I’ll be talk
ing about my new novel, Nineveh, and the influence of Cape Town on my writing at Wynberg Library on Wednesday 17th August 2011 at 6 pm.
It’ll be particularly nostalgic for me, as Wynberg was the library of my early childhood. In the seventies, I spent many intense hours in that kids’ section.
We’ll also be launching Nineveh soon at Kalk Bay Books, and at the Open Book Festival in September – details to come.
Another wonderful cover from Michiel Botha. This one is for Nineveh, my new novel coming out from Umuzi in August.
No sooner do I get my copy of The Mall home from the Book Lounge, than it bursts into a mysterious blue flame. The blurb appeared as in words of fire. See singed back cover.
Anyone else reporting strange Mall-related manifestations?
The Granta Book of the African Short Story is due out in September 2011, and contains pieces by several southern African writers.
Edited by novelist Helon Habila, this collection presents “a diverse and dazzling collection from all over the continent – from Morocco to Zimbabwe, Uganda to Kenya”. Habila has focused on “newer writers … to give a fascinating picture of a new and more liberated Africa. Disdaining the narrowly nationalist and political preoccupations of previous generations, these writers are characterized by their engagement with the wider world.”
Included are stories by Rachida el-Charni, Henrietta Rose-Innes, George Makana Clark, Ivan Vladislavic, Mansoura Ez-Eldin, Fatou Diome, Aminatta Forna, Manuel Rui, Patrice Nganang, Leila Aboulela, Zoë Wicomb, Alaa Al Aswany, Doreen Baingana and E.C. Osondu.
A rather delayed posting of photos from AGNI Magazine’s Celebration of Contemporary African Fiction at Boston University in November 2010. This event coincided with the launch of AGNI’s Portfolio of African Fiction, which featured work by many African writers (including Imraan Coovadia, Wame Molefhe and others.) Ugandan writer Doreen Baingana, Nigerian novelist Helon Habila, Zimbabwean author Bernard Matambo, Nigerian poet Ogaga Ifowodo and I took part in a discussion moderated by E.C. Osondu — acclaimed Nigerian author and coeditor of the Portfolio.
Habila, Osondu
Panel Discussion
Rose-Innes, Matambo, Baingana, Ifowodo
Many thanks to Arja Salafranca for this thoughtful review in the Star, October 28. I was also extremely flattered to read the lovely reviews by Tiah Beautement and (from a while back) Paige Nick on their blogs. See Paige’s great follow-up blog on Sarah Lotz, too.
Janet van Eeden has written a lovely review of Homing for Litnet, with an interview. You can read it here.
AGNI magazine officially launches its Portfolio of African Fiction with a multi-part celebration in Boston, USA on 10 November.
Portfolio art by Victor Ekpuk
A panel discussion on contemporary African fiction, moderated by acclaimed Nigerian author E.C. Osondu (coeditor of the Portfolio), will be followed by a reading featuring four of the Portfolio’s contributers: Henrietta Rose-Innes, Ugandan writer Doreen Baingana, acclaimed Nigerian novelist Helon Habila and Zimbabwean author Bernard Matambo.
Find more details of these events here.
Notable writers included in the Portfolio, among many others, are Imraan Coovadia, Monica Arac de Nyeko and Chika Unigwe.
The UN ha
s designated 21st September as World Peace Day. To honour this day of global ceasefire and non-violence, the International Literature Festival Berlin will host Authors for Peace: a 24-hour, global, live online reading. Authors at the festival, and others from all over the world, will read from their work in a gesture of solidarity with those who are oppressed or caught in conflict. Writers participating include Margie Orford (7.30am, Berlin and RSA time); Etienne van Heerden (8:00am); Isobel Dixon (8:40am), Brian Chikwava (20:00pm), and Henrietta Rose-Innes (12.30pm).
This is the first time that so many authors will read live online successively. The readings can be followed live on the internet by the general public: the essence of Authors for Peace lies in citizens worldwide joining in to watch,
and share in the spirit of Peace Day.
The event will start on 21st September 2010 at 00:00 CET (GMT+1). The British author Priya Basil will host the event throughout the 24-hour-program.
Further information about the participating authors, and the weblink at which the event can be viewed, are available at: www.authorsforpeace.com and www.literaturfestival.com. There is an Authors for Peace page on facebook. You may also want to visit the Peace One Day website: http://www.peaceoneday.org/en/welcome.
The Cisco url on which the event can be viewed is https://seemea.webex.com/seemea/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=703224311. This offers slightly more interactive viewing. Viewers will need to log in to watch, and give a user name (the log-in password is always PEACE). On the festival website, viewers will be able to watch on this page: http://www.literaturfestival.com/service/das_festival/sonderprojekte/authors-for-peace. The u-stream link broadcasting the readings will be announced on the AFP website on Monday 20th September. Questions for authors and general comments can be mailed to authorsforpeace@live.com, or questions can be sent via the contact form on www.authorsforpeace.com.
This is a somewhat delayed post to say thank you to all who helped launch Homing: The Book Lounge, where I was in conversation with Diane Awerbuck; Kalk Bay Books, where I chatted with Jacqui l’Ange; Love Books, where my inquisitor was Louis Greenberg; and the friendly audiences at all these events. Each of these discussions delighted and enlightened me.
A special thank-you to Louis Greenberg and the Joburg Book SA contingent, who went out of their way to make me feel welcome and show me around their town – so nice to feel part of a larger community of writers.
There have been some very gratifying reviews. Sharon Sorour-Morris wrote a great piece in the Cape Times on Homing, Modjaji’s Bed and Arja Salafranca’s The Thin Line, which drew attention to increased interest in the short story, and to the variety of exciting new collections coming out.
Homing has had a warm reception in the Natal Witness (Newsclip Witness 15 Sep 10) and Volksblad (Newsclip Volksblad 11 Sep 10). The Citizen printed a short interview and the Sunday Times a long one, based on the discussion I had with Diane Awerbuck at the fabulous Book Lounge launch. I also had great radio interviews with Karabo Kgoleng at SAFM and Jenny Crwys-Williams at Talk Radio 702, as well as mentions in the Weekend Argus, the Times, Indwe, People, Khuluma – and of course here on Book SA.
Helen Moffett has made some exceptionally generous remarks on BookSA and Litnet on the editing and reworking of Homing. This recognition, in particular, is a tribute to the time and care my publisher, Umuzi, puts into producing beautifully finished books, as well as to the skill and sensitivity of my editor, Martha Evans, and various other readers over the years who have helped to fine-tune the stories.
Sincere thanks to you all.
