The Economics of Love and Happiness by: Shafinaaz Hassim

Romina Desai, a well-known artist and photojournalist, lives in Johannesburg and uses her art to make visual commentary on social issues and global politics. Her visionary work has earned her celebrity status in the art world. But she is confronted with the racism in the city and in her family when she falls in love with Ismail Mamadou, a Senegalese journalist working in London.

When Ismail arrives in South Africa announcing that he is following a story lead about a thriving child trafficking ring in the country, he also reveals his more personal reason for being here: to look for his sister who disappeared from home 25 years ago. He finds more than he bargained for in a web of crime syndicates operating brothels and engaging in human trafficking and prostitution.

The Economics Of Love And Happiness is a novel that comments on the sweet and not-so-sweet layers of social and romantic life in South Africa and beyond, where greed and lust often take centre stage and empathy is lost. In this way, it maps out the cost of love and happiness.

This story provides a window into the myriad cultures and beliefs that overlap and colour the landscape while Romina and Ismail navigate the challenges that come their way. Will their budding romance survive the bigger storms around them?