THE FALL OF UGARIT, a novella, with illuminations by the author

188pp., paperback, Vanity Press, Cape Town 2025

ISBN: 9781037051555

Edition limited to 200 copies. Includes a postcard of a watercolour painting by the author, loosely inserted.

"Cope weaves a magical and transporting story that, like Eliot, seems to see everything ... Cope is, in my opinion, one of the finest poets in South Africa. Here he is not poetic. He tells his parallel tales simply. This is pared down work, lucid and calm. It must have taken enormous effort to reach such clarity ... It is also a hopeful book, with a sweetness at its heart that belies its seriousness. It offers perspective: like going outside and looking up at the Milky Way and suddenly realising the true size of your problems." Karin Schimke, author of Bare & Breaking

"An enchanting love story: rich, numinous and splendidly far-reaching" Finuala Dowling, author of The Fetch

Michael Cope is the author of the novels Spiral of Fire, Goldin: A tale and Sunderland (with Ken Barris), as well as three volumes of poetry and a memoir. He works as an artist and jeweller in Cape Town.