David Cornwell

Writer, musician and filmmaker based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Represented by the Lennon-Ritchie Literary Agency.

"The real thing."

Jay Parini

David Cornwell was born in 1985 in Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown).

His debut novel, Like It Matters (Umuzi, 2016), was longlisted for the Sunday Times Fiction Prize and shortlisted for the 9mobile Prize for Best African Debut Novel.

He co-wrote and co-produced the 2022 Afrikaans-language Gothic horror film Pou (Peacock), which has won several awards and screened at festivals in the US, Canada, UK, Belgium, the Netherlands and South Africa.

His second novel, Hell of a Country (August 2025 with Kwela Books), is a fictionalised retelling of the Scissors Murder from 1970s South Africa.

He writes songs and plays guitar with Danieyella Rodin in the acoustic roots music duo, Sickle Moon.

You won't find him on social media.