The Smell of Rain

In the near future the Climate Crisis rages on relentlessly. On a farm, in the all but abandoned Cape Province in South Africa it has not rained for years, and yet Tilda and her dog Alfie somehow survive. Tilda's life has shrunk down to a series of lonely routines in an echo of a life long gone. Until the day a desperate young boy breaks her isolation and everything changes.

Born in Zambia, Libby Young lived in various parts of southern Africa before settling in Cape Town. With a background in journalism that segued into web development, she now teaches English as a second language to adults from all over the world at the University of Cape Town, where she is also working towards a doctorate that combines environmental and cultural geography with literary studies.

The ZamaShort imprint series is solely focused on the amazing powerhouse that is the short story. We give each short story its own publication so that it may be read and enjoyed fully as a stand-alone publication. As per the StoryTime Publishing mandate initialised in 2007, ZamaShort continues to champion and add to the ever-growing canon of African literature excellence and diversity.