I’ve posted this here too, so that it doesn’t fall from the number 1 spot.
Anne Schuster is moving to Kleinmond, from where she will run writing retreats and a scaled-down writing workshop programme. This event, organised by the women who are members of her monthly writing groups, honoured her contribution to many, many writers.
‘In writing with others, without pretension, without competition and without trying to impress, there is an extraordinary connection of creative energies.’ ~ Anne Schuster
Farewell to Anne Schuster
Christine Coates and Maire Fisher
With thanks to BOOK SA, Bridgett Whyte, Christine Coates and Maire Fisher for the pics and to Daniel Fisher for the music.
There are so many lovely photos that won’t fit here, that rather than making lots of small collages of small pictures, I’ve put them together into two movies with two songs as backing tracks. The music is slightly jumpy, but I couldn’t make files that were too big, so please forgive this. You’ll find the links below.
On Wednesday 20 October, 2010 Ann Donald generously opened the doors of Kalk Bay Books to the Monthlies, and we gathered to pay tribute to Anne Schuster, a remarkable woman, a gifted writer and writing teacher who has worked with women’s groups in Cape Town for more than a decade.
Preparations started well before 20.10.2010. Ilze Olkers, another exceptional facilitator, consulted with members of the group and so a fine plan was hatched. Each Monthly would write a tribute to Anne, on a postcard. These would, if possible, include words from ‘Writing is Learning to Die’, a poem written by Anne in her novel, Foolish Delusions:
Writing is Learning to Die
Anne SchusterI lie on the inside of the night
at the edge of the wound
scratching the dark with my eyelids
ready to write the story
which I cannot bear to rememberWhat is it that makes one dare?
I write as if the secret that is in me
were before me
galloping ahead of me and beyond –
a night-ride to the very edge of the world
where all the dragons liveWhat is it that makes one dare?
I let go into a moment of nothing
allow a force that I am not
recount my story to me
allow it’s breath to enter me
inspire me – andI hear writing write.
The postcards were then given to Christine Coates, story-teller, poet and book-maker extraordinaire. She became, in her own words ‘totally absorbed and compulsively obsessed’ as she created A Renga Book for Anne to Read and Play with at Leisure, made of recycled watercolour paintings, layered and folded into an accordion book with pages, envelopes, packets of surprises.
It’s impossible to describe how beautiful the book is; hopefully the photographs will help to show what an inspired creation it is.
Cynthia Mac Pherson kindly arrived early to fill vases with an abundance of proteas and bougainvillea and Cathwrynn, the lovely and willing assistant at KBB helped us to clear the decks for the evening.
As Anne and Annemarie arrived they were sung to their seat by Daniel Fisher (Maire Fisher’s son).
Shaida Ali, newly published author of Not a Fairy Tale, then welcomed everyone in fine sparkling style:
Anne, if at this moment, you’re feeling overwhelmed, take three conscious breaths. Hand on your heart for extra credit.
Thank you to Kalk Bay Books for the use of this fine venue. To the Mighty Monthlies who have participated in this mostly surprise, thank you.
Anne, your writing workshops have brought us much light, laughter and love. You’ve taught us that with stubs of pencils or fancy pens, we can open up cans of worms, free jinn from bottles, break locks on closets where bones were turning brittle. You’ve shown – without telling – that our non-dominant hands hold golden keys to secret words. Your workshops have been magical journeys. They’ve been gifts. So tonight it’s our turn to provide you with a gift or two or three.
Here’s the first. After long hours of deliberation the judges have agreed that you’re the most deserving recipient of: The Sparkly Chocolate Cupcake Award for Most Fabulous Writing Teacher and here to present it is my lovely blonde associate, Ms Wordsmith herself, Nella Freund.
The next award is another mouthful. It’s the Sparkly Chocolate Cupcake Award For Best Cloak and Dagger Mostly Surprise Farewell Party Assistant Planner. And it goes to Annemarie. Thank you Nella.
We are here, Anne, to rejoice in your move to Kleinmond. And we’re delighted that you’re not abandoning us: We love our new roles as Quarterlies. Thank you, Anne.
Christine, one of the original Monthlies, took us back to the first workshops, recalling the events that happened along the way. She presented Anne with her Renga Book, and as a true devotee, proceeded to show not tell her how it worked (as well as all the tributes from the Monthlies, Anne has been set games and writing exercises which involve pink and green slips …).
Christine said that the book represents the texture and richness of Anne’s influence on the writing and lives of many women.
The idea taken from a Japanese poetry form made by many
Maire introduced Daniel’s next song, and explained that both songs, ‘That’s All’ and ‘You were Always on my Mind’ had been chosen specifically:
When we started writing with Anne something new came into our lives. Not quite human, somewhat otherworldly, drawn from our depths, floating in the air around us. Shape-shifting, elusive, at times shy, at other times demanding, once this Protean creature moved in, she was here to stay. We’d find her wallowing in our bath, eavesdropping in restaurants, trying on the clothes in our wardrobe, watching our neighbours and prodding us to find out where they’d been.
Some of the monthlies treated her like a beloved friend, like visiting royalty even, communicating with her daily, helping her with her chores, seeing what she’d like to eat and drink. Often they’d travel many, many miles, through strange and unexplored terrain, guided by instinct and discipline, to provide her with exactly what she needed to flourish. For these monthlies, her shadowy form became solid and robust.
Sadly … other monthlies neglected her terribly, and she languished, patiently hoping for a morsel here, a crumb there, a small change of scenery, or simply a thin sliver of sunlight.With deep gratitude we thank Anne for fostering this complex, complicated, frustrating, rewarding and exciting relationship.
We dedicate both of the songs tonight to that abundantly generous, ever-giving and ever-forgiving creature, Our Writing.
Ilze then invited the monthlies to share in an open-mic session, to read the poems they had written for Anne, or to say something to her. A stream of Monthlies shared their words, including poems from the mezzanine balcony by Sue Bust and Brigitte Murphy …
Time for the grand finale: the presentation of two Dutch bicycles specially chosen for Anne and Annemarie’s forthcoming move to Kleinmond. As Mish Damstra and Shaida wheeled out the bikes which Mish had garlanded with flowers and festooned with flags, the Monthlies joined in a ragged but rousing rendition of ‘Annie, Annie, here is a bike for you’ (Maire’s version of ‘Daisy Daisy’):
Annie, Annie, here is a bike for you
Specially bought for the grand Klienmond debut
We hope it brings years of pleasure
As you enjoy your leisure
May you feel swell as you ring your bell
On the bike that we chose for you.
Dearest Annemarie, we also got one for you
Specially bought to give you the thanks you’re due
Our thoughts on this were not random
In fact they rode in tandem
Cos you’ll both look sweet
Upon the seats
Of the bikes that we bought for two!
(The bicycle, the bicycle surely, should always be
the vehicle of novelists and poets. ~ Christopher Morley)
- Bikes that we bought for two!
Ilze then ended by asking us to think about the web that connects us all, that allows us to be where we are, who we are. We sat in silence as she chimed her Tibetan bells 12 times. One chime for each of the years the Monthlies have been writing together.
- Cupcakes for all – Shaida and Mish handing out the sparkly stuff
Anne Schuster’s contribution to South African women writers
… A woman sits down to write. She sits down at the grey trestle table in the familiar room surrounded by other writing women. She notes the beautiful seriousness on all their faces – varied in age and occupation, committed to writing. She has left behind the dust, the dirt, the sticky pots and pans, the soiled linen. She feels the warmth that starts in her belly and slowly spreads throughout her body, and knows that it is time. She writes as they write, the women around her. They have carved out this little chunk of time. They feel, for these cherished moments, their real selves. She knows that, if she is blessed, she will carry the feeling off, out and home, like a secret rhythm …
~ an excerpt from A woman sits down to write published in 2003 by Women’s Writing Workshops.
Among the publications Anne has been responsible for are:
Kilimanjaro on my Lap a collection of poetry by Epiphanie Mukasano, 2010.
Writing the Self: An anthology of new writing from Women’s Writing Workshops, 2008.
Living on the Fence: Poems by women who are refugees from various countries in Africa, 2007.
Women Flashing: A collection of flash fiction from Women’s Writing Workshops, 2006.
Journey to Myself: writings by women from prison in South Africa. A collection of writing from a series of workshops with women in Pollsmoor Prison, 2004.
A woman sits down to write: Orts and Fragments from Women’s Writing Workshops, 2003.
In My Life: Youth stories and poems about HIV and AIDS. A collection of writing from a series of workshops with youth from different communities in the Western Cape, 2003.
Remember Me? Stories from women who work on farms, a collection of stories and poems from a workshop designed and facilitated for Women on Farms Project, 2002.
Nelspoort ons lief en leed, a collection of writing from a workshop with 16 women from Nelspoort, for the Southern Cape Land Committee, 2001. Book launched 2002.
Women Recall, a collection of women’s life stories produced from workshops co-facilitated (with Annemarie Hendrikz) for the Southern Cape Land Committee, 2000.
Piecing together the Past, a collection of writing from a workshop held at the District Six Museum, August 2000.
My greatest satisfaction when I look back at my work over the last 12 years is to know that I enabled this “community of women writers” (as Ingrid de Kok once described it). ~ Anne Schuster
Some members, past and present of Anne’s groups are:
Anne Woodborne (with Basil Appollis), Silence of the Music, premiered at the Baxter Theatre, September, 2010.
Beth Hunt, Hermanus (Penstock Publishing, Hemel en See Boeke/Books).
Christine Coates (with Stephen Malherbe), Living with my X, (Random House/Struik).
Colleen Higgs, halfborn woman (Hands-On Books), founder of Modjaji Books.
Consuelo Roland, The Good Cemetery Guide (Double Storey Books), short-listed for Sunday Times Fiction Prize; Honorable Mention Olive Schreiner Prize for Prose.
Gail Gilbride Bohle, The Web of Silence (Online at Crink).
Epiphanie Mukasano, Kilimanjaro on my Lap (Dakini).
Helen Douglas, Love and Arms: On violence and justification after Levinas (Trivium Publications).
Hester van der Walt, Hester se Brood (Modjaji Books).
Jean, Behind the Curtain: Jean’s Journey to Sobriety (Human and Rousseau), long-listed for the Alan Paton Award for non-fiction.
Joanne Fedler, When Hungry, Eat; Things Without A Name; Secret Mother’s Business; The Dreamcloth (Jacana and Allen and Unwin).
Joanne Hichens (with Mike Nichols), Out to Score (Random House / Struik); (Ed) Bad Company (Macmillan); (Ed) The Bed Book of Short Stories (Modjaji Books).
Karen Brooks, Emily and the Battle of the Veil and Emily and the Sprites of Light (Self published).
Karen Cochlovius, Desert Varnish (Kwela).
Karin Schimke and Margie Orford, Fabulously 40 and Beyond - Women Coming Into Their Own (Spearhead Press).
Kiki Theo, Money Well, Money Alchemy, Wealth Journey (Penguin).
Lynne Carneson McGregor, Red in the Rainbow (Random House / Struik).
Margaret Legum, Learning to saunter (Kalk and Cheese Press).
Margie Orford, Daddy’s Girl and subsequent Clare Hart thrillers (Jonathan Ball)
Mary Monaghan, Remember Me; Who Do You Belong To? (Self published).
Melissa Steyn and Mikki van Zyl, (Eds), The Prize & The Price: Shaping Sexualities in South Africa (HSRC Press).
Pregs Govender, Love and Courage: A Story of Insubordination (Jacana), long-listed for the Alan Paton Award for non-fiction.
Rahla Xenopoulos, A Memoir of Love and Madness: Living with bipolar disorder (Zebra).
Ruth Carneson, finalist for Penguin Prize for African Writing.
Shaida Ali, Not a Fairy Tale (Random House / Struik).
Tracy Farren, Whiplash (Modjaji), short-listed for the Sunday Times Fiction Prize.
Willemien De Villiers, Kitchen Casualties; Angel in the Tree House (Jacana).
And to prove that Anne walks the walk:
Anne Schuster, Foolish Delusions (Jacana), translated into German and published by Kalliope.
Many monthlies have been published in poetry collections, literary journals and short story anthologies and have won writing competitions. Among them are:
Anne Woodborne, Avis MacIntyre, Beth Hunt, Chantal Stewart, Christine Coates, Colleen Higgs, Consuelo Roland, Epiphanie Mukasano, Erika Coetzee, Helen Douglas, Irene Zeelie, Joanne Fedler, Joanne Hichens ,Karin Schimke, Loubna Freih, Maire Fisher, Margie Orford, Mish Damstra, Nella Freund, Rahla Xenopoulos, Susan Ziehl, Tanya Chan-Sam, Tracey Farren, Wilhelmien de Villers and – of course – Anne Schuster herself.
If names have been omitted from both of these lists, please forgive us. The intention was not to exclude anyone, but rather to show, with the information we had available (mainly from the Monthlies Blog ) how many women have been inspired by Anne as a writing teacher. If you know of others who should be added to this list, please let me know and I’ll add them immediately.
When discussing her workshops, Anne had this to say:
I’m often amazed that people don’t realise or recognise the power of women’s creative spaces. They think the fact that I make it a women’s only space is just an odd quirk of mine, and the fact that The Monthlies has grown from a handful of women when I started Women’s Writing Workshops in 1999 to the splendid number of 100-plus women at the last workshop, is some strange, unexplained phenomenon.
‘Strange, unexplained’ … and also highly creative and productive!
Thank you, Anne!
September 2009 – November 2009
Karin Andersen went to Afrika Burn and shares an amazing experience with us:
I went to Afrika Burn for the first time in September this year. The festival is held in the Tankwa Karoo, about 400km from Cape Town. The Tankwa Karoo is a barren and harsh environment, with extreme weather - hot days, cold nights and very strong winds. We had to tie our tent to our car to keep it in place. There is no cell phone reception, no running water and no electricity in the area where the festival happens – it’s a huge open stretch of land covered with dust, shale and stunted bushes, not a tree in sight.
This is the official description of the festival: “Afrika Burn is a participant created and sponsored event involving radical self expression and self reliance. It’s an experiment in temporary community building exploring concepts related to art outside gallery and museum institutions.” No money exchanges hands once you have paid for your ticket and nothing is for sale at the festival. That means that you need to bring everything you think you will need to survive for four days in the desert. However people can and do give each other things – food, drink, small gifts, massages, yoga lessons, storytelling, music and live performances. It takes perhaps 25 minutes to walk from one side of the campsite to the other, crossing the “binnekring” which is where the artworks are displayed. Some of them are huge – wooden constructions that are metres tall, and others are smaller.
The atmosphere is extraordinary – creative and free – a feeling that you can express yourself in anyway you wish – children and adults are in fancy dress, artworks of all shapes and sizes are scattered everywhere, the only vehicles that are allowed to drive around are those that are classified as mobile art, everyone else is either on foot or on bicycles (often artworks themselves), and people are open and friendly. At night there are various party tents and some performances, often involving fire, such as fire juggling. On the second last night of the festival anyone who wishes to burn their artwork is free to do so.
I decided to wear my poetry on myself, and because it seemed like fun to do something I’d never done before I expanded my creation to include a shrine with prayer flags and origami birds decorating it. The prayer flags were made from eucalyptus leaves, sewn together, and the origami birds were made from magazines that I had at home. Everything except the covering for the shrine was something that we either owned already or borrowed from someone else.
The theme was “Time” and my shrine was an invitation to passers by step out of time and stop for a while, to be in the present moment only. This link is to a short video about the festival, and has also has me being interviewed on it.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4Xoh0ewtsU
My poetry also went onto my umbrella.
August 2009 – September 2009
Lynn Carneson McGregor sent us this fabulously exciting email:
Zebra love Red in the Rainbow, the book about my activist parents, Fred and Sarah Carneson. The publisher thinks it is a vivid non-judgemental description of what life was like for the Carneson family during the Apartheid era. She thinks it is also a powerful love story and an affirmation of how a loving and supportive family can endure almost anything. At present it seems that the publication date will be in September or October next year.
And more great news from Kiki Theo about the launch of her new book Money Well™ ~How to Contain Wealth
Kalk Bay Books –
Friday 13th Nov 2009- 6pm for 6.30pm
Book Launch & Talk!
Money Well™ – How to Contain Wealth ~
an Interactive Presentation By Kiki Theo
Kiki Theo’s original and quirky approach to transformation through money making is fun, light, yet powerful. Her new book Money Well- How to Contain Wealth published by Penguin Books hit the shelves about a month ago hot on the heels of Money Alchemy which was published about a year ago.
“How you contain money is reflected in how you contain other things in your life – your joy, your talents, your relationships, your goals and aspirations, your humanity. Do you have a container? Is it big enough, sturdy enough? Does it leak? Can it withstand the test of time?
How you contain money is reflected in how you contain other things in your life – your joy, your talents, your relationships, your goals and aspirations, your humanity.”
Money Well presents a totally original approach to transformation through money making. Using the metaphor of a container the reader is invited to examine their life and wealth in terms of flow, openness, purpose, connection, and support. With the help of creative and energetic tools the reader will learn not only how to contain more wealth, but also how to spot and repair leaks and blocks in money flow, using The Money Well™ process.
‘It’s not how much money you get to make, it’s how much money you get to keep, that’s the issue,’ Oprah has said – that, is what ‘The Money Well™ is all about.
Kiki Theo is an unusual combination of successful business woman and skilled transformational facilitator. She combines a solid business background including over a decade in her own fund management company, with her lifelong study and practice of metaphysics. She is a writer, wife, mother, alchemist, and healer. Kiki offers weekend courses and one-on-one wealth alignments.www.moneyalchemy.com kiki@moneyalchemy.com
Book signing of Money Alchemy and Money Well books will follow the talk
July 2009 – August 2009
We received the following fantastic news from Christina Coates:
I’ve been so lucky and blessed to have TWO books nominated for the Pan McMillan/Citizen book prize this year.
One is my own story BABETTE’S AFRICAN CHRISTMAS FEAST which is a novella (written under pseudonym Christy Mulco), the other a book I ‘ghost’ wrote – LIVING WITH MY X – for Stephen who is a man born with an extra sex chromosome – so he’s XXY. It’s very topical with the Caster Semenya debacle so I’m hoping it will be very successful.
Please vote for me by going to BOOK SA’s website http://book.co.za/ and clicking on “competitions” on toolbar near top. Click “The Citizen” and page will appear with the synopsis – below is a voting box. Please say you love it!!!
They are showcasing a finalist each week so you can only vote for my book in the week it is listed. One vote per computer – so please vote from you cell phone too! And ask all your friends and family to vote!!
Once all the books have had a turn to be voted for, there will be a final week in which you can vote for your favourites.
The Web of Silence by Gail Gilbride Bohle ♥♥♥
Great news from Gail Bohle is that copies of her novel, The Web of Silence, (originally entitled My First Language is Dance!) have now
arrived. At the moment it’s online under the title First Language (click here to have a look ). It will soon be available to download under its new title.
Gail kindly filled us in on her Crink experience – it sounds like a site which is well worth looking into.
Publishing an online novel is tremendous fun! (says Gail)
I decided to give it a try, as my romantic novel didn’t have a home and it was making me fretful.
I googled ‘Crink’ – a friend had mentioned it – and found it so
vibey and friendly that I was hooked.How to do this thing?
Crink makes the process so easy, that even a techno-dinosaur like me can follow the instructions.
Once you’ve decided to publish your work, you simply press the
“publish” tab and a step-by-step road map appears. It’s a good idea to calm down, (a glass of wine helps) before you dive in though. I do admit to messing it up the first time, as I was so excited I didn’t follow all the instructions properly. But
‘take two’ was better and slower and I managed the process.I am now so inspired, that I plan to publish short stories and poems on www.crink.co.za too.
I recommend it highly. It has certainly given me an injection of
creative energy!
June 2009 – July 2009
From book signings, to articles in The Cape Times, You Magazine’s Youth Review, Oprah Magazine and Fair Lady, to a launch at the Cape Town Book Fair, Karen Brooks has been kept incredibly busy. And all because of a heroine called Emily who now features in two fantasy novels, Emily and the Battle of the Veil and Emily and the Sprites of Light.
Emily, a thirteen year old South African girl, has now travelled beyond the pages of a conventional paperback book. In a bid to encourage literacy and a love of reading amongst youth, MXit, the global social networking and instant messaging giant, has launched Emily and the Battle of the Veil as Africa’s first IM book. (For those of you who aren’t familiar with the lingo, this means Instant Messaging on a cell phone.) The launch of MXit’s first MBook follows the launch of an online maths initiative called Imfundo Yami Imfundo Yethu, which offers online mathematics classes to learners. It is a joint programme undertaken by Nokia South Africa, MXit and a Finnish company that created the mathematical software.
“It is a darn good read and we are incredibly lucky that Karen Brooks felt strongly enough about teenage literacy that she was willing to adapt her book to digital format,” says Juan du Toit, International Marketing Manager for MXit.
Karen, Emily’s creator, draws on her psychology and counselling background to create a fantasy world which explores many teenage themes – relationships between family and friends, self-esteem and social acceptance. “MBooks is the evolution of eBook,’ she says. ‘I thought that access to books via a digital medium was a great way to give everybody access to my novel. More importantly, Emily and the Battle of the Veil is suited to teenagers and I wanted to make it accessible to them – hoping that it will foster a love for reading and writing.”
“I also found the concept of a zero carbon footprint very appealing. As book lovers we did not traditionally think about the impact on the environment, however I am pleased that the next generation will have the same access to literature that we did, but in an eco-friendly way”.
So what is MXit?
MXit, a free instant messaging program for both mobile phones and PCs, introduced introduced mobile messaging to South Africa. It allows members to chat to other MXit users anywhere in the world and to send text messages to and from mobile phones instead of using standard SMS technology, which is expensive. To download MXit: Open your mobile browser, type in www.mxit.com/wap and simply follow the prompts
May 2009 – June 2009
From book fairs to book launches to the heady excitement of being short-listed for the Sunday Times Book Award – once again the monthlies are in the news. (Please do let us know if you have news that should be featured on the blog.)
Live Writing and Modjaji books share a sliver of a stand at the Cape Town Book Fair
Maire Fisher has this to say about the Book Fair:
I had a great time at the Cape Town Book Fair, where my fledgling website and editing enterprise, Live Writing, shared a stand with Colleen Higgs of Modjaji Books. Colleen and I have worked together on all sorts of things over the years and sharing a stand provided great opportunities to meet writers and publishers and people who love books and writing.
Although our stand was minute, the smallest on offer at the fair, we attracted hordes of visitors. As well as Modjaji and Live Writing, Phakama Mbonambi from Wordsetc sublet a sliverette of our sliver, as did Chimurenga. Creative space management was the order of the day! Colleen’s dear friend from Botswana, the delightful (not to mention award-winning) writer Lauri Kubuitsile was also part of the mix. Colleen launched four new Modjaji titles at the fair, and so there was a great coming and going of poets and poetry lovers. It was wonderful to see people buying poetry over and above the special-offer books on sale by larger publishers. Of course Whiplash by Tracey Farren (also published by Modjaji) was on sale at our stand, and it was absolutely thrilling to see the little pink stickers on the cover – short-listed for the Sunday Times Fiction Prize! (More on this below).
A little more info about Live Writing:
Live Writing offers writers support, inspiration and constructive feedback. We also provide freelance work to the highly skilled writers and editors who are part of the Live Writing team. We number among our ranks published authors, prize-winning poets, playwrights, journalists, copy writers, graduates from creative writing programmes and creative writing tutors. Our aim is ensure as close as possible a match between editor or writer and client.
The Live Writing Fund assists writers of exceptional talent, with small grants to help to pay for editing and mentoring, writing courses or essential writing materials, and the first recipient of a grant from Live Writing is none other than Epiphanie Mukasano.
Live Writing offers manuscript assessment, mentoring, (one-on-one tuition, personally, via email or phone) content editing, line editing, proof reading, writing covering/query letters, book promotions and synopses, copy writing for websites and other promotional materials, script writing assistance and just about anything else anyone who needs any sort of writing service might be looking for!
Whiplashings of success for Tracey Farren!
Tracey Farren, author of Whiplash, shortlisted for the Sunday Times Fiction prize
Fantastic news for Tracey Farren is that Whiplash has been short-listed for the Sunday Times Fiction Prize! It’s hard to know what to be more excited about for Tracey – the fact that her literary child is doing so well (despite being rejected and sent home by so many main stream publishers – yay for Modjaji Books – Colleen knows a good thing when she sees it!) – or that very soon Tracey and her partner David will be proud parents of a baby boy! This is one of the comments Tracey has made on Book SA about Whiplash being short-listed:
Whiplash - shortlisted for Sunday Times Fiction Prize
‘This is a wonderful, strange turn of events. The book critics loved Whiplash, but the book industry has often been reluctant to be associated with a seedy female character. It is so divine that someone let themselves fall in love and risk the embarrassment. Colleen, Maire, Ron and I have done an excellent job of brazening it out, even if I may say so myself. Thanks for the support, it really has helped to fuel our fighting spirit.’
(Working on the principle that a poem lasts longer than a babygro, I couldn’t resist writing a ballad for Tracey’s baby shower – scroll down to the end of this month’s news if you’d like to read it!)
Talking of short lists – more great news for May/June is that Susan Ziehl’s short story, ‘Divine Intervention’ made the top twenty of the SA Writer’s College award.
Don’t miss Rahla’s launch – 5.30 pm, 2 July, at the Book Lounge
Launch of Rahla Xenopolous’ new book, A Memoir of Love and Madness: Living with bipolar disorder.
Oshun Books and the Book Lounge are pleased to invite you to the launch of Rahla Xenopolous’ new book, A Memoir of Love and Madness: Living with bipolar disorder.
The author will be in conversation with the editor of O – The Oprah Magazine, Samantha Page.
In 1992, Rahla Xenopoulos was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Despite the devastating diagnosis, she sought education on her affliction. She found an abundance of literature on various mental illnesses, but none of it seemed applicable to her.
The situation inspired her to write this book – which is neither a self-help book nor a medical guide, but rather a deeply sympathetic probing into what amounts to a life sentence.
We look forward to seeing you at the launch.
Event Details
- Date: Thursday, 02 July 2009
- Time: 5:30 PM for 6:00 PM
- Venue: The Book Lounge, 71 Roeland St
cnr Buitenkant
Cape Town | Map - Guest Speaker: Samantha Page
- RSVP: booklounge@gmail.com, 021 462 2425
Book Details
A Memoir of Love and Madness: Living with bipolar disorder by by Rahla Xenopoulos
EAN: 9781770200258
A ballad from the comfy hotel
(or Kai’s nearby)
For Tracey and David, Tao and Grace and baby Kai with love from Maire
Now Fish Hoek is a sleepy town as all who live here know
Not much goes on, not much goes down, not very much to show
The only things that move are trees when the wind is all ablow
Yes Fish Hoek is a sleepy town, a n d it’s rather slow.
But even the sleepiest smallest place can have a tale to tell,
and so please bear with me today, for this is a tale that’s swell
or swelling to be more precise, as happens when a cell
gets planted in a happy home, a sort of cushy, warm hotel.
It looks around and up and down and settles with a grin.
Says, ‘Hello Mum, hello Dad, I think that I’ll move in.
I really like the vibe in here, and so I will begin
to snooze a while and float and lie just underneath your skin.
‘And pretty soon you’ll realise, perhaps a week or two
when you’re feeling kind of funny, or something’s overdue
or you’re channelling Dolly Parton, or craving lentil stew,
that give or take eight months or so, I’ll be making my debut.
‘I really can’t prepare you for who I’m going to be
for that part of the story remains a mystery,
but one thing that I know, and I’m sure all here agree
I will be loved and cherished, that fact’s guaranteed.
‘She said Fish Hoek was a sleepy town, but things are changing gear –
as surfers surf and writers write and artists start careers
and leggy blondes turn heads galore – my sibs are cooking here –
a n d hold onto your socks, ‘cause this town will rock! when I finally appear!’
March 2009 – May 2009
27 May sees the launch of The Prize & The Price: Shaping Sexualities in South Africa, edited by Melissa Steyn and Mikki van Zyl. (See below for details of the launch)
Mikki van Zyl is a long-time member of the monthlies and it it wonderful to know that a project 12 years in the making has produced not one, but two very valuable books.
The Shaping Sexualities project was a child of Melissa Steyn and Mikki van Zyl, born in 1996. It is a collaborate project on the shifting shapes of sexualities in South Africa since democratisation – how sexualities are perceived and experienced in the flux of changing cultural, social and political milieus. The call for contributions elicited more chapters than we could accommodate in one volume, so it was split into two themes. The first volume, Performing Queer was published in 2005 by Kwela in the midst of escalating debates about same-sex marriage. The Prize and the Price is the second volume and is published by the Human Sciences Research Council. This volume casts light into the shadows of heteronormativity. Both volumes speak about how powerfully the public world shapes people’s intimate lives. Likewise our work together has woven our lives together in a suburst of colours, light and dark.
This is what the HSRC had to say in their invitation to the launch:
| Venue: | The Book Lounge, 71 Roeland Street, Cape Town |
| Date: | Wednesday 27 May 2009 |
| Time: | 17h30 for 18h00 |
| RSVP: | publishing@hsrc.ac.za or call (021) 462 2425 |
| Guest Speaker: | Marianne Thamm. Renowned journalist, columnist, editor and author. |
| Refreshments will be served. All welcome. www.hsrcpress.ac.za |
(Left) Mikki van Zyl is a member of the monthlies and runs her own business called Simply Said and Done.
(Right) Melissa Steyn is the Director of iNCUDISA (Diversity Studies) at UCT.
Helen Douglas also has more great news this month:
“I’ve got two new publications. The first is A Little Book of Wisdom, which Psychologies magazine (South Africa) has published with their current issue (Apr-May) – the one with Jennifer Aniston on the cover! It’s a collection of 52 quotes with commentaries by four South African philsosophers: Samantha Vice, Andrea Hurst, Tobie Louw and myself. The second is “Stranger Neighbours”, a paper I wrote for a conference in Vancouver last year on “Madness, Citizenship and Social Justice”. It has been published in a special conference issue of Radical Psychology and is available online.“
Here is a small excerpt from A Little Book of Wisdom
Never stay up on the barren heights of cleverness, but come down into the greenvalleys of silliness.
Ludwig Witt genstein (Austria, 1889–1951)
Clever thoughts grow barren when they lose touch with the ground of experience. We can sense it. The atmosphere gets very rarefied, thin and lonely up there. Such intellectual flight may be prodigious and dazzling, but it is really just a soap bubble. Nothing comes from it. We must be grateful for whatever pops that bubble in a friendly way — the essence of silliness — so that we may come to our senses again in the green, coursing exuberance of real life. Helen Douglas
December 2008 – March 2009
It’s wonderful to be able to share news of all writing-related achievements, so please do let us know about anything that can be added to this celebration page!
A good place to start for 2009 is with Helen Douglas who says
‘I’m very happy to report that I was awarded a grant from ANFASA (the Academic and Non-fiction Authors Assn of SA) at the end of last year, in support of a book about my experience running a safe house for Operation Vula in Joburg in the late ’80s. Judging by the winners this year, the grant scheme is supporting a range of writers and projects, but they are most keen on those that deal with topics relevant to South Africa. Anyone interested can check out www.anfasa.org.za. It’s also a good organisation to be part of as they’re doing a lot of important work around copyright legislation and contract issues.’
Darkly mysterious, disturbing, unnerving and utterly thrilling: nothing gets under your skin like a good thriller. (Borrowed from the wording of the launch invitation!.) Bad Company, an intriguing and gripping collection of thriller stories by some of South Africa’s finest writers is edited by Joanne Hichens and includes stories from Joanne, Tracey Farren and Margie Orford.
If you’d like to read more about the launch and see what else is happening in the world of Baddies and Goodies – a great place to start is with this post on Crime Beat over at Book SA.
Colleen Higgs of Modjaji Books (and Tracey Farren’s publisher) was thrilled about the award mentioned below, as was she about the launch of Modjaji’s latest book, Invisble Earthquake, by Malika Ndlovu. To read about the launch and find out what else is happening with Modjaji Books (the rain queen has been busy!) – click here.
Tracey Farren was awarded a White Ribbon award by the lobby group, 
Women Demand Dignity (WDD), for her debut novel, Whiplash.The awards are in honour of “individuals who have actively done something concrete in the last 2-3 years to eliminate the disempowerment and persecution of women and children in South Africa”. Sindiwe Magona also received an award for Beauty’s Gift – great to see these two novels being acknowleged as agents of social change and awareness. Read more about the award here
WOMEN WRITE THEMSELVES IN WONDERFUL ANTHOLOGY
BOOKS – Cape Times, Friday, November 7, 2008
WOW! That was the first thought that came to mind after reading this gem, Writing the Self - An Anthology of new writing (Women’s Writing Workshops).
Not that I want to be accused of plagiarising the Cape Times/Woman of Worth (WOW) award, but this anthology is truly a wonderful tribute to these women writers of worth.
Dedicated to the late Margaret Legum, whose poetry is included. Editors Anne Schuster, Annemarie Hendrikz and Maire Fisher decided earlier this year that the exceptional writing that flowed from Schuster’s monthly writing workshops in Cape Town should be complied and shared with a wider audience.
At the recent launch at the Centre for the Book, the spirit of generosity that binds these women together was palpable as the festivities continued into the night with husbands and male partners joining the women in giving themselves a hearty pat on the back for this joint achievement.
Sarah-Anne Raynham, who did the design and layout, Clare Gibbon, who assisted with editing and Ruth Carneson, whose artwork appears on the cover, are all members of the ” monthlies”.
But back to the writing.
Short stories, short short stories and sublime poetry, while often reflecting the writers’ African roots, all seem to elevate the essence of being a woman onto a universal plane.
An unusual feature is that the sections are divided not by subject matter, but according to the seven chakras that was the theme of recent workshops. The women worked with colour, the senses and the elements (earth, fire, water and air) which Schuster believes helped “connect the writers with the deep energy source we all have inside us”.
For example, the works chosen to reflect the second chakra, with its water element, range from Legum’s poem ‘Beloved’ to Nella Freund’s ‘My Wild and Ecstatic Woman’ interspersed with an erotic prose piece on ‘Purple Plums’ by Anne Woodborne.
As I read – and re-read – this delightful anthology, it is an impossible task to single out any particular writer that is better than the next.
But, for me, Benita Loff’s poem ‘Seeing Fairies’ dedicated to her autistic son, Luca, and Bridgette Whyte’s reminiscences of the effect of the Group Areas Act in ‘A different time’, were particularly moving.
But then there is Cathy Stagg’s ‘A woman from another time’ and Helen Douglas’s ‘Later, she’ll ride her bike forever’ and ‘Miss Conradie and the angels’ by Gillian Munn and Mary Monaghan’s ‘Poem of Desire’ – just too many to mention.
So dip in, savour this book over and over again and share it with others.
A marvellous collection of poetry and prose – that is anything but prosaic.
A bonus: Schuster has included a detailed section on how to “free write” and create poetry which she has adapted from her workshops to suit the needs of a novice. Try it – it’s fun!
* Writing the Self is available from Clarke’s bookshop; Kalk Bay Books and via the website www.anneschuster.co.za.
- Jean von Witt
Magical launches for Kiki Theo’s Money Alchemy
As always – a picture describes an event so much better than words do – and here are some brilliant pics of the Money Alchemy launches. The first was at the Centre for the Book, the second at Kalk Bay Books. There are also links to three video clips of Kiki talking about her book – to be added to by more recent clips once these have been edited. And to top it all off, a link to a rave review of Money Alchemy!
Book signing in exotic places …
Kiki in action – talking about the principles of Money Alchemy – here’s the link to part 1 on youtube.
And here are the links to part 2 and to part 3
Lenny Balston’s review in Harmonius Living:
Despite its title this book is about so much more than simply making money and is also the first book I’ve read on this subject that takes a holistic approach to wealth creation. Perhaps it’s because Kiki Theo, being a South African author, takes a typically no-nonsense approach to the subject. Read the rest of the review by Harmonious Living here
Please rsvp to Kiki or to Penguin, but not to both!
Watch this space for news and pics of Kiki’s launch!
Heard on the grapevine – Tune in to Fine Music Radio if you’d like some good listening as you write (& if you want to hear Jean Badenhorst & Beryl Eichenberger on the air!)
A collage of pics from the launch of Writing the Self
July/August
Christina Coates and the Citizen book prize
Anyone who has read Christina’s writing on the blog will know what a wonderfully talented writer she is -
and so it is with great joy that we read the following:
My book has been short listed for the Citizen book prize. It depends on readers voting to see who wins.
PLEASE will you vote positively for it — go to the link, click on the top block where it says The Citizen Book Prize Vote now.
Please do it may times each day until next Wed!
Christina’s book is called The Shape of Shadows – the story of a woman’s journey backwards to her people and her place—to the fragile yolk of truth and memory. There’s more of a synopsis on the website below.
So here’s where we all have to head:
Click here to get to the main page of the Citizen, or click here to go to the 30 degrees South website.
After you have voted, you should see a small note that says Thank you for your vote.
Here’s a little more about the competition from the KZN Literary Tourism blog.
The 2008 Citizen Book Prize
2007 saw the launch of the first ever book prize in South Africa to be voted for by the reading public. The competition is a great way to discover new talent and find out what the public wants to read.
“As a young South African publisher, 30° South Publishers wanted to offer unpublished South African writers a chance to have their work published as well as expanding the public’s awareness of the wealth of undiscovered writing talent in South Africa. As a result, we have partnered with The Citizen in South Africa’s first ever book prize to be chosen by the reading public. We believe that The Citizen is the perfect media partner for the prize as it is very representative of the South African reading public”-Kerrin Cocks, 30° South Publishers …
Entries close(d) on the 30th of April 2008 (for the 2008 competition). All budding authors (were) called to put together a synopsis of their manuscript and to send it into 30° South Publishers as soon as possible.
Then, each Thursday for 10 weeks starting in May, Citivibe will publish one 500-word synopsis from a shortlist. The reading public can then vote for it. Voting for each entry will only be open for one week starting on the Thursday it is featured in the paper. This allows the same amount of voting time and exposure for each author and encourages the public to actively participate in the competition on a week-by-week basis. The voting is done on a grading system. At the end of the 10 weeks, the votes are tallied and the winner announced.
The winner receives: R10,000 cash courtesy of The Citizen; A writing course to the value of R4,500 courtesy of The Write Co; Their manuscript will be published by 30° South Publishers in time for Christmas 2008 and their book will also be submitted for the 2009 Exclusive Books Homebru promotion.
Beth Hunt launches her stunning book on Hermanus:
August 2008 is going to be a memorable month for me because my book launch is scheduled to be held in early August at the Marine Hotel in Hermanus. So it’s a first book and a first time in an anthology and I’m over the moon!
My publisher will be sending out invites shortly.
Penstock Publications (Beth’s publishers) have this to say about Beth’s book:
A long overdue, beautifully written coffee table book by Beth Hunt, with breathtaking photographs by Bernard Jordaan, about the village known as ‘the Riviera of the South’.
Great news From Consuelo
To all the writers who attend Anne’s workshops
For those of you who bought a copy of my novel The Good Cemetery Guide and for everyone who listened, shared sad, chilling and funny stories about death, assisted with marketing forays and provided enthusiastic support for the idea of a cultural forum dedicated to opening up the topic of death in our society;
I am pleased to announce that www.goodcemeteryguide.com is now live and open for contributions!
There are no fixed rules for what to contribute; the only criteria is that death should play a role in proceedings (see Guidelines for more info). There is no money paid but there is exposure (all contributions are fully acknowledged, unless anonymity is requested) and the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve contributed to an important conversation.
I’m very happy to experiment and make a place for an interesting piece of writing, photograph etc. Send in a photo of your book club with The Good Cemetery Guide to win a prize, recommend a life-changing book or movie, email me photos and notes on wonderful cemeteries you’ve toured, photograph a memorable painting and attach a write-up of why you were gob-smacked, dig up the name of a peaceful haven for writers, send in a comment on what you would like to see/read on the website; all will be gratefully received. Email contributions to: info@goodcemeteryguide.com
I look forward to your comments and contributions…
Warm regards
Consuelo Roland
June/July
Jean and Pregs Govender were both on the long list for the Alan Paton Award for non-fiction!
The criteria used when selecting books for the award are:
The illumination of truthfulness, especially those forms of it that are new, delicate, unfashionable and fly in the face of power; compassion; elegance of writing and intellectual and moral integrity.
This year, the judges said:
As has been the case in recent years, the entries for 2008 addressed issues that continue to confront our society as it attempts to come to terms with its past and forge ahead into the future.
Whip-de-doo!
Whiplash by Tracey Farren has been generating all sorts of excitement since the launch took place on 5 June at the Gaslight Cafe in Muizenberg.
There’s so much to read about it all that the best thing to do is to send you to various posts on book.co.za where Colleen Higgs and Tracey have their blogs.
In the meantime , I’ll put up a few pics of all that has been going on!
What a launch!
Wow! What a fabulous gathering! The Gaslight cafe (Surfers Corner, Muizenberg) was PACKED; we had to stand on chairs to see the belly dancers. Julia Nowicki of Dance Alive studio led the belly … to read the rest of Tracey’s account, click here.
Whiplash Hits the Street – Whiplash’s Tess already has loads of friends, she must be on facebook or something. The Gaslight Cafe on Thursday night was packed … to read more of Colleen’s blog, click here
Beryl Eichenberger wrote a glowing review in the Sunday Times
From a roller coaster ride where you hold your breath and clench your stomach, to a softer and gentler rhythm, the novel places the streetwalker in a very different space …To read the complete review, click here.
Spotlight on Tracey Farren
Literary agent Ron Irwin interviewed Tracey Farren, author of the high impact novel, Whiplash, at the Cape Town Book Fair this weekend. To read about the rest of the interview, click here.
More, much more to Whiplash than Tess’s profession
I have, as you know, been a huge fan of Whiplash since the day … to read the rest of this post, click here.
Ephipanie Mukasano a hit on the Lit-Blitz list
On Sunday June 15, some of Cape Town’s finest wordmongers, cooks & musicians gathered at the Baobab Bookshop for Lit-Blitz, a Dinner & Jazz fund-raising gig for refugees.
The Lit-Blitz featured Lauren Beukes, Finuala Dowling, Gus Ferguson, Hugh Hodge, Sarah Lotz, Epiphanie Mukasano, Patricia Schonstein, Mary Magdalene Yuin Tal, Sam Wilson and Klean Kut by Terry Westby Nunn with Guy Willoughby as MC.
In the programme, Epiphanie was described as “a teacher with a Masters in English Literature, also a contributor to Living on the Fence: Poems by Women who are Refugees from Various Countries in Africa, she has performed her work at various venues, including the Spier Poetry Exchange.”
The evening was a great success, raising more than R8000 for women refugees. To read more about it all, click here.
Creatively Igniting!
What happens when someone decides to leave the legal profession and take a step in a completely different direction? Well, apart from new grey hairs, sleepless nights and the occasional panic attack – things ignite! Jean Badenhorst knows all about this!
Recently, Jean, a practising attorney, launched …
It all came about when she heard a radio discussion with Jeremy Maggs on SAFM – “Are South Africans Creative Thinkers?” In the opinion of one of the panellists, Clive Simpkins, everyone of us is inherently innovative and creative, but we are all at risk of being educated out of our creativity.
With these words, a seed was planted and Jean began to think about what creativity is – how it manifests itself and how it can be sparked into life. If this has ignited your interest, send Jean an email [info@creationignite.com] to find out more about her programme for 2008.
Lucky with love …
Like Gail Bohle (who was the top selling writer at allaboutlove last month), Loubna Freih has also had great news from allaboutlove.net. Here’s a snippet from her email:
Well, it looks like I was right not to get too discouraged after my writing was stolen a couple of weeks back … one of my short stories has been released today on the site allaboutlove.net. You can read it on:
http://www.allaboutlove.net/index.php/columns/entry/a_beautiful_parenthesis/
and I have just gotten a note from a senior editor at Writers House, one of the US’s oldest and largest agencies, who would like to discuss my book with me—after reading a draft query letter I submitted to him …
May/June
You are invited to the launch of Tracey Farren’s unforgettable debut novel, Whiplash. Set in Muizenberg, the seedier side. An edgy, risky, hopeful and above all funny book.
Ready to launch!
We are holding the launch at the Gaslight Cafe on surfer’s corner, Muizenberg. This is a perfect location because much of the action in the story takes place right here. Notice the circle where the seagulls congregate, the shower where the water blows sideways, the railway boom that holds people back. Read the rest of Tracey’s post here
From Colleen Higgs’s Modjaji Books blog
Whiplash has gone to the printer.
The launch is all planned for the 5th June – invitations will be sent out in a week or two, can’t do this too early. Watch this space if you aren’t on the mailing list of Modjaji Books.
Divine wine has been secured.
There will be belly dancing. It does have something to do with the book.
The launch will be at the Gaslight Cafe – where Tracey wrote quite a bit of the book. It’s an authentic site – old Muizenberg – rather than gentrified Muizenberg – right in a prime spot on the Beach Front. Up in Surfers’ Corner.
Whew!
Read the rest of Collen’s post here
From Ron Irwin’s blog
I am thrilled that Tracey Farren’s Whiplash is being launched on June 5, where I have been asked to be MC by Modjaji Editor and CEO and General Good Person Colleen Higgs. This book holds a special place in my heart because it is the first one I ever officially agented to a publisher (my earlier books were brought to publishers in my former incarnation as UCT lecturer) . This is a harrowing tale. The voice of Tess, the prostitute narrator, is so real that when I first drove to Kalk Bay to meet Tracey I was convinced I was going to be meeting a streetwalker! Instead I met soft spoken, lovely Tracey Farren who just happens to be damned good at her job. Read the rest of Ron’s post here
Kiki Theo – Not one but two books being published by Penguin
Dear Anne & Maire
Here is my official Press Release for the monthlies!!
Well, after years of doing this in my imagination, I actually signed a contract with Penguin on Friday for two of my money books – Money Alchemy, and The Money Well. Money Alchemy – Into Wealth and Beyond is to 
be published in Aug this year, and the other (which is almost ready) by Aug next year.
It all happened rather quickly over the Easter weekend when I sent out the book to 4 publishers with a covering letter from my agent Ron. They all wanted the book, and within days made me the most divine offers, which made it possible for me to negotiate some wonderful royalties, advances and other terms.
It was very difficult to choose a publisher as they all brought something special to the table, and the offers were all fantastic. I must say, I have been given a grand welcome into the writing world.
So I am officially a writer! How about that?
I have also recently acquired a small writing studio in The Pink Palace – a quirky place above the Olympia Cafe overlooking the Kalk Bay harbour -where I will write a few more of these wealth creation books, as well as work on my novel.
Oh yes, while I signed my contract, a whale appeared in the harbour! Right next to the wall! It’s very strange as August is their season, although sometimes they arrive as early as end-June or July. Anne rushed over to tell me, and she is adamant the whale came for me, to wish me luck! I’ll go with that.
Thanks Anne for holding the most amazing writing space, all the monthlies for keeping the faith, Simone for the divine illustrations, Maire for fabulous inspiration and editing, and Ron my agent for opening doors with speed.
We will have a launch, once I have publication dates.
Love Kiki
♥♥ Two stories by Gail Bohle on All about love ♥♥
Hi Anne and Maire
Just to let you know I’ll have a story up (maybe two) on the “All about love” blog, from Monday onwards.
I have written them under Gail Gilbride Bohle.
Submissions to the site are welcome and www.allaboutlove.net editors will go through the process of reading, editing, making any cuts or suggestions and then hopefully put the stories in the shop! …quite exciting to see your story for sale and a little blurb about yourself there too.
The love site offers all sorts of info, columns and book excerpts, as well as on-line courses. Jo-Anne Richards of “My Brother’s book,” fame is one of their editors.
I have submitted three stories and two of them have been accepted – “Nigel’s story,” which is in the shop now and will be featured sometime in June, I am told and “Nick” which will come up later on in the year.
If you are into romance, this is definitely worth a visit!
Here is the direct link to “Nigel’s story” on allaboutlove.net
http://store.allaboutlove.net/product_info.php?cPath=26&products_id=72
Love
Gail
Helen Douglas talks at the launch of Porcupine, short stories by Jane Bennett
THE PRECISE AND PERILOUS PASSION OF A PORCUPINE by Helen Douglas
My first glimpse of Porcupine was from across a crowded room, poking its little snout out into the bookish clutter and chatter of book club. My first notice of it was the title and what I took to be a quill on the cover. Very nice, I thought. Later, a closer look showed that the play of light and dark on the cover was actually the fingers of a hand. Ah, I thought. Even later, I noticed the skin that the fingers rest upon. And I thought: Oh, my.
This is, in retrospect, not a bad way to approach a porcupine, both for the approacher and the approached: gradually, with curiosity, letting the creature come into focus as it will.
So, three steps up again, this time as a reader. The first moment of discovering Porcupine is the “quill”, the abundant writerly craft here. Literary short stories are notoriously tricky. Publishers and booksellers find them difficult, and it would probably be best for everyone were writers not to write them. Except, of course, when the form is necessary and essential and true, when something that has to be written can only be written as a short story. As is the case here. No doubt, Jane Bennett could write astonishing novels. I hope that she will. But the short stories in Porcupine are short stories simply because they are and could be nowise else.
Also noticeable up front is the confidence and exuberance of her language. When a weeping woman scrumples a tissue (144), or a portrait photographer imprecates postmodernism (136), that’s just how it is – if imprecation is an out-of-style word, or “scrumple” not even a word at all, that’s merely beside the point.
There is craft in the dialogue. Her people each speak with their own rhythm and syntax, not conveying information so much as telling you, or giving themselves away. And craft again in the narrative voice, in what and how it notices, and in its tone: wry and rueful, all-too-human, slightly removed. You’ll find it, for instance, where one character complains to a friend about a situation gone “pear-shaped”, and the friend “wonder[s] about pears, which seemed to her to have quite an elegant shape, fat-bottomed and smooth, but she understood the problem.”
It’s in the way she makes unfashionably authoritative assertions. “It’s not a riddle”, she tells us, or “It was not possible”. Leaving the reader to think what, exactly – in a terrain inhabited by floating babies, angels, travelling spirits and words floating around in cartoon speech bubbles that burst on contact with streetlights? And yet, she so obviously knows what she’s doing that we let her draw us on, enchanted. (It’s that kind of “craft”, too.)
Porcupine: Short Stories by Jane Bennett (Kwela Books) Read more about the launch, and see video clips here
April/ May
Great news from Karen Brooks!
Just to let you know to grab the May issue of the Woman&Home as your’s truly is mentioned on Page 174 … my short story called I FEEL GOOD was selected as one of the Top 10. I’m famous!!
‘NOTICING’
A Poetry Retreat for women with Anne Schuster
October 3 – 5
R900 – R1070 depending on choice of accommodation. All meals and teas included.
‘The quality of light by which we scrutinize our lives has direct bearing upon the product which we live, and upon the changes which we hope to bring about through those lives. It is within this light that we form those ideas by which we pursue our magic and make it realized. This is poetry as illumination ….’ (Audre Lorde)
A poet notices, and in noticing, captures her thoughts and feelings and insights in words – words which illuminate and move us, and make us see things differently.
Anne Schuster will facilitate a weekend of poetry – which includes guided writing exercises, silent time for meditation, Chi Kung and time to ‘notice’.
The fee includes wholesome vegetarian meals and accommodation. There will be no charge for the teachings. Dana is gratefully accepted and will go directly to the Dakini Project which, as a tribute to poet and activist Margaret Legum, will publish a ‘first book of poems’ by a woman poet – hopefully, annually.
_________________________________________________
Bodhi Khaya Retreat cc
Let go, explore possibility
info@bkr.co.za
Tel: 028 388-0156
Fax: 028 388-0177
http://www.bkr.co.za
March/April
I hope the link below works, because it takes you to a pdf of an article in the Cape Times – written by Karin Rutter about Modjaji – Colleen Higgs’s new publishing company. For those of you who don’t know, the name Modjaji means rain queen … but let me not spoil the excitement – click here to read more! ——–> Small press to make women’s voices heard
If you’re interested in getting hold of copies of the two collections of poetry already published by Modjaji – fourth child by Megan Hall and Life in Translation by Azila Talit Reisenberger – they are available from Kalk Bay Books, Clarkes and the Book Lounge. They will soon be in other stores.
Fantastic news is that Modjaji is publishing Tracey Farren’s novel, Whiplash, an unflinching, uncompromising street novel – a story of loss, hardhip and redemption.
Watch this space for a call for short story submissions … the rain queen is being kept very busy!
2008
and a new-look blog
But that doesn’t mean that everything will change. We’ll still be celebrating achievements and activities, so please keep sending your news!
The sadness of Margaret Legum’s death at the end of last year meant that some news wasn’t posted – so here it is now. If there’s anything I have missed – please let me know!
From Nella Freund
O mag have accepted the piece, by the way, and gave me very positive feedback, telling me they will use me again (just what I needed to keep the flagging ego crawling along!)
The features editor of O magazine was reading Twist and saw in the back (where the description of each author is) that I like cats. She contacted Struik who gave her my details and she phoned and asked me to submit a short piece on how I love my cats. Their November (2007) issue is on love and, as she said, it is done so often that she is looking for a different angle, and thought that love for pets would be a new way to go. She has accepted the piece I have written, so please all go out to buy the November issue of Oprah magazine and then write in and tell them how much you liked the bit about loving cats!
(I hope everyone did! If not, Nella, could you bring along a copy of the magazine for us to have a look at?)
From Helen Douglas
My MA thesis, Love and Arms: On violence and justification after Levinas, has been picked up by Trivium Publications, a small (but discerning!) American publisher of philosophy, phenomenology and psychology titles. It’s all about the possibilities of just violence, making use of the work of the French philosopher Emmanuel Levinas and my own experience here in the underground in the 80s.
And great news for 2008
Anne Schuster and Colleen Higgs both have stories in Dinaane: Short Stories by South African Women, published by Telegram Books and edited by Maggie Davey (also of Jacana).
Willemien de Villiers and Joanne Fedler are also contributors- so monthlies past and present are well represented, along with Anne!
About the book
Stories in South Africa kept the dream of freedom alive during the colonial and apartheid years; and the tradition of the people and elders of a village meeting under the shade of a tree is based on telling stories as a way of arriving at an understanding. From the fertile land of Cycadia to the suburbs of Johannesburg, this rich tradition is brought to life here, by women who write of and from the landscape and its people. These contemporary tales are informed by a rich folkloric history, as well as a recently troubled past, and offer a tantalising glimpse of modern-day South Africa.
Dinaane’s complete list of contributors: Anne Schuster (”In a State of Emergency”), Alexandra Dodd (”The Transition”), Colleen Higgs (”Looking for Trouble”), Joanne Fedler (”A Simple Exchange of Niceties”), Henrietta Rose-Innes (”Forensic”), Kirsten Miller (”Chance Encounter”), Muthal Naidoo (”The Bridge-Playing Rain Queens”), Mary Watson Seoighe (”The Lilitree”), Willemien de Villiers (”Coming to Land”) Amanda Gersh (”Home Helper”) and Makhosazana Xaba (”Running”).
Story, the site I mentioned in this month’s blog, has this to say about the vision that inspired this and the other Telegram collections.
Global stories: women’s writing from around the world
Hikayat; Galpa; Povídky; Katha; Scéalta; Dinaane; Qissat; Afsaneh – these evocative words from other languages conjure up images of far-flung countries and cultures.They have been cleverly used by the innovative publisher Telegram as titles for their ongoing series of anthologies of short stories by women from around the world. Read more
8 October 1933 – 1 November 2007
Something else again*
You know those waves …
They go way up the beach
to where it was dry. Bubbling,
they set new tide marks. Whispering,
they complete and sink,
to leave the beach shining, …
Margaret was one of those waves in my life – and in the lives of thousands of others.
Now Margaret has gone.
We may believe what we will about where she is, but to borrow a thought from her poem Notice evolved, I grieve because I notice. I notice the forever absence of Margaret. Margaret looking at me – thinking, Margaret ‘swanking’ with a song, Margaret stroking her face before speaking, Margaret checking for egg before eating, Margaret writing pensively, writing incisively, writing angrily, writing compassionately. I notice the forever absence of this woman’s passionate presence; the forever absence of her fresh, loving, informed, intelligent, acutely personal, fully humanitarian, inspired revolutionary energy.
I had the good fortune to have creative writing fun and breakthroughs in Anne’s Tuesday ‘monthlies’ with Margaret, to be in the same bookclub as Margaret, to learn about thinking and racism and people-centred economics from Margaret and to share some childhood memories and a love of horses, movies and grandchildren with Margaret.
Our bookclub mourned and celebrated her the day after her death. Here are some snippets of our thoughts:
Margaret
I loved your brisk
honesty. Your capacity
to cut through the crap with sardonic
yet gentle
humour.
Even more
it was your heart I loved
Truth could not hide
from your
smiling shrewd eyes
For you
anything was possible -
you could imagine it with grace and ease.
I look for the day
when your presence
outweighs your absence.
By her own definition, Margaret was a social entrepreneur; what they want is to see a difference on the ground and in the lives of people … She worked tirelessly towards this difference – sauntering all too infrequently – always with a mindset that understands the urgency of change.
Not for Margaret the easy questions …
but, much harder, ‘Is
it good?’ and ‘What
will it do to our community?’
Hardest of all: ‘How can we
learn to share where
money rules?…
Margaret, you lived alongside us
casually catching the light -
as though [your] beauty were nothing,
hardly worthy of notice.
But you were so worthy of notice, and now the wave that reared back, breathing in
bucking a leaping backwash
to curve cleanly, bouncing down
on smooth waiting water
has breathed out for the last time.
I burst into tears
at the very thought of stopping
at speed:
of nothing after [November].
I noticed that the whales stayed in our bay longer than usual this year. Perhaps they were waiting for Margaret? Oh whales, how I wish you could bring her back with you next season, and we could say Hullo Again** to her also.
Margaret, your writing holds you close with the exquisite accuracy of your descriptions. You reach into the most spiritually aware parts of your readers and grab us by the throat, or heart, or funny bone or shake our minds loose in our skulls. Your austerity and breathtakingly profound images, your precise observations, love, smartness with words and indelible intelligence, compassion and humour, should indeed melt all solitude and help us to find comforts / to antidote despair.
Windless, soundless, the sea’s surface
absorbed the shadowless light …
Unaware, the world made appointments
bunked off, fought, slept …
at nine fifty on November the first, two thousand and seven, when your noble and beloved soul took gentle leave of Cape Town, and the world as we know it.
You are now a spirit child, rising. Go well.
Annemarie Hendrikz
_____________________________________________________________
*Title of a poem in Learning to saunter – A first collection of poetry: Margaret Legum, Kalk ‘n Cheese Press: 2007. All quotations in this piece are from this collection or from It doesn’t have to be LIKE THIS! Margaret Legum, Ampersand Press: 2002.
**Title of an October poem Margaret wrote to the whales and gave to me shortly before she died.
2007
Won a competition, had a poem accepted … any other achievement or news? If so please let Anne know so that all the monthlies can celebrate with you!
Or if there’s anything writerly you’d like to write about – this page is here for that very thing!
August/September
There’s a new publisher on the block!
MODJAJI BOOKS
Colleen Higgs of the Centre for the Book in Cape Town has established the independent publishing press, Modjaji Books. Higgs, who brought out A rough guide to small-scale and self-publishing (2005) Centre for the Book and South African Small Publishers’ Catalogue (edited with Maire Fisher)(2006) Centre for the Book, has consistently championed small-scale, self and independent publishing in South Africa.
“The growth of small publishing means that new writers have more options open to them other than the obvious ones – the doors of the larger publishers may not be easily opened,” says Higgs.
“Modjaji – which means rain queen – is a press that will make rain and generate spaces for new voices to be heard that otherwise may not find a platform.”
Higgs sees Modjaji Books as filling a gap by providing an independent outlet for serious writing by women. “From poetry to biography to fiction, there will be an outlet for writing by women that takes itself – and its readers – seriously,” she explains.
Higgs has been Information Manager at the Centre for the Book for several years, where she has managed projects such as the Community Publishing Project and Writer Development, and brought out a series of pamphlets on writing and publishing.
She also independently published her collection of poems, Halfborn Woman in 2004, and has had poems and stories published in a wide range of local literary journals such as New Coin, Green Dragon, Botsotso and Carapace, as well as O magazine, Femina and Noseweek. In November 2007, she has a short story in the London based Telegraph Books anthology, Dinaane, edited by Maggie Davey of Jacana. She wrote a series of articles on writing and publishing in South Africa for South Africa Writing and also participated in the British Council sponsored Crossing Borders programme.
Contact Colleen Higgs/Modjaji Books:
021 423 2669
0727743546
cdhiggs@gmail.com
MEGAN HALL: FOURTH CHILD (MODJAJI BOOKS)
Cape Town poet Megan Hall will release her first collection of poems, in October 2007. The collection has been published by the newly-launched Modjaji Books.
Hall’s book shows a poet courageously facing deep feelings while being committed to careful, accurate writing. Her intensely personal poems combine dark humour and terrible grief with lightness and restrained sensuality. Fourth Child weaves lively, beautiful things out of the fabric of loss, grief, and emptiness. The collection features work which spans a number of years, from the early 1990s to the present.
Megan Hall studied English at the University of Cape Town. She has published her poems in New Coin, New Contrast, Carapace and other journals since 1991. She has also edited both poetry and fiction for New Contrast, taken part in Young Voices (the 2004 South African Online Writers’ Conference hosted by Litnet), and been selected for the 2005 Crossing Borders programme, a British Council-sponsored writer’s mentorship. She works in the publishing industry.
“The poems in Fourth Child steal upon the reader like a leopard. The tone of the volume is unassuming, at times matter-of-fact; it both shields and deepens, and works to control what could easily be runaway emotions. Poems like ‘Dancing on Robben Island’ and ‘Cesaria live’ allow entry into the psychology of icons where they would normally be accompanied by fanfare. It is an intriguing volume, which ensures it will be read again and again.” – Rustum Kozain
“Her poems – of love and loss – are at once delicate and powerful. They keep their poise, close to the bone.” – Robin Malan
July/August
At the launch of Behind the Curtain: A Journey to Sobriety
(Bridgett Whyte shares her memories of a brilliant evening at Kalk Bay Books)
The rain descended as we ran from the car into Kalk Bay Books. I was surprised to see so many people – the invitation said 6 for 6h30 and it was only a few minutes past 6. The interior of the shop was full. It was certainly a good turn out. Apparently the weather was no deterrent to those keen to attend.
Rich dark wood shelving provided a perfect fit for the books on display. No cramped back-to-back rows of shelving associated with many bookstores. High ceilings created a warm openness, and the rain pelting down outside increased the atmosphere of cosiness inside.
I quickly purchased books and had Jean sign them. Found what I thought was a quiet spot to sit and began reading. I barely managed a page before being interrupted. We were being called to attention for the speakers and my quiet spot became front row viewing.
Anne Donald, the owner of Kalk Bay Books welcomed us, sharing some insights regarding the statistics on purchases for the shop. For every 100 books presented to her she purchases 5-6 whew, slim odds! It was proof Jean’s book was of high calibre.
Alida Potgieter of Human and Rousseau, the publisher, spoke regarding her initial meeting with Jean and how impressed she was with Jean’s determination and tenacity in the editing process.
Maire Fisher from the monthlies, blog creator and editor extordinaire, gave a moving account of her experience reading Jean’s first draft in 2003. And how the final draft still had the ability to move her to tears.
Jean thanked her list of supporters and all who braved the weather to come out. Fortunately she was asked to read a passage from her book and we all listened intently, moved by her experience from the chapter called ‘Seeing Stars’.
I sit now thinking about the night of the launch – transported back to the large leather sofa that cradled me and the others sitting on it. Jean’s book is an example of determination and courage, her life is a triumph of spirit.
I am grateful she came out from behind the curtain to share her heroic story and in turn help many others.
For a great review of Jean’s book (written by Jean von Witt)
June/July
My self-publishing journey
by Mary Monaghan, author of Remember Me?
‘Your story is so interesting, you should write a book.’
So many of my friends kept telling me to write my story that eventually I did. It obviously wasn’t a simple as that. I had no clue where to start so I did the very sensible thing and that was to enrol on a course given by Anne Schuster, ‘Moments of Being’, My book was to be a memoir so this was just what I needed, some guidance on writing techniques and a safe space in which to start writing some key moments in my story.
This course led to the next, ‘Threading the Beads’, finding a thread through all these disparate moments. I was hooked and now wanted to finish a first draft, I was anxious to get my book out there.
With the help of Anne and my writing buddies, Jan Glazewski and Bridgett Whyte I got to a first draft after about nine months. It was tough going, I compartmentalized my life into work, which was hectic and involved a lot of travel, and my book to which I assigned non-negotiable chunks of time. I found that an hour here and there per day didn’t work well for me. I set myself weekly targets of hours to be spent on my book and I worked those in as best I could, mostly at weekends but also snatched hours on planes, in airport lounges. I never went anywhere without my notebook so that if ever I was delayed I could put that time to good use. One of the most effective chapters in my book was written in my car while I was passing time waiting for a function to start!
My first draft was indeed a ‘shitty first draft’. But I had done it and had put it out there to be reviewed. Never underestimate how traumatic it can be to hand your book out to your first readers, for me it was akin to post partum depression. I had handed over my baby and so hoped they would be gentle with it. You feel so vulnerable and exposed and await their feedback with trepidation. Thankfully they had been well briefed by Anne and their feedback was kind and constructive.
This was just the start of the long hard slog to get to a workable draft, refined enough to submit to a publisher. I finally got it to that point with the help of my readers and submitted it to Oshun for review. Now the wait to hear from them, they said 3 months and they took every day of that, only to come back and give me my dreaded first rejection! Now I was truly a writer, I had been rejected as so many great writers had been before.
My book didn’t really fall into any of the categories that South African publishers were supporting so I decided that I was going to self publish. I had been through all the pain of writing my story and now I was determined to get my story out there.
The first step was to find someone to edit my book, look at it objectively and help me to get it to be the best it could be. I was lucky enough to be referred to Romaine Hill. I cannot stress enough how important it is to have an editor with whom you are comfortable and who you feel understands and appreciates your book. Her help and guidance were invaluable in helping me shape it into a much better book. The edit process is by nature slow and sometimes finicky, difficult for me as I don’t have the greatest attention to detail but also very exciting as you see your story develop and grow into something so much better. The process takes time and needs to, it isn’t something you can rush and that is part of what you need, a little distance from your book and objectivity. For me this process took about eight months.
Now I had a book that I felt was ready to be published so I needed someone to design it
for me. I had decided from the outset that I would use a painting of my house for the front cover, very bright and busy and probably not what a publisher could use, but it was what I wanted and part of the joy of self publishing is making your own decisions. I passed my book to Andy Thesen who worked on fonts, layouts etc. for me. I had no idea that there was so much involved in designing a book, little things like where does the chapter heading go? do all the chapters start on right hand pages?, does the chapter heading follow through on the footer of the page etc. etc? I now look at books with new eyes!
The book is now written, edited and designed, all that remains is for it to go to print. Now even more questions need to be answered. How many to print, should the cover be matt or gloss? The beauty of digital printing is that you can decide to print as many or as few as you wish. I was referred to Adrian at Megadigital who helped me through the process. He was very tuned into my needs as a first timer and patient in helping me understand the process and advising on the best route to follow. He was just as excited as me in seeing my book actually take shape. It is hard to describe the excitement of getting the first book from the printers. I slept with it under my pillow the first night, it was such a wonderful thought to think that I had been responsible for it from start to finish, it was all mine, warts and all!!
Of course it is great to produce a book but of no use whatsoever if you don’t have a distribution channel to actually get it into the bookstores. This proved to be one of the biggest challenges I faced as a self-publisher. There are only a few distributors who handle self published books and their response time to you can often be really long. I was lucky eventually, after getting the run around from other distributors, to find Stephan Phillips distributors, and Tessa Gilbey who replied immediately to my enquiry and asked for a copy of my book for review. She promised to get back to me with an answer within 48 hours and in fact she responded in 24 hours and agreed to list my book. They have a sales force across the country but need to add your book to their lists so you need to take that lead-time into consideration when starting to publicize your book. It was a few weeks before my book hit the stores.
Readers need to know where to find your book so it is a good idea to have a website for people to visit where they can find contact details for you and your book, a synopsis of the book, just some general information that will be of use for them. Again this doesn’t have to be complicated it can be very simple to start with, then as time goes on you can choose to add to it as the need arises. So here I was the proud owner of a website in my name!
Then for the publicity, this can be as much or as little as you choose to do. I decided to hold launch parties in Johannesburg and Cape Town as I had groups of friends in each area. My launches were as much celebrations as PR opportunities. My book was a very personal memoir and so many of my friends had been on the journey with me that I wanted to acknowledge them. Book sales at launches are always good, never underestimate how much people love to have their books signed by you both for themselves and as presents for their friends. We had great parties, sales of my books just about covered the costs and that was just fine.
In addition to the launches, which I organized myself, I employed a PR agency, Redhedz to contact media regarding my book. Again, as a self-publisher this is your choice but I found that getting exposure for my book definitely increased sales. They sent a press release to various publications, TV and radio stations, targeting the particular audience for my book. I was lucky enough to get exposure on SABC breakfast show and several radio stations, both local and national as well as articles in local and national newspapers.
I keep copies of my book with me at all times as so often it comes up in conversations with people and they want to know where to find a copy. It is great to have the opportunity to strike while the iron is hot and produce one for them, which you can sign too.
Self-publishing has been one of the most satisfying things I have ever done. I have learnt so much about what goes into producing a book and getting it out into the market. Yes, there are frustrations along the way and some running around but at the end of the day you have produced your book, exactly as you want it to be. The work involved is manageable and you find so many people who are willing to help with advice and referrals that it becomes a pleasure and not a chore! Would I do it again?
Absolutely, it was the best fun!
June
The Launch of Living on the Fence
(many thanks to Bridgett Whyte for photos from launches at the Book Fair and at the Centre for the Book)
When Maire asked me to write a review of the launch of Living on the Fence, poems by women who are refugees from various countries in Africa, I felt a sense of tremendous honour.
Now, as I sit down and put my pen to paper, I find I’m at a loss. How do I translate the gifts these women’s poems imparted to us when they stood up to share them on Wednesday evening?
I could start by saying marimba notes and the rhythm of African drumbeats filled the foyer of the Centre for Book on a perfectly beautiful Cape winter evening, and end by commenting on what a well-attended successful launch it was, and I’d leave you with nothing.
These poems are not a collection of words strung together to sound beautiful or look impressive on the page. Each poem sketches the journey of her writer; reflects images of the loss, the horror, the destruction and despair of war, and lays bare the struggles, the agonies, the strength and courage that have brought these women here.
These stories are bound together between the covers of a simple book and presented to us as a testimony to the perseverance of the female spirit. This book is important, and anyone fortunate enough to have been at the launch on Wednesday night will agree, a much needed catalyst to assist in breaking down the xenophobia so prevalent in South African society today and to help foster a culture of understanding between our nation and our fellow Africans who have, through the scourge of war, found themselves living here.
Irene Zeelie
24th June 2007
Copies of Living on the Fence (R100) are available from Anne at the monthlies’ workshops, from Clarke’s Bookshop and from Kalk Bay Books.
February/March/April
Margaret Legum will be launching her debut collection of poems at the Cape Town Book Fair, Mary Monaghan will be taking part in a small publishers’ symposium.
(Let me know if there’s anything more to add to this list!)
From Colleen Higgs
I was invited to read as a poet at District 6 museum on 27th April with Malika Ndlovu, Jeremy Cronin and Kelwyn Sole.
And I have a poem published in Dec 2006 New Coin – called “Turn Away” – it hasn’t come out yet.
One of my stories is due to be published in Green Dragon – June 2007 – called “Spying” from my forthcoming book “Looking for Trouble”.
I also had a story commissioned and published in O magazine March 2007
called “Reading the Weather”.
January/February
Consuelo Roland and Anne Woodborne in the news!
Welcome back to the blog! In true Monthly style we begin the year by celebrating the achievements of two writers: Consuelo Roland and Anne Woodborne.
The English Academy of Southern Africa – The 2006 Olive Schreiner Prize for Prose
Consuelo Roland received an Honorable Mention for her novel, The Good Cemetery Guide (Double Storey Books, 2005), which the judges described as:
“an intensely readable creation of story and character”.
As there had been a number of excellent entries, the panel decided to split the prize between two novels, both first novels, with very honourable mention of a third. The joint winners are Russel Brownlee’s Garden of the Plagues (Human & Rousseau, 2005) and Jane Taylor’s Of Wild Dogs (Double Storey Books, 2005).
Anne Woodborne’s won third prize in the Woman and Home short story competition and the judges had this to say about her story:
“intriguing,unusual and ambitious. “
The judges were looking for fresh ideas, stories that were different, had that extra something with a touch of the unpredictable. Anne’s story provided a thought-provoking build-up.
Anne’s photograph appeared in this month’s Woman and Home, her story will be published in either the April or May issues.
Mary Monaghan also has piles of news about her memoir, Remember Me? but you’ll have to wait to hear it, because she’s promised us an article for this page!
2006
Reflections on the blog – Anne Schuster
Looking back on the Monthlies course of 2006, I have to admit to being very pleased! The energy was great, the theme of the chakras worked even better than I’d hoped, enabling ‘embodied’ writing and pushing participants a little further and deeper into their writing than in previous years.
At the beginning of 2006 I introduced the monthlies blog, and asked Maire Fisher to set it up, administer it and edit contributions. This has proved to be an important feature of the monthlies course and an excellent way for participants to develop a writing practice. In previous years, participants often left the workshops inspired by the creative energy generated, pleased with what they’d written and intending to continue and ‘finish’ what had been started. Some of them did, others became caught up in the business and busyness of their lives and ended up not doing much writing until the following workshop – and the exciting piece of writing remained in their workshop notebooks until the next workshop.
With the introduction of the blog last year, participants were given a monthly assignment – usually to work on and complete a piece or pieces of writing started/drafted in the workshop – and a deadline by which to send it to me and Maire. After receiving feedback from Maire, with suggestions for improvement and re-working where necessary, participants submitted their final copy to be posted on the blog. Seeing their own work, as well as the work of others in the groups, has proved to be inspiring and encouraging. In this first year of the blog – March to November 2006 – over 350 pieces of writing (stories and poems) have been published on the blog. Almost every one in the four monthly groups has at least one piece on the blog.
I asked for feedback on the blog. Here are a few extracts of what participants had to say:
Dear Anne – The blog is brilliant! For me it’s about the discipline of finishing off work and having, always such wonderful, and inspiring and very insightful input from Maire. Keep it on! It has added a whole new dimension to the monthlies.
Dear Anne, If it wasn’t for the blog, I’d never have gone back to anything I’d written in the workshops. And Maire’s editing has been a delight. She is the perfect reader.
Hi Anne – The deadlines keep me focussed and if I don’t write anything else during the month at least the Blog work gets done. I have to do my homework! The best part though is reading the contributions from all those talented writers. I read and enjoy them all – my best read of the month! PS My husband did a Google search of my name and it took him straight to The Monthlies Blog.
Dear Anne – I have found it useful for forcing me to finish pieces that I have started in the workshop, and to go back and re-work writing that I otherwise
wouldn’t be bothered to do. My favourite thing about it, however, is opening it up and being able to read everyone else’s work. There is never time in workshops for everything to be read out and I love being able to see other writing that is produced. And, to be honest, to see my writing in print is a great ego boost!
Hi Anne – I love the BLOG for the following reasons: It has encouraged me to do some writing in an otherwise dry year. I feel as though I have still achieved something by being “published” on the BLOG. I love to read what others have written – and there’s some awesome writing on the BLOG. I haven’t had a chance to read everything. I always start reading stuff written by women I know. So it’s been fantastic to click on a name and call up that woman’s writing.
Hi Anne – this year’s course has motivated me to write and publish. Maire’s careful reading of my work and excellent, non-threatening editing and good suggestions have been most helpful. I also loved this year’s chakra theme.
Hi Anne – I have loved the blog. A wonderful learning experience to start off with something about which that I am quite insecure and get it to a point where I am actually quite proud of it. As a new member of the monthlies, it was quite a leap for me, but with the support from you and Maire, I felt increasingly confident. Thanks for a really worthwhile opportunity!
Dear Anne, re the BLOG: I have looked forward to seeing it every month. I print
it out so that I can read it at my leisure. I am getting used to seeing my stuff in print, and to sending it in every month. Having to send it in means I have to stop changing it. I’ve got used to having other people reading it, knowing that Maire has helped me make the best of it. I love having her emormously helpful and encouraging editing. I have been astonished at the wonderful and varied stories and poems, and enjoyed reading ALL of them.
Hi Anne – I’m over the moon about having my work showcased and being able to select other assignments to read on the blog. But I do feel that this goldmine which both you and Maire have provided is certainly not being used to its full potential. Where are all the comments from the writers … I think there are at least 44 of us? I am enjoying the blog immensely and am grateful to Maire whose editing has been of such value to me.
Dear Anne – Working to a deadline is what I need, and respond to best. I also enjoyed the feedback, making me reflect on how and what I said, and developing a response to why I did something in a particular way.
Hi Anne – the blog is great -it gives me something to aim for in finishing and
polishing a work. Please keep it. It’s also great to read the final versions
of some of the stuff heard in class. Also, very much liked your Chakra thread though all the workshops. It brought out some good work.
Hello Anne – the Blog is FANTASTIC. I thoroughly enjoy reading the work of others. I learn a lot and I gain confidence. “Hey! I can also do that!”
When a plan comes together – Maire Fisher
‘I love it when a plan works out well,’ Anne said on the day that I sent her through the final list of who had written what in the 2006 workshops. (A list culled, I might add, from the handy sections of blog administration called ‘managing categories and posts’).
The Monthlies’ blog is certainly a wonderful example of a plan that came together – beautifully.
When Anne asked me if I would edit the Monthlies’ work I thought it was a fantastic idea. I didn’t have a clue how to set up a blog, but I was dying to try one and see how it worked. I was nervous, excited, and as far as the volume of work was concerned, fairly relaxed. I’ll probably land up editing five or six pieces a month, I thought, max 10. At the end of March, after editing over 65 pieces of writing I wasn’t feeling quite as complacent! (I also knew a lot more about how a blog worked!)
From March to November 2006, 67 members of the four monthly writing groups submitted over 350 poems and stories to the blog. And I was privileged to be able read and comment on them all before they were posted on the blog. I whooped with laughter, I wept. Sometimes I had suggestions to make, at other times there wasn’t a word I would have dreamed of changing. And never once did I ever sigh and think, oh darn, time to start editing.
It’s great that as a result of the blog, so much writing that might otherwise have languished unfinished in a notebook labelled ‘Writing 2006’ has now been published. It’s also been fantastic to see what monthly writers have achieved with their writing. For the blog has also become a place to celebrate publication, winning competitions, and the promotion of writing in workshops such as the one Anne and Yuin Tal organised for refugee women.
As I write this, I see that the number of visitors to the site has reached 6589. That means that 6589 people have been exposed to some fantastic writing – whether they arrived by using some rather odd search terms, by looking for something writing related, or by searching for a particular Monthly’s name. The list is below a good example of how people find their way here – one of the many I chuckled over behind the scenes at the blog!
Search Views
lynn mcgregor 2
“lana may” writer 1
8 line triolets 1
boilermaking sucks 1
trisha in the bathroom 1
“replace my suits” 2
elephant farts 1
christina coates 3
Soup kitchens double chin darkness at no 2
mountainbike jon whyte exotic front 2
nella erotica as she comes 1
Vanessa Mishima 1
Karin Schimke 1
lonely widow’s libido 1
manilla tricycles pictures 1
teapot rooibos boots 1
sarah raynham 1
poems about finding a voice 1
Plutarch said that the mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be ignited. On the first Saturday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of the month, Anne Schuster ignites fires – sends pens racing, and is responsible for writers’ cramp (but never writer’s block!). As well as being able to say how wonderful it’s been to be trusted with the monthlies’ work, it’s also wonderful to be able to voice what we all feel about Anne as a writing facilitator. She creates an environment where we feel free to write, without fear of being assessed, criticised or diminished. And month after month we leave the table we’ve been sitting at, drained but replete, enthused once again, determined to keep the practice of writing alive in our lives!
There’s so much more I could say about the blog, but much of it would be a repeat of the notes I posted during the year, from workshop to workshop. It’s been a wonderful year, a fantastic job, and the work posted on the Monthlies’ Blog is a luminous example of what happens when a group of women sit down to write.
October/November
Colleen Higgs – Writer and champion of small-scale and self-publishing
Colleen has steadily worked away at her writing in 2006. She was fortunate to participate in the 2005/06 British Council sponsored Crossing Borders programme where she worked on a collection of short stories. She wrote three articles for South Africa Writing and had poems published in Green Dragon and Carapace, a story published in Femina, and has been approached by O magazine to write a flash fiction story. Her book on self-publishing, A rough guide to small-scale and self-publishing, went into its second edition and was also translated into Afrikaans, isiXhosa, isiZulu and Sesotho.
But perhaps the most exciting event of 2006 was the publication of the South African Small Publishers’ Catalogue, followed towards the end of the year by an online resource for self-and small-scale publishers: the South African Small Publishers’ Blog.
South African Small Publishers’ Catalogue
Editors: Colleen Higgs & Maire Fisher
An edited excerpt from Colleen’s introduction to the Catalogue
This year I was able to realise a dream I’d had for many years which was to put together a catalogue that would showcase small publishing in South Africa, based in some ways on the Whole Earth Catalogue [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whole_Earth_Catalog ]_Catalog ]. Many people, even those in the book world, such as librarians, booksellers, larger publishers, and books page editors are not aware of the extent and fertility of this part of the book world. The Catalogue is a way of shining a light on this important work and of giving it the recognition it deserves.
I wanted the catalogue to be interesting, useful, readable and a resource which small publishers, readers, booksellers, librarians and booklovers would not want to be without. I was fortunate to get a discretionary grant from the Publishing Chamber of the MAPPP Seta to do various wonderful things as part of my work like producing information pamphlets for writers, more money for Community Publishing Project grants and to do the research that would form the basis of the Catalogue. I was equally fortunate to have Maire Fisher be the person that would do the research and the hard work that led to the Catalogue.
I think that small-scale or “indie” publishing is a space of vibrant energy, fascinating books and writing that too few people know about. The Catalogue offers insight into the extent of small publishing, as well giving new entrants into the field an idea of who is doing what and how they are doing it. We hope that new small publishers will be able to learn about the world of publishing by perusing The Catalogue and in learning how others are doing it, generate new ideas as well as new marketing strategies, new distribution pathways and new readers.
Perhaps this may be the beginning of an informal network that will grow as small publishers share ideas and resources. Our online version will ensure that The Catalogue remains up-to-date and interactive, and provide a forum for all small publishers to tell of their achievements and their travails.
Even though there are more small and niche publishers in South Africa than most people are aware of, there is room for many more. Our booksellers, especially the independent booksellers, are becoming more open to small presses, and they make room for them on their shelves. The transformation of our society depends on as many voices being heard as possible. We need a variety of voices – voices in different languages. Showcasing the work of small publishers is a step in the right direction.
The growth of small publishing also means that new writers have more options open to them other than the obvious ones – the doors of the larger publishers which may not be easily opened.
Some of the small publishers featured in The Catalogue express views that are, to say the least, controversial. Joop Bersee says,
‘Do you really need a publisher? Does it sell better? Would I be more ‘successful’? I don’t think so. I really don’t care whether I get an A4 size self-publication or a ‘real’ book from someone. Totally unimportant. As soon as you open the nice cover, all you see is paper and words whether your poems have been printed by Publishing Company X or by your own HP printer. Besides that, the big and smaller publishers have published rubbish. That’s how it goes. Editors make mistakes. So do publishers. They published crap in the past and they will publish the same in the future. Their advertising is better. That’s about it. They have money to spend.’
Matthew Blatchford claims,
‘Small publishers have less to lose than big publishers in terms of name and capital. That’s why small publishers – like small magazines and small record labels and websites and so on – can function as a kind of samizdat within the oppressive structures of the UCCR (the Union of Capitalist Corporate Republics). So that makes them politically valuable – just in the way that tiny political organisations can stand up for issues that bigger ones don’t dare touch.’
The Catalogue shows clearly that there are many committed writers and small publishers toiling away, doing amazing cultural work. For the first time there is a way that these endeavours can be seen in one place. The Catalogue provides a space for others to read of the acclaim given to publishers like Mxolisi Nyezwa (Kotaz) and others like him.
Blogs are yet another way in which people are publishing: via the web. Blogs can be fascinating to read, exposing as they do the personality of the writer who posts his thoughts and invites comment on them. Talking about blogging as a marketing tool for small publishers, Roy Blumenthal has this to say:
‘A blog is a specialised conversation with a niche audience.
‘It’s a conversation because people who read blogs seek out specific topics of interest to them. They then follow the blogs they’ve chosen, reading posts as they appear, often using an RSS feed reader. They form a personal relationship with the blogger. And often participate in conversations via the comments fields. What more can small publishers want than actual READERS of the stuff they publish?’
Robert Berold takes us out outside the borders of South Africa to China, where
‘I came to teach at the university here with quite a lot of experience in encouraging poets and starting magazines, and decided to start a magazine on the campus as a means of creating a literary community for myself and meeting other poets. I found a student poet named Fan Gao, who was willing to be the Chinese-language editor, and together we started a bilingual magazine called Mouse (Zi-shu).
‘We called for contributions by posters and internet adverts and classroom announcements, we asked a few well-known poets for some work, and we soon had over 80 contributions by about 40 poets. We argued and selected and designed and printed, and in March 2006 we were able to launch a magazine with some real variety and quality.’
Dianne Case of Kwagga Publishers explains why in spite of enormous odds and challenges, small publishers keep soldiering on.
‘Why then, do we soldier on? Because of the magic. Our books are beautifully produced, beautifully illustrated, pertinent stories. And because we believe we can make a difference to the literacy rate in this country by giving our people books that they can relate to.’
==========
Maire also went onto to put all the information that is in the printed catalogue onto the South African Small Publishers Blog [ http://thesouthafricansmallpublishersblog.wordpress.com/ ]
You can learn more about the various initiatives Colleen is involved in by visiting the Centre for the Book’s website: http://www.centreforthebook.org.za/
September/October
Until now, this has been a place to celebrate being published, launched, winning writing competitions – all manner of writing achievements. And indeed it will continue to be so. But instead of hearing my voice all the time, this month Karin and Nella … but let me not spoil the fun – read on!
Karen Schimke and Nella Freund – Launching out!
The place: Steenberg Hotel
The occasion: The launch of Twist
The Monthlies whose stories are in the anthology: Chantal Stewart, Consuelo Roland, Karin Schimke, Maire Fisher, Mish Damstra, Nella Freund & Rahla Xenopoulos
To tell us about it all: Nella Freund
Every woman should have a launch – Nella Freund
Joanne Fedler said to me a few years ago after the launch of her first novel, The Dreamcloth, “Nella, every woman should have a launch!”
At last, I can agree with her, although it wasn’t totally my own launch, admittedly. Oshun held a launch lunch for the authors of Twist, their new collection of short stories inspired by tabloid headlines, at Steenberg Hotel on Friday 20 October.
Never having been to a launch before, I wasn’t sure what to wear and my ideas of a “pretty frock” (gosh, guess whose mother drummed that into her when she was young?) got ruined by the cloudy weather and I ended up wearing jeans and a black and white striped t-shirt that made me look like a zebra (a dashing one, I hope). Rosamund Hayden wowed all of us by wearing a large white hat, the kind of which I last saw at a morning wedding. She says she never has any occasion to wear something like that (don’t we all know the feeling – why do you think I was wearing jeans?) so used the launch as an excuse.
We were handed champagne under the oak trees as we walked in and that was a good thing, too, as it meant we all surpassed the polite stage very quickly and soon were trading writing secrets and getting on extremely well.
From my perspective, I barely noticed the food; although I know it was delicious and it soaked up some of the alcohol. Willemien de Villiers gave a wonderful speech about how difficult it is to write a good short story (I felt very clever at that moment) and Michelle Matthews of Oshun showed us some of the books they have published over the past two years (I felt determined to finish the novel I’m working on because, after two glasses of champagne, I was certain I would become a best-selling novelist). The editor of the book (Ceridwen Morris) spoke, über-editor (Helen Moffatt) spoke, Maire Fisher and someone else said something erudite about short stories, but by that time my table was getting rowdy and not listening too well.
Lovely long messages were sent from the authors who were overseas, like Joanne Fedler 
and Marita van der Vyver, which made me feel like I was at a wedding, and I had to watch that I didn’t start getting maudlin. I escaped outside and found Maire and Karin who were smoking and I felt I had to join them for a cigarette, although I last had one about four years ago. After three glasses of champagne, it tasted wonderful.
And then it was four o’ clock and the restaurant staff made us move outside as they had to start laying tables for dinner, so the party broke up and we all wandered home, some in more of a straight line than others. (By then I had had two cups of coffee, so my line was straight).
I enjoyed spending time with other women who share the same passion as I do, who understand how much I love putting one word next to another, who know how important it is I get all the phrases out of my head and down onto paper, and who spend ages manipulating sentences to get them to sound just right.
So, yes, Joanne, every woman should have a launch. It was good for my ego and it made me feel proud of my work, but above all else, it made me vow to carry on writing.
PS: There are no writing secrets that Anne Schuster hasn’t taught us: just get the words down and write regularly!
And now for something equally fabulous:
The Place: Exclusive Books, Gardens
The Occasion: The launch of Fabulously 40 and Beyond
The Fabulous Monthly: Karin Schimke
To tell us all about it: Karin Schimke
I write with ease. And there is little that I write that I am not also prepared to allow to be read. I speak with ease, and there is little I find unsayable.
But to speak to an audience, when the focus is exclusively on me, is a singular terror.
I’m not sure what it is that winds me up so, but there it is.
Earlier this year I compiled a book of recipes of family meals for the Camps Bay Schools’ centenary celebrations. I had to introduce the book before a large audience of some rather distinguished ex-pupils, ex-teachers and ex-principles. I was almost crippled with nervousness. Not being much of a drinker, I opted for a large glass of wine taken in big gulps between frantic, unsatisfying puffs of a cigarette, not quite, but almost, hiding behind the bicycle shed.
“I don’t know why you’re so nervous,” said my friend James, publisher of the book and loyal hand-holder. “When you write, you’re speaking to people. The only difference with this is that you can see who you’re talking to.
“Just speak like you write.”
Just. Speak. Like. You. Write.
My little lightbulb moment was signified by a understated “Oh”, which slipped out while the gears in my brain shifted.
So I spoke. Like I write: with ease. Afterwards, I couldn’t remember a thing I’d said, but found I didn’t dwell too much on what mistakes I might have made. All I could think was “That was okay!”
Last week was the launch of Fabulously 40 and Beyond, the book I’ve written with Margie Orford. I tried several times the night before the launch to imagine my speech, to think of witty things to say, to practise not saying “Argie Morford” when I spoke about my co-writer (I’m haunted by a giggle-inducing spoonerism I committed in Standard 8 in front of the whole school). I worked myself into such a state that I could hardly concentrate on anything anyone said to me. Then – after my fourth nervous visit to the loo in an hour – I suddenly remembered that it would be fine if I spoke like I wrote. So I dumped my increasingly desperate speech notes and decided to give myself a break.
And I was fine. No notes: just one finger assigned to each of the people I had to thank (so I wouldn’t forget anyone) and the rest of what I said – whatever it was – appeared to come out without glaring glitches.
The launch was lovely. My speech was fine. So fine, in fact, that a few people told me afterwards that I’m very good at public speaking. I hadn’t been aiming for good…only for survival.
Writing is a solitary and safe exercise most of the time. Then – boom – suddenly your dreams about publishing start coming true and you’re pushed on to a little black box with a microphone in front of your face and you’re expected to say something useful without embarrassing yourself. It’s a strange notion that just because one can write, one can also speak to a group of people.
What counts in writing is honesty. With honesty comes confidence. With confidence comes relative assurance, and then the knowledge that just being who you are, is good enough.
I think it works the same with public speaking.
August/September
Another month, and another launch! Watch this space for photos and news of Mary Monaghan’s launch of Remember Me. Mary belongs to the Saturday monthly group, and her autobiography was edited by Romaine Hill, also a member of the monthlies! It would be great to get feedback and comments from people who attend the launch and so add to this very exciting piece of news!
This was the maximum size that the invitation could appear on the blog – for any of you who wish to contact Mary, her details are: cell:083 625 9570
email: marymonaghan@telkomsa.net
July/August
Irene and Avis standing next to an impressive pile of Thicker than Water
Cathy Stagg took this great photo. She was one of the many monthlies who came to the Centre for the Book to celebrate with Avis and Irene. Michelle Matthews from Oshun gave a short speech, and Avis and Irene read excerpts from their stories. Thicker than Water is a fascinating book to read – as Anne said: ‘If you couldn’t make it to the celebration, you will find the book in all the bookshops – it’s a wonderful collection and, of course, Avis and Irene’s stories are the best!’
(Okay, so we’re a trifle biased …)
Any more exciting news? Don’t foget to let us know!
I was thrilled to see that we had reached the 2000 mark, of visitors to the site! 2000+ and heading towards 2500 as I type this. Beth Hunt kindly gave me a copy of the Fair Lady to read Marianne Thamm’s ‘Gone to the Blogs’. I think we should invite Ms Thamm to browse on the Monthlies’ Blog – it would be a curative experience for her …
June/July
On the shelves!
Two of the monthlies hit the bookshop shelves this month -
Irene Zeelie’s and Avis MacIntyre’s brilliant stories are in Thicker than Water, published by Oshun.
Avis and Irene invite all monthies to celebrate with them on Saturday 5 August, at the Centre for the Book at 1.00pm after the Saturday monthlies’ workshop.
Click here to read more
Visitors to the blog …
News of the blog is spreading. There are some lovely comments posted (click on latest comments in the lefthand sidebar to read) and this month two people left great comments – it’s lovely to know that The Monthlies Blog is attracting visitors – and that they stay and browse a while.
May/June
Well, it’s been another good month for the monthlies!
Avis MacIntyre and Consuleo Roland have both had stories published in South Africa Writing. Consuelo is also the featured writer in the magazine.
Hester van der Walt, Helen Douglas, Barbrara Chase, Brigitte Murphy and Maire Fisher were five out of the six winners of South Africa Writing’s Flash Fiction competition.
Lest anyone might think that the monthlies are taking over SAW, let it be known that all stories and competition entries are judged blind!
In the same issue of SAW Anne Schuster has written an article ‘Raising Women’s Voices’ in which she tells of the writing retreat she facilitated with Mary Magdalene Tal,
‘a lawyer from Cameroon and a tireless worker for human rights, especially those of the most vulnerable – women and refugees.’ ‘The participants were all women who have taken refuge in South Africa from various countries in Africa – The Democaratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Angola, Cameroon and Uganda.’
This ‘life writing project’, Mary Magdalene’s brainchild, is ongoing and aims eventually to publish a collection of poems and stories from a series of workshops.
One of the participants in the workshop was Epiphanie Mukasano, a new monthlies member from Rwanda. Her poem about home begins:
Life had been sweet, and full of dreams
then it turned sour
no more dreams – only nightmares
I had to run away, leave the family
I felt broken, and cold,
so cold
Colleen Higgs has written a great article about ‘Showcasing the wonderful variety and richness of small publishing’ in which she talks about the South African Small Publishers’ Catalogue, recently published by the Centre for the Book in time for the Cape Town Book Fair.
The Catalogue shows clearly that there are many committed writers and small publishers toiling away, doing amazing work. For the first time there is a way that these endeavours can be seen in one place.’
Add all of the above to the other fantastic articles, stories and poems in the third volume of South Africa Writing, and it’s a copy well-worth buying!
South Africa Writing is battling to keep going, so if you haven’t already subscribed to the magazine, why not support them by taking out a subscription? There are so few avenues for South African writers (especially short story writers and poets) and it would be a great pity to see such a worthy enterpise folding from luck of funds.
Postal address:
South Africa Writing
P O Box 717
Rondebosch
7701
Tel: 0861 114337
Fax: 0866842608
Editor: Jason le Grange
Associate Editor: Kim Donnelly
Administration: Grant Volt
Courses: Beatrice Dlamini
Website address: http://www.southafricawriting.com/
Email address: admin@southafricawriting.com
Looking forward to seeing what exciting news June/July brings our way – don’t foget to let us know if there’s anything exciting happening in your writing life!
April/May
NEWSFLASH!!!!!!!!!! NEWSFLASH!!!!!!!!!! NEWSFLASH!!!!!!!!!! NEWSFLASH!!!!!!!!!! NEWSFLASH
Consuelo Roland
Sunday Times
the fiction short list
‘Consuelo Roland’s début The Good Cemetery Guide (Double Storey) was popular with the panel for its inventiveness. This quirky story of a Kalk Bay undertaker is, they said, “playful, imaginative, surprising,” and showed a refreshing linguistic skill.’ – Michele Magwood
READ ALL ABOUT IT
http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/Articles/TarkArticle.aspx?ID=2030911/
News about Oshun’s anthology of stories
Mish Damstra, Chantal Stewart, Rahla Xenopolous, Nella Freund and Maire Fisher have all had stories accepted by Oshun
March/April and months previous
from Mikki van Zyl – I was first editor of Mikki van Zyl & Melissa Steyn 2005, performing queer: Shaping Sexualities 1994-2004 Vol. 1 published by Kwela in July. Plus two chapters published in academic books: Sex and Politics in South Africa and (Un)thinking Citizenship. Both published last year: March and July.
Read the reviews:http://www.chico.mweb.co.za/art/2006/2006feb/060210-gender.html and do a google search for Joan Hambidge D Burger 06-01-07.htm
from Colleen Higgs – My review of Makhosazana Xaba’s first book of poems called “these hands” (Timbila, 2005) published in New Coin, December 2005 issue which has only just come out. Short feature story as part of a bigger feature called “Why, Mom?” due out in Femina, May 2006 issue. Poem – “Saying goodnight” published in Carapace 56. Green Dragon has accepted a poem called “The fish” due out in July 2006. Article on Distribution for small publishers in South Africa Writing April 2006 issue.
from Helen Douglas – Hot off the press (well, the hard copy’s still in press). I guest edited a special issue of the journal Janus Head on philosophical practices.
Here’s the link to my editorial essay: “It Begins with Desire: Questions of Philosophical Practice” http://www.janushead.org/8-2/Douglas.pdf and the link for the contents page of the issue http://www.janushead.org/
from Beth Hunt – Two highlights for me last year in my writing. Firstly the acceptance for publication of a book I wrote on Hermanus which is a collaboration of text and photography compiled with the photographer, Bernard Jordaan. I have been told it will be published this year. The other highlight was getting my name in print in the noseweek flash fiction competition … even though they lopped off my punchline … I now know the feeling of what it’s like to get ‘lost in translation’.
from Irene Zeelie – Oshun expect “Thicker than Water”, as per Rebecca Kahn, to be on the shelves by July. (Irene has had a story accepted for this collection.)
from Maire Fisher – Well March and April were good months for me! My short story ‘Model Mother’ appeared in South Africa Writing, and … I figured out how to set up a blog!
Congratulations Consuelo!!!!!!!!!!
Very cool design! Useful information. Go on!
Hi all!
Very interesting information! Thanks!
G’night
Dear Annemarie and all,
You’ve caught so well here the sheer expansiveness of Margaret’s heart/mind. I smile when I remember that one of the things she wished for herself was the ability to “just hang out”. With real puzzlement and a touch of envy, she said, “I see people all over the place – at the Olympia – and they’re just hanging out. They hang out for hours. How do they DO that?”
In sympathy,
Helen
Hi Where can we buy Beth’s Hermanus book? I love Hermanus and want to own one of these editions.
Hermanus is one of the most wonderful places on earth and it’s great that Beth is celebrating it in this book. You know you can see whales launching themselves out of the water if you stand on the shore at the right time of year (June-Nov)? My first visit there I nearly spat my steak as I was sat in the restaurant overlooking Walker Bay and they just kept firing themselves out of the water (breaching I think it is called) fantastic, that is something you don’t see every day, unless you live in Hermanus! Check it out one day. My mate Percy can sort you out if you want to go there, http://www.percytours.com. Thanks Beth, I’m still trying to find a place I can buy a copy though!
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