Archive for the ‘South Africa’ Category
by Thando on May 21st, 2013
LitNet’s Elzette Steenkamp interviewed Cat Hellisen, author of When the Sea is Rising Red, about the “resurgence of interest” in South African science fiction and speculative fiction, which Hellisen says is “not so much a resurgence of interest, as it’s simply easier now as a South African to query and submit novels overseas”.
Hellisen also discussed the traditional dominance of male characters in the genre and offered advice to entrants to LitNet’s science fiction writing contest for high school learner: “Don’t send in your first or even second draft. Revise, revise, revise. And write free and unfettered by convention, but edit with publication in mind”.
It may come as a surprise to some, but South Africa has a rich history of science fiction, fantasy and speculative fiction, most notably the “hard” science fiction adventures of Jan Rabie, and the speculative fiction of JM Coetzee, Karel Schoeman and Eben Venter. Why the sudden resurgence of interest in South African SF&F and speculative fiction?
People also forget Dave Freer, who’s been writing for Baen for many years, though he’s since moved to New Zealand. He often slips South African characters into his novels and draws on our military past and mindset. I think there is not so much a resurgence of interest, as it’s simply easier now as a South African to query and submit novels overseas. Before publishing accepted that the internet was not going away, it would cost a fortune to post work overseas, and now there’s a wealth of up-to-date information freely available online, so South Africans can hone their craft without having to go to university.
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by Thando on May 16th, 2013
Eusebius McKaiser, author of A Bantu in My Bathroom: Debating Race, Sexuality and Other Uncomfortable South African Topics, has written an article for The Star about being approached by a a young man who said that in societies where homosexual people are accepted the population decreases, “So, what is the difference between a homosexual like yourself and a terrorist like Bin Laden?”
McKaiser writes that he initially responded angrily but after a tense chat where the man asked him to help him understand why that was an offensive statement, they “proceeded to have a beautiful and long conversation about morality, philosophy and critical thinking.”
So there I was minding my rib-eye steak, possibly originating from a cow but who really knows in these horsey times? It looked juicy, though, just like the picture on the restaurant’s menu, until my protein enthusiasm was drained by what was about to happen.
An enthusiastic 21-year-old recognised me from a book event I did at the University of Johannesburg. He wanted to ask a question. I obliged. His slight frame, innocent brown eyes and hesitant body language did not prepare me for what was to come.
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- A Bantu in My Bathroom: Debating Race, Sexuality and Other Uncomfortable South African Topics by Eusebius McKaiser
EAN: 9781920434373
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by Thando on May 15th, 2013
Join Tony Leon at Kalk Bay Books for the launch of his new memoir, The Accidental Ambassador: From Parliament to Patagonia.
Leon will be in conversation with John Maytham on Thursday 30 May at 6:30 PM for 7 PM.
Don’t miss it!
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by Thando on May 14th, 2013
The Daily Dispatch and the University of Fort Hare invited Frank Chikane and Mondli Makhanya to take part in their series of Dispatch Dialogues.
Chikane and Makhanya discussed “The Mbeki Controversies” in light of Chikane’s recent book, The Things that Could Not be Said.
Watch the video:
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by Thando on May 13th, 2013
The master of South Africa’s favorite past-time, Jan Braai, recently made a road trip from Cape Town to Mossel Bay to explore the back roads of the Southern Cape.
Braai writes that the N2 is not at all unpleasant, despite his initial misgivings, and shares his experiences in the towns along the way. For tasty braai recipes, get your hands on Jan Braai’s Fireworks:
There may be worse stretches of road that I don’t know of, but in my world the most unpleasant is the N2 highway between the Hermanus turn-off and Mossel Bay. For the first bit from Cape Town, you still see False Bay. Then the road snakes through the mountains past the edge of Grabouw, but beyond the Hermanus turnoff, it’s a vast desert of fields in various shades of dust and heat. It’s a three-hour chasm you want to cross safely, with minimum damage to your wallet, both in terms of petrol expenses and traffic fines.
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by Thando on May 10th, 2013
Picador Africa and Protea Bookshop invite you to join Tony Leon in conversation with Prof Hermann Giliomee about Leon’s latest release, The Accidental Ambassador: From Parliament to Patagonia.
The discussion will take place on Thursday 16 May at 6:30 PM for 7 PM.
Don’t miss it!
Event Details
- Date: Thursday, 16 May 2013
- Time: 6:30 PM for 7:00 PM
- Venue: Protea Bookshop,
Bergzicht Plaza
Andringastreet
Stellenbosch | Map
- Guest Speaker: Hermann Giliomee
- RSVP: proteaboek@mweb.co.za , 012 882 9100
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by Thando on May 10th, 2013
Picador Africa and The Book Lounge invite you to join Patricia Glyn in conversation around her latest book, What Dawid Knew: A Journey with the Kruipers.
