Interview: Midlands Literary Festival 2015

  • 0

mlf15.1

Darryl David tells Naomi Meyer about this year's Midlands Literary Festival.

Hi Darryl! In the press release the “festival” aspect of the Midlands Literary Festival is emphasised –  do tell prospective festival-goers what they can look forward to this year.

Hi Naomi, thank you for the opportunity to speak to you.

After BookBedonnerd in Booktown Richmond the MLF is the second biggest festival that I organise. Over a short time we have gained a reputation for attracting some of the country's biggest writers and other participants – Ahmed Kathrada, Miriam Tlali, Ian Player, Marguerite Poland, Gcina Mhlope, Bruce Fordyce, Michael “Muis” Roberts – to name but a few. The festival is held at Yellowwood, a sprawling colonial homestead and property with a quaint restaurant overlooking the famous Howick Falls – undoubtedly the most picturesque setting of all the literary festivals. It is also the only festival that features beautiful piano interludes (by Nicky Grieshaber – LitNet’s language advisor). This adds to the wonderful, festive atmosphere at the event.

This year we are stretching the geographical boundaries somewhat by hosting the opening at Ike's Bookshop in trendy Florida Road in Durban, in my estimation one of the finest bookshops in South Africa. With three days to go, what seemed like a gamble has paid off. The RSVPs have been streaming in and we are now actually worried that we won't be able to accommodate everyone. People from far and wide have phoned to say how happy they are that we are bringing a more inclusive, more festive offering to Durban. Durban booklovers have not heard an Afrikaans writer, for example, in almost a decade. The likes of Ashwin Desai are usually snubbed. With a cash bar on that famous wraparound balcony overlooking Durban, the opening promises to be a night to remember.

mlf15.2

I noticed the dress-up event for the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party – can you give our readers more details about this?

“Tea Party” is a bit too genteel, I suspect, Naomi. No, the menu will epitomise the term “melting pot”.

Yes, we are going to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Alice in Wonderland by encouraging visitors to come in fancy dress as any character from this perennial classic. But in between talks by writers we will serve Puri Patha, chilli bites, samoosas and everything that makes Durban memorable. Retired judge Chris Nicholson has promised to share a mutton bunny chow with me.

I expect to click some great photos at this event. I think I will build on David Kramer's famous quote: “My tongue is English, my heart is Afrikaans. But my stomach is Indian!!!”

mlf15.3

Writers not to miss at this year’s festival?

Ashwin Desai's talk on Gandhi. The book concerned was published by Stanford University Press, one of the most prestigious publishers in the world, and is a book that will take South Africa by storm.

Chris Nicholson and Mike Hickson on “How the Aurora Cricket Club stumped Apartheid”. Their book chronicles the birth of non-racial cricket, and indeed non-racial sport, in South Africa. I consider it an honour to be one of Chris Nicholson's friends, for this man will have one of the most impressive oeuvres in five years’ time. And I suspect I have laid eyes on the 2017 Alan Paton Prize.

People who know me know I have a love affair with photographers. Not to be missed is Roger de la Harpe's talk on his book 21 African Icons, which documents the most iconic places in Africa.

mlf15.4

Ranjith Kally – a name many will not know. But his book Memory against Forgetting will go far. It is published by Quiver Tree Publishers, who up to now have specialised in award-winning cookbooks, but must have sensed the potential of Kally’s book – subtitled “a photographic journey through both sides of South Africa’s history 1946–2010” – and decided to venture into this genre. 92-year-old Ranjith Kally deserves a wider audience.

Vernon Head aka The Bird Man. In Search of the Rarest Bird in the World is bound to be one of the most talked-about books at the festival. The "twitchers" should swop the veld for literary festivals this weekend. It is a book that should find its way on to the bookshelves of all those who call themselves booklovers.

Mary Kleinenberg, with her book Standing on Street Corners should pack the hall for the opening. This book, a history of the Black Sash in KZN, was a bestseller since its launch.

There are so many more. The first biography of legendary cricketer Eric Rowan; Perfect Parties by Dianne Kohler, which won the coveted Gourmand Award; Carol Campbell, author of Karretjiemense (My Children Have Faces), whose follow-up novel, Esther's House, can't be far off the mark if both books have been snapped up by filmmakers.

mlf15.5

Programme: Midlands Literary Festival 2015

  • 0

Reageer

Jou e-posadres sal nie gepubliseer word nie. Kommentaar is onderhewig aan moderering.


 

Top