Publications
We publish a range of texts designed to make a difference
We’re micro-publishers who publish a range of texts designed to make a difference. Our brands are MLA Publishers, editandtrain and Spade-Full Books.
Our publications are essentially aimed at wordsmiths in a variety of languages – writers, editors, translators, proofreaders – and also aspirant readers and writers.
Text Editing: A handbook for students and practitioners (2012)
Prof Kris Van de Poel, Prof WAM Carstens & John Linnegar
A comprehensive and detailed account of the text editor’s craft, this textbook covers the many facets, types and levels of text editing. Its basis is Renkema’s CCC Model, which seeks to enable writers and editors to improve texts more systematically, especially by adopting a strong reader orientation.
Metheo ya ditokiso tsa sengolwa:
Boitsebelo le tshebediso (2015)
Dr Nyefolo Malete
This is the first-ever book on text editing in one of South Africa’s indigenous languages. It is an essential reference work for all teachers, students and practitioners of communications, writing, editing and translation in and out of Sesotho.
Izisekelo Zokulungisa Okubhaliwe: Izinsizakuhlaziya nokwenziwayo
(2019)
Dr Zanele Buthelezi, SD Mbokazi, WN Mthembu-Ngema & MZ Thembu
The second in a series of textbooks on editing in an indigenous South African language, this is an essential reference work for all who communicate in IsiZulu. It has been written for teachers, students, writers, editors, translators and communicators generally.
Kwezi & Sizwe’s Garden
(in five languages)
(2017)
Ken McGillivray & Izak Vollgraaff
This gardening series is aimed at Grade 5 to 7 learners. Its objective is to promote reading and entrepreneurship among young speakers of Afrikaans, English, Sepedi, Sesotho and Siswati.
Terminology and Terminography in South Africa: Principles and Practice
(2017)
Dr Mariëtta Alberts
Written by one of the country’s – and world’s – foremost terminologists, this text makes a valuable contribution both to tracing the development of terminology in South Africa and to describing the current state of terminology practice. Through its focus on the challenges inherent in term creation, it promotes terminology development across the official languages as a significant contribution to standardisation and multilingualism.
grammar, punctuation and all that jazz …
(2019)
John Linnegar & Ken McGillivray
This ‘go to’ reference aims to demystify English grammar and punctuation in order to help its users not only to avoid or detect errors but also correct them with confidence – backed by the authority of sound rules and principles.
The book’s 41 sections and 80+ exercises (with solutions) will prove especially instructive to both L2 and EFL users of English. It will also help L1 speakers who were perhaps never taught English formally or who need to brush up their grammar rules and conventions, having become a bit ‘rusty’ of late.
Engleish, our Engleish:
Common errors in South African English and how to resolve them (2013)
John Linnegar
As an editor of countless texts by South African authors over decades in a wide variety of genres, John has gained a unique view of the typical errors committed by writers (and sometimes overlooked by editors). This publication aims to help wordsmiths either to avoid or to correct such errors by providing examples of both incorrect and correct usage. Not for nothing has it been a bestselling vademecum!