Authorsmag august2015

Why we should be listening to AUDIO BOOKS 2015 Grahamstown ART FESTIVAL

Carlyle Meet

Author of The Broken Series

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Contents

COVER FEATURE

06

MEET CARLYLE Author of The Broken Series

ARTICLES

PUBLISHER Lesiba Morallane ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Sardia Mustapher MANAGING EDITOR Shalate Davhana EDITOR Marion Marchand ASSISTANT EDITOR Joan Hack EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Boipelo Mngadi ADVERTISING COMMUNICATION Dineo Mahloele LAYOUT AND DESIGN Apple Pie Graphics Tel: 079 885 4494 CONTRIBUTORS Melissa Delport Tiego Morallane Tshiamo Mahloele Junior Ncube PHOTOGRAPHY Danielle O’Neill Jeff Stretton Bell

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RAISING READERS 2015 GRAHAMSTWON ART FESTIVAL BREAKING THE HABIT An insight into NaNoWriMo LISTEN TO ME Why you should be listening to audio books FROM INDIE TO PUBLISHED: Part 1 My self-publishing experience

REGULARS A Message from the Editor.........................................................04 POETS CORNER: TOUCHING INTELLIGENCE Tapping into Botlhale’s Mind........................................................12 THE LADY WHO KEEPS HER POETRY IN A BOTTLE..........16 RECOMMENDED READS...............................................................25

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Regina Wamba AUTHORS MAGAZINE: PO Box 92644, Mooikloof, Pretoria East Email: team@authorsmag.com To advertise online please email team@authorsmag.com or contact Ms Dineo Mahloele on 084 299 6812 DISCLAIMER The views and opinions expressed in this magazine are intended for informational purposes only. Authors Magazine takes no responsibility for the contents for the contents of the advertising material contained herein.

All efforts have been taken to verify the information contained herein, and views expressed are ont necessarily those of Authors Magazine. E&OE

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ditor

A message from the

Just how far do we take

what we read from Books Banting?! Really? Yes really. Okay, not entirely though. But I made an effort. I was so impressed, or let me rather say convinced by Professor Tim Noakes approach to diet that I even registered for the course online. (Authors featured Prof Noakes in July edition). The revolutionary diet, Prof calls it a lifestyle though, is divine. Who wouldn’t want to shed off the weight just from eating bacon & egg and full cream yoghurt?

So I joined ‘the real meal revolution’ and cut sugar entirely off my tea and traded my mash for lettuce. I was just happy to zip up without having to hold my breath in…after at least five days of revolutionary action.

I have always been the fan of the ‘written word’ ever since I could be able to make sense from compressed letters and spaces. At the age of eight, I became obsessed with reading the information leaflets from packaged tablets and medicine.

I would read to the end even though I did not understand the meaning. However in all of them, there was a familiar word…

CONTRA INDICATIONS. It was the only complicated word that I could remember.

Lately I have been reading Elizabeth Gilbert’s EAT PRAY LOVE memoir. I am rather behind time, yeah I know. The book emerged as I was unpacking my book collection to ‘decorate’ my new book shelf. It was still new and unread. What a big sin I have committed!!! Liz - that is how I have come to know her since spending time reading on the couch - reminded me of the simplicity of life. Enjoying good food (revolutionary food in my case), finding inner peace in devotion and ultimately finding love – again. I found myself sobbing as I was reading her petitions to God, her experiences in foreign China, her marriage, her new love, her sister and her friends. All things

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?

are familiar to my life story. I believe many other women can relate to episodes in the book-turned-movie bestseller. I found myself looking for my prayer request booklet, which I bought a year ago at the Seventh Day Adventist church women’s retreat. I must have written four or five prayers in a year, and then forgot about it.

I started to write my petitions to God (still sobbing), just as Liz did. I then thought to myself: “Who would sign it?” (Liz’s friend asked her too). The names of family, friends, associates, peers…started dropping in my mind - one after the other. I immediately felt a sense of relief, healing to be precise. I feel embarrassed to even confess how far I have stretched what I read in books. On the other hand, I am wondering what would be the purpose of reading books if there was nothing valuable we gain from them? How often do writers hear about the impact of their hard work on people’s lives except from good reviews and soaring sales?

This month Authors brings you a power-packed edition with new lifestyle features. We bring you colour and vibe from the annual Grahamstown Arts Festival. Our team of interns caught up with upcoming artists from the Hatfield Social Market in Pretoria, before their exclusive interview with teen celebrity poet and actor Botlhale Boikanyo. In this Issue, we tap into the efficacious world of South Africa’s renowned author and publisher, and a woman of many talents and innovations, Carlyle Labuschagne. What an awesome way to celebrate Women’s Month!

Shalate Davhana

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COVER FEATURE

Carlyle Meet

by Melissa Delport

Carlyle Labuschagne (34) needs no introduction. This dynamic mother of two is making waves in the publishing industry. Author of The Broken series, co-founder of Fire Quill Publishing, regular UtopYacon attendee, mastermind behind the SAIR Book Festival, and founder of the “Help Build a Library” project in SA, it seems there is nothing this petite blonde can’t do.

In this in-depth profile, Melissa Delport gets to know the woman behind it all.

MD: Welcome, Carlyle. Thank you so much for taking time out to chat with us.

CL: Thank you for having me, Melissa. **gives an excited squee** MD: It seems almost impossible that one person could achieve so much in such a short space of time. How do you balance your workload and your personal life?

CL: At times it becomes overwhelming, but its short-lived (laughs). I am living my dream, touching others and hopefully inspiring women, girls and the youth to take their future into their own hands. This feeling lifts me above the stress, I guess.

MD: Let’s talk first about your books.

I saw a marvellous interview you gave Samm Marshall on the Morning Live

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show, but for those who missed it, tell us a bit about your Broken series – what it’s about and what inspired it.

CL: That interview was a dream come true. Samm is a brilliant presenter; he made me feel so at ease it almost felt like I was having a simple chat with a fellow reader.

The Broken Series stemmed from a long overdue need to tell a story - my story – in the hope that teenagers out there would get the message and relate.

The Broken Series tells the story of a young girl who doesn’t quite fit in. The main character, Ava, doesn’t quite conform and refuses to abide by rules which make no sense to her.

When she comes of age she starts to draw attention to herself, something she has always wanted, but in ways in she will later regret. In the first book, The Broken Destiny, we discover she has abilities which stem from ancient

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times, and that is was foretold that she would be the one to save a dying race humankind. As a teenager who doesn’t quite know who or where she belongs, Ava finds herself in very compromising situations which lead to deadly mistakes and awful consequences.

She loses herself in the beginning but later discovers that with love and the help of others, everything she has gone through is part of her journey.

In order for Ava to reach her full potential and become the chosen one, she has to come to terms with who she is, who she could be and who she doesn’t want to be. It is very much a story of finding one’s self and becoming your own hero.

MD: What are you currently working on?

CL: At the moment I’m working on a New–Adult, crime-romance title, which we are hoping to release by December this year. It’s my first attempt at a genre with no paranormal elements... Wish me luck! (laughs) For my YA titles, Dark Horse is the next short-story in the Broken Diaries series, which is a spin-off of the The Broken Novels. Each short-story follows a particular character’s encounter with Ava’s Prophecy.

I love to swim, fight for the trees, and am a

food lover who is driven by my passion for life.

I dream that one day my stories will change the lives of countless teenagers and have them obsess over the world literacy can offer them instead of worrying about fitting in. Never sacrifice who you are, it’s in the dark times that the light comes to life.

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Ignite is the final full-length Broken Novel that I have started writing, due for release in 2016, and then there is a short-story (a very secret project!) introduction to a new coming-of-age novel series I am working on, which will be very much Paranormal Romance!

Finally, Dead of Night is undergoing final edits and will be re-released by Fire Quill Publishers very soon.

MD: Wow. Is that all?

CL: (laughs) For now.

MD: You recently attended the prestigious UtopYa Conference in Nashville, USA. How does it feel to be invited to such an international event?

CL: As panel member and thirdtime nominee, my mind was beyond blown. I still haven’t fully taken it all in. I absolutely adore UtopYA sense of community. It’s something I hope to achieve here in SA. Janet Wallace has created the most amazing sense of camaraderie. UtopYacon is uplifting, inspiring and builds writer’s confidence.

There is nothing better than the knowledge that you can just believe in yourself and be the best self you can be without fear of not fitting in.

MD: It sounds amazing. What an inspiring woman, and how fortunate you are to know her. What was the highlight of your trip?

CL: Being amongst my author heroes as a peer, to be myself amongst these stars was my shining moment indeed.

MD: Now, FireQuill Publishing. We all know this is not the easiest industry to be involved in. What possessed you to start this company and what are you looking for in your submissions?

CL: To be very honest FQP is Erika Bester’s baby. She’s the business brain behind it all. When she approached me I was at first very reluctant - what did I have to offer? The company is still young and I do what I can with marketing and acting as a spokesperson. I can tell you this, Erika and I (but mostly Erika!) will take the publishing industry in SA into a new era. Now how could a book-lover like me turn down such an amazing opportunity? Our goal is to help authors in SA get the attention they deserve, rather than having to find publishing support abroad.

What FQP is looking for in submissions is fantasy, paranormal and science fiction from SA born writers.

MD: You are also involved in a movement here in South Africa, aimed at inspiring children to read. Tell us a bit about the work that you do?

CL: My “Help Build a Library in SA” project started in 2012, coinciding with the launch of my first book, where I included a collection of prizes for the attendees.

Ironically, my mother won the prize, which was worth over R5000 in books

With Gareth Crocker, author and film-maker, at the 2015 SAIR Book Festival.

and swag, but she kindly donated it back to the school to get their library started. Half of the proceeds went to the school library and the other half to a charity. Thereafter it just made sense to keep up with the project.

Part of the reason I became a writer in the first place was to inspire others to use writing and reading as healing tools. Finding companionship between the pages of a good book is incredibly therapeutic. If our kids were reading more I am certain their life choices would be very different.

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MD: How can people get involved in the project?

CL: The link to this years Library event where I will also be starting a mentorship program for the kids in 2016, is http:// www.carlylelabuschagne.com/help-usbuild-a-library.html MD: Let’s shift gear, Carlyle. You founded the SAIR book festival, and the inaugural event took place in March this year, with a stellar line up of guest speakers and writer’s panels. The entire festival was recorded as being a massive success. What inspired you to undertake such a project?

CL: I was taken aback by the great acceptance of this concept in Johannesburg, After attending UtopYAcon in Nashville in 2014, I finally understood what direction our publishing community needed to take.

As an author, I always knew that our resources here in SA are very limited and “backward” for the individual, so to speak. I myself had struggled to build any kind of well-established network, where I could ask advice and get the correct information I needed.

Our authors and writers need support and guidance in every stage of their publishing career.

MD: What do you hope to achieve with SAIRfest?

CL: I hope to build a community of readers and writers who can lean on each other, boost each other, and even promote each other. I think SAIRfest 2015 went down fairly well, and that it was just the beginning of what we could achieve as we move forward. Good tips were shared, loads of information was spread between companies and individuals that would just make our lives as aspiring authors and publishers so much easier.

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MD: It seems there is nothing left for you to accomplish, but I have no doubt that you are already plotting your next big move. What can we expect from you in the future?

CL: I’ve already presented Fire Quill Publishers with my next exciting event and have the full backing of the CEO to do a Book-Cover Model search across South Africa. There will also be a smaller search for aspiring international models. This launches in August 2015 and we hope to announce the top 5 winners at the next SAIR event .

MD: You really don’t stop, do you!

Thanks so much for being here with us, and for sharing your life with our readers.

CL: Thank you for having me, it’s been a great honour Melissa, I appreciate the wonderful opportunity I have been given today! And no, as long as the ball is rolling in my direction, I’ll never stop!

MD: Before we go, how about a few fun facts...

Of course, she said yes, and here’s what we learned about the fabulous Carlyle Labuschagne:

&Exerpt

Teaser

Evanescent Fire Side

Zenith is what they call the point of singularity, where everything comes together in one single moment. It’s that one kiss you will never, ever forget. It’s like having a volcano of pleasure erupt in your mouth. Nothing has ever mattered, but that moment. Your entire life has existed for that one kiss. The heat, and the impenetrable hunger that will never be satisfied until it digs up your entire soul.

It’s in the way he holds you like he will never, ever let you go. It awakens all your senses. You have never been so weak to his touch.

A kiss that ignites your soul, giving it life. His scent, taste and touch is infuriatingly, irresistibly, and irrevocably – edible, consumable and daring. The fire burns right through you, melting you into him.

It’s a language that uses everything inside of you to communicate.

It’s a prayer only your bodies and souls will ever know. His lips become your life force. It’s that kiss you never walk away from.

This is who I will be for the rest of my life. Addicted to that kiss, the ultimate high with infinite, sweet poisons. It corrupts me, turns me inside out, leaves me shaking and invigorated. That is the moment I feel the most alive – ever.

He is my fire side.

Tea or coffee? Cappuccino in the morning, green tea in the afternoon.

Mountains or seaside? The great thing about our coastlines is that there are always mountains nearby! Both, as long as the weather is tropical, I’m in heaven.

Your favourite book of all time? Jock of the Bushveld.

Your favourite TV series? At the moment Grimm, but always The Vampire Diaries Your favourite animal? Black panther.

The most defining moment of your career to date? Oh gosh, that’s a hard one! I’ve had so many, and every day is a surprise. UtopYacon was definitely a huge turning-point in my career. I kind of came into my own, really got to love

myself for me, and accepted that only great things could come of such an amazing opportunity. But every year when I get to deliver a bunch of new Young adult books to the school and speak to the kids – well, that’s why I’m here!

To find Carlyle online, or follow her on social media, please visit:

www.carlylelabuschagne.com Her books are available with most digital retailers as well as selected book stores.

Author Bio: Carlyle is a South African award-winning author, with a flair for mixing genres and adding loads of drama to every story she creates.

For now she is happy to take over the world and convert non Sci-fi believers.

Her goal as an author is to touch people’s lives, and help others love their differences and one another by delivering strong messages of faith, love and hope within every outrageous world she writes about.

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POETS CORNER

Intelligen touching

Tapping into Botlhale’s mind

by Tiego Morallane

SA’s Got Talent winner Botlhale Boikanyo (14) shot to stardom for her spoken-word performance in 2012. It instantly earned her a standing ovation from the crowd. Since then, she has not looked back. She has done numerous local and international performances.

The talented young poet, artist, dancer and musician released a new album titled Spoken Word & Music in 2014. The album features her musical rendition of “Madiba Tribute”, which she describes as the highlight of her work. It is not a coincidence that this young woman has been described as ‘powerful beyond measure’ by her industry peers. Botlhale is the Youth Ambassador for the Legacy of Hope: the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital Initiative. This is a charity foundation in the US whose objective is to raise funds specifically for the Nelson Mandela’s children’s hospitals. Botlhale is the Setswana word for intelligence.

Tiego Morallane (TM) chats with Botlhale about her success and her love for poetry. Botlhale is accompanied by her mother, Mrs Mumsy Boikanyo, who drove her daughter from school to the interview and later joins in.

TM: I finished matric last year and I’m in my first year at Rhodes University.

As an 18-year-old varsity student I still

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see myself as a shy guy who sometimes lacks confidence. I remember watching you on stage and thinking, Wow! You seem to be oozing with confidence.

How do you do that?

BB: I don’t know. What I know is that I would like to excel in everything that I do. I just believe that I can do anything that I set my mind to. That is what drives me. I want to do my best. I love entertaining people; to put a smile on their faces.

TM: I guess it comes with the talent, right?

BB: Maybe.

TM: I believe you moved from North West to Gauteng. How has that affected your young career? Do your peers treat you differently because you are a celebrity?

BB: People don’t treat me differently. I am obviously different on stage when I am acting, but I am still a teenage girl who has worries about school and teen stuff. I am a normal kid; I want to have fun, play and have friends. There is no big change, I am still Botlhale. I am in contact with my old friends in Mafeking and I visit as often as possible.

TM: Being the Ambassador for the

Legacy of Hope: the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital Initiative sounds cool. What does that entail?

BB: We are trying to raise funds to build more children’s hospitals in SA. We do concerts to raise funds. There is a concert right now but I couldn’t go because I am writing exams. During the concerts I perform with other artists.

People donate money. My poetry is always displayed at these events.

TM: With Mandela Day coming up, what are you going to do for your 67 minutes?

BB: I will be going to the Children’s Home to hang out and play around with the kids.

TM: Do you have any siblings? Are they also talented and following in your footsteps?

BB: I have a younger brother (3), who I think is more into music and plays the guitar. My sister (5) is a drama queen.

She is into arts I think. She is always imitating me.

TM: Mrs Boikanyo, congratulations once again on raising such a fine young woman. Are you also into the arts?

Botlhale’s mom: I thought you were interviewing Botlhale [laughs]. Well,

ence

I am also an artist. I grew up doing community art, theatre, drama, dance and poetry. But you know, when you grow up in a village and your parents don’t even understand what you are doing, it is hard. There was no support; with time it all faded away. Before long there was a family and I began to worry more about providing security for my family. I had to put away my passion and focus on the family. But I told myself that I wouldn’t like my children to suffer the same fate. I planned to support my children in whichever way possible.

TM: Would you say everybody in the family has some ‘arty’ gift going on?

Botlhale’s mom: My three-year-old son is into music; my five-year-old daughter just imitates Botlhale. Botlