The Faculty of Law (UP Law) at the University of Pretoria (UP) congratulates Dire Tladi, world-renowned professor of international law, a member of the UN International Law Commission and the South African Research Chair on International Constitutional Law on the publication of his second novel, Sins of the Father, released on 18 March 2022.

‘A diplomatic meeting in Lubumbashi is rocked by a terrorist attack. Those responsible make only one demand: We want him, without saying who “he” is. In pursuit of this slimmest of clues is Tolamo Moagi, who in this second Dire Tladi novel is freed from the demons of alcoholism and promiscuity that haunted him when readers first encountered him in Blood in the Sand of Justice in 2012. Now he joins forces with Nyeleti Pistorius, a captain in the Directorate for Priority Crime (Hawks), and a French intelligence officer, Julie Bourbon. Also helping is Tolamo's old friend, technology whizz-kid Daniel Schob. The twists and turns of this captivating novel take readers all over the world - from Khartoum to Berlin, from Vienna and The Hague to Laguna Beach - as Tolamo's intrepid team exposes a sinister conspiracy to control the world.’

According to reviews, Tladi’s vast knowledge of the law, and the fact that he has travelled the world, lend authenticity to the book’s content and Tolamo Moagi’s team members circumnavigating the globe.  Reviews state that it is ‘…epic and captivating…I could not put it down’ and ‘Tladi shines as he breaks into the fiction scene.’

A proud Tladi said, “Writing Sins of the Father was exhilarating. I hope reading it gives the reader the same thrills that writing it gave to me.”

Have you had any formal novel writing training?

Professor Dire Tladi (DT): Not really. But I really love writing. Anything! And I love to read. I read all kinds of fiction. I was also fortunate that in 2007 or 2008 the famous Deon Meyer was willing to talk to me about the art of writing, and he shared important titbits, the most important of which was, “Write about things you know.” I am really grateful for his graciousness. I generally do not like self-help books, but I did benefit immensely from Stephen King’s On Writing. Again, many wise words on writing, but what stands out was the advice to allow the story to write itself.

 Are you already thinking of or working on a third book?

DT:  Oh, yes, absolutely! I have the most important element ready in mind – what Stephen King calls “the situation”. In December 2022, I hope to have time to sit down and get the creative juices flowing again.

Your plans after that?

DT:  After publishing a third novel, I would, after a thorough re-edit, reprint Blood in the Sand of Justice, which was published in 2012. Blood in the Sand of Justice was a learning curve for me. It was a  great novel, but it was riddled with errors, and I would like to fix those.

Are you thinking of becoming a full-time novelist, such as John Grisham and Meg Gardiner?

DT:  Yes, that is always a possibility. I love writing. But making a living out of fiction is tough. People generally want to buy books of established authors which makes it tough for new authors to break through.

Where can readers purchase 'Sins of the Father'?

DT:  Sins of the Father is currently available on Amazon in Kindle format.  Hard copies have just been released, and several branches of Exclusive Books have placed orders for their shelves. So, you can request a copy from any Exclusive Books store, and if that store doesn’t have stock it can order from other branches with stock.

My distributor, Cheryl Uys at Willow Trade, can also be contacted at 010 109 8850 with more up to date information on the book’s availability.