Wicomb, who won a 2013 Windham–Campbell Literature Prize, is originally from Namaqualand, South Africa, and is an emeritus professor at the University of Strathclyde.

October is the story of Mercia Murray, a professor in Glasgow, Scotland, who returns to Kliprand, Namaqualand in South Africa when her brother, Jake, writes her to come home and get his son, Nicky.

[2] Asked by Anna James to sum up the book in three words, Zoë Wicomb answered, "Home, deracination, family secrets.

"[3] Allan Massie, Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, wrote in The Scotsman: "Zoë Wicomb's latest novel is dense and demanding, but rewarding.

"[4] Kirkus Reviews commented: "Though the setup is dramatic, Wicomb's writing is patient and meditative [...] its closing pages are genuinely affecting, intensifying the overall mood of heartbreak.