Lauri Ann Kubuitsile

Born 15 January 1964, Baltimore Maryland, United States.

Published writing genres: Short stories, novels, children’s and teen books, TV and radio scripts, columnist, poetry, nonfiction essay,

AUTHOR BIO

Lauri Kubuitsile is an award-winning writer and the author of numerous works of fiction for both children and adults. She has won several prestigious literary awards including the Pan African Golden Baobab Prize for children’s writing, which she’s won twice. She was a finalist for the 2011 Caine Prize for African Writing. Her novel ,The Scattering, first published in 2016 by Penguin South Africa, won the Sharjah International Book Fair Award for Best International Fiction in 2017 and is a Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction (UK) recommendation.

A prolific writer, Kubuitsile writes across multiple genres. Her works are widely published and studied in schools across Botswana and South Africa. She lives in Mahalapye Botswana and writes full time. She is a citizen of Botswana, only.

LINKS

• https://www.wasafiri.org/content/lauri-kubuitsile-the-scattering/
• https://iono.fm/e/1616453 (Interview Secret Lives of Writers December 2025)
• https://live.fundza.mobi/writer-profiles/profiled-published/lauri-kubuitsile/

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• (Note: This list ONLY includes published books. Published short stories, scripts,poems and essays are not included)
• The Fatal Payout, Macmillan, 2005.
• Murder For Profit, Pentagon Publishers, 2005.
• Mmele and the Magic Bones, Pentagon Publishers, 2009.
• No One is Alone, The Ram, and He Brings a Message, Pentagon Publishers, co-written with Wame Molefhe and Bontekanye Botumile, 2009.
• Lorato and the Wire Car, Vivlia Publishers, 2009.
• Birthday Wishes and other Stories, Vivlia Publisher, 2009.
• Kwaito Love, Sapphire Press an imprint of Kwela Books, 2010.
• Can He Be the One?, Sapphire Press an imprint of Kwela Books, 2010.
• The Curse of the Gold Coins, Vivlia Publishers, 2010.
• Anything for Money, Vivlia Publishers, 2010.
• Signed, Hopelessly in Love, Tafelberg, 2011.
• Mr Not Quite Good Enough,Sapphire Press an imprint of Kwela Books, 2011.
• In the Spirit of McPhineas Lata and Other Stories, Hands-On Books, 2012.
• Love in the Shadows, 2012 Sapphire Press an imprint of Kwela Books, 2012.
• Elephants, Macmillan UK, 2012.
• The Second Worst Thing, Oxford University Press, 2012.
• Signed, The Secret Keeper, Diamond Educational Publishers, 2013.
• Thato Lekoko: Superhero, Oxford University Press, 2015.
• For Today, For Tomorrow; Oh Bella!; Tefo and the Lucky Football Boots; Stars, Animal Homes; Sorry Isn’t Good Enough, Far,Far From Home, What’s Wrong with Sol? (a play), Cambridge University Press UK , 2015-1017.
• The Scattering, multiple editions, first published in 2016.
• But Deliver Us From Evil, Penguin South/ Random House, 2019.
• Revelations, Love Africa Books, 2020.
• Mr Fitchelstein’s Safari Company,Sunflower Books imprint of Modjaji Books, 2025.
• The Birthday Surprise, Lost in the Woods, My Body(nonfiction), Off to School, I Can Dance, Dirty, Dirty Everywhere, Junk Champ (nonfiction), Wild, Wild Busi, Mola and the Big Football Match, The Sun Can Help Us (nonfiction), Vivlia Publishers, 2025.