The event will be held on Thursday 16 May at 5:30 PM for 6 PM.
See you there!
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by Thando on May 10th, 2013
New from Pan Macmillan, Flaming June by Amanda Coetzee:
“As harrowing as it is compelling, Coetzee has created a world I’d never normally have ventured into, once started however, I consumed all 235 unpredictable pages in one fell swoop.” — Rahla Xenopoulos, author of A Memoir of Love and Madness and Bubbles.
Harry O’Connor, better known as Badger, is back working fulltime with the London Metropolitan Police Force. When a young woman is found drowned with a footprint bruise on her back, Badger is assigned to head up the team to catch the killer(s).
The Woodmore twins run the mysterious Connect Healing and Wellness Retreat, a place that styles itself as a haven for the rehabilitation of troubled young women. As Badger uncovers that the murdered young woman was a resident at Connect Healing and Wellness Retreat, the Woodmore twins come under fire as their past is unearthed and as more bodies start to pile up. Badger is forced to send Sofia Puccini, a feisty young policewoman, undercover into Connect to investigate further, with the potential for disaster looming large as the case balances on a knife edge.
When Emily Meadows is kidnapped, Badger has to draw on all his resources, from his Irish traveller connections to Emily’s father, to try to save her before the killer strikes her first.
About the author
When she isn’t writing crime thrillers, Amanda Coetzee works as a deputy headmistress. She grew up in Bedford, England, and now lives in Rustenburg with her husband and son. Redemption Song is Amanda’s second novel after her acclaimed debut crime thriller Bad Blood.
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by Thando on May 9th, 2013
Julius Malema’s mansion in Sandown, which is still in the process of being built, was auctioned off for R5,9 million this morning to Norman Tloubatla, CEO of Magnified Designs, reports IOL News.
The Mail & Guardian reported that Bidders Choice, the auction house running the sale, “was hoping to raise between R2.5-million and R3-million for the three-storey property”, which includes “a private cinema room, a cigar lounge, a pool and a spa bath, a wine cellar, a coffee bar and provision for a lift.”
The profit will go towards paying off Malema’s R16 million debt to the South African Revenue Service (SARS).
Expelled ANCYL president Julius Malema’s half-built Sandown mansion was sold for R5.9 million in an auction on Thursday.
The buyer was Norman Tloubatla, CEO of the company Magnified Designs.
The bidding for Malema’s house began at R3-million on Thursday. The new owner is businessperson Norman Tloubatla, chief executive of of Magnified Signs.
The Star previously reported auction house Bidders Choice was hoping to raise between R2.5-million and R3-million for the three-storey property.
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by Thando on May 8th, 2013
“I’m Missing News” is what Katy Katopodis’ son used to call Primedia’s Eyewitness News. He would walk around the house, saying “My mommy works for I’m Missing News”. So when it came to choosing a title for Katopodis’ book on juggling parenting with her job as editor-and-chief of Eyewitness News, what better choice could there be than I’m Missing News: When Hard News and Parenting Collide – it speaks not only of her relationship with her sons but also of her love of journalism.
At the launch of the book last night at The Book Lounge in Cape Town, Kieno Kammies of 567 Cape Talk and Talk Radio 702 introduced Katopodis, saying that he has tremendous respect for her ability to balance family and career. He also whet the audience’s appetite for the book, revealing that, among other things, it tells of Katopodis trying to get an illegal abortion (for a story) and Muammar Gaddafi getting “fresh” with the journo.
In conversation with Vanessa Raphaely, Katopodis explained that she wrote I’m Missing News because she feels that the conversation on and among working mothers is important. Although it is much easier and accepted today for mothers to have a career, there is still a need to share experiences and thoughts on this balancing act. That is why Katopodis also asked other women who work in media to contribute to I’m Missing News. Some frank pieces, including those by mothers who doubt their decisions, can be read in the book.
Speaking about how society responds to working mothers, Katopodis mentioned that her own mom used to say she needed to “stop running around in the townships”, settle down and have children. Once she did have children, however, she did not let it interfere with her work. Even when she is sitting by a sick child, she can still check her emails. Even when her sons don’t want her to go to work, she knows they’ll be happy and playing soon after she leaves.
“I would still go to a war zone in a heartbeat,” Katopodis said, expressing her love for news. Her current role as editor doesn’t allow it but the longing is still there.
When Katopodis became editor-in-chief at age 26, prejudice against a woman assuming this role soon reared its ugly head. An older colleague refused to work for someone who was younger and female. He abruptly quit the team.
At her son’s school, Katopodis also has to deal with certain “Stepford Wives” who have a problem with her because she is not involved at the school as often as they are.
Katopodis has learned to not let other people’s ideas of what a mother should be influence her. She has her own way of managing it and that’s fine as long as she and her family are happy.
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Carolyn Meads livetweeted from the event using the hashtag #livebooks:
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