is the world’s most capped rugby test captain and a South African legend, as well as being an all-round Mr Nice Guy.
Book details
Please register or log in to comment
