Etienne van Heerden Veldsoirée: Days like this

Share1Facebook0 Tweet0 Pin0 Print0 Email1 LinkedIn0

Izak de Vries, Etienne van Heerden and Darryl David at Cradock Four Memorial (Photo by Johan Kotze)

Days like this

When it’s not always raining there’ll be days like this
When there's no one complaining there'll be days like this
When everything falls into place like the flick of a switch
Well my mama told me there'll be days like this

Ever since the Etienne van Heerden Veldsoirée over the weekend of the 23–25 September in Cradock, the words of Van Morrison have been playing like a stuck record in my head. Yes, every now and again, you curate the most perfect book festival imaginable. And the Etienne Van Heerden Veldsoirée over the Heritage Day weekend was one such festival. With BookBedonnerd a month away, I'm worried we might have peaked too early.

From the moment I looked out the window and admired the beauty of Die Tuishuise Guesthouses on Market Street on a beautiful Karoo morning, I felt a sense of calm.

Of course, a lot of this must be put down to the new member of the team, Izak de Vries. From liaising with writers, publishers and the media, Izak did it all. I really needed the help because a mere two weeks earlier, I hosted my Midlands Literary Festival. As they say in cricket parlance: cometh the hour, cometh the man.

By the time the day ended with an unforgettable visit to the Cradock Four Memorial, and Lisa Antrobus asked me how the festival was going, I told her there and then, "It's going to be a good one. Possibly my best of 2022." It was not the biggest crowd we've ever had, but the smiles around on day 1 were infectious. The knowledge in the room was astounding. The way the writers fed off each other’s talks. The links they made with talks 6 hours earlier – it was just astounding. Even through the darkness of Eishkom, we shone brightly. None more so than Elise Bishop during her impromptu interview with Izak. And when Rory Roirdon came to our aid at the 11th hour after Loit Sols had to pull out, and gave one of the talks of the evening, then you start to believe.

When you don't need to worry there'll be days like this
When no one's in a hurry there'll be days like this
When you don't get betrayed by that old Judas kiss
Oh my mama told me there'll be days like this

Despite talks ending at 9 pm on Friday, I felt energised when I woke up on Saturday. After all, a programme that included Heindrich Wyngaard, Etienne van Heerden, Clinton du Plessis, Chris Marais & Julienne du Toit and Freek Robinson, to name but only a few of Saturday’s line-up – that is a day to savour in anyone's book. And none of them disappointed. And then of course we had the Heritage Day braai planned for the evening, with talks by Jo Els and Tony Jackman – under a Karoo sky. With a moerse firepit, poeding onder die sterre, and Elise Bishop being presented with Die Orde van die Windpomp Award to close off our Saturday (a tradition inaugurated by Lien Botha at the 1st Veldsoiree); Nee wat! That Saturday shone as bright as the night stars on Dirkie Visser’s farm at Buffelshoek.

And then came Sunday, and I felt that old melancholy feeling. In my heart, I knew why. Although we had a wonderful day ahead of us, I knew that one of the most beautiful festivals I had ever organised was about to come to an end in 8 hours’ time. A lot of it I must add has to do with Etienne van Heerden himself. He is a warm host. Always smiling, always laughing. He sat in for every talk. It’s these small things that make a big difference.

But by the time I loaded the five mutts into the DogMobile, I was in better spirits for the most outrageous part of the festival. Die groot brakbrêg!!!! Yes, a dog show like no other, to honour the dogs in Olive Schreiner's life. What a joy to drive into DiRosie Gastehuis and see dogs all over the place, with bags of my dog’s favourite dog food, Montego Pet Food everywhere. And French Poodles, Great Danes, St Bernards, Golden Labradors, and a 15-year-old Golden Cocker Spaniel who could not walk but whose owner brought her along just for the atmosphere. I could almost hear Nita scratching from inside Olive’s Sarcophagus to come and join the festivities. Why, we even bumped into Beverley Thomas, Head of Amazwi, who said she would attend the festival every year if we had the dog show. After a tiring morning judging the winners in three categories, our dogs duly gobbled down the Karoo Montego chunks. All I will say is – Olive would have approved. It was a great, great morning. Thank you to Montego Pet Food, a Graaff-Reinet company that sponsored the entire event. Did you know they are the biggest dog food company in Africa? And it all just goes to show – sometimes the craziest ideas are the ones that strike a chord with people.

And then for the absolute highlight. The Pilgrimage to Olive Schreiner's last resting place. I have said it before, this trip is the highlight of my years working on book festivals. Nothing comes close. This is the purest form of literary tourism you will find. Even if you know nothing about Schreiner, the journey to the top will get your blood pumping. It is so scary I walked the last bit to the base camp, where we enjoyed some delicious biltong and sherry. And then, hundreds of photographs later, with smiles still set on our faces, we set off for Schreiner’s Sarcophagus on foot. And let me tell you – you know when Paton described the Carisbrooke area as "lovely beyond the singing of it?" HE WAS LYING. These are the most beautiful vistas in all of South African literature. To top it all off, Jean Meiring gave one of the most singular talks on the role Schreiner played in campaigning for gender parity for women legal practitioners. It was a master class.

And then we had to bid Olive and Nita farewell. And I felt like crying. Honestly I did. I have always felt an inexplicable bond with Schreiner which is why it was the second festival after BookBedonnerd that I started way back in 2010. I wanted to hug the Sarcophagus, but did not want to seem stupid. So I just patted the dome-shaped structure like I do my St Bernard, and hoped the inhabitants understood the gesture.

As we were driving down the pass on our return journey, I knew in my heart that the Etienne van Heerden Veldsoirée had just announced itself on the literary scene as the premier book festival in the Eastern Cape. With a team like Menán van Heerden, Izak and Etienne to think up even more mad ideas like the Groot BrakBreg, I feel confident about the future of the festival. After all, was it not Alice (in Wonderland) who remarked, ‘sometimes the best people in the world are slightly mad’? And this year’s Etienne van Heerden Veldsoirée was insanely beautiful.

When you don't need an answer there'll be days like this
When you don't meet a chancer there'll be days like this
When all the parts of the puzzle start to look like they fit
Then I must remember there'll be days like this