In a letter to bookshops this month, Jacana Media announced a parting of ways with maverick publisher Melinda Ferguson.

‘After eight years of Jacana Media’s incubation of her eponymous imprint and catalogue of titles – among them award-winners and bestsellers – Melinda Ferguson will, by mutual agreement, continue to publish in an independent capacity and launch a new venture,’ wrote Shay Heydenrych.

According to Jacana, Ferguson will announce her plans for the future in early February. The MF Books stable has gone from strength to strength, with recent successes including Letshego Zulu’s memoir Choose to Live and Eva Mazza runaway bestseller Sex, Lies and Stellenbosch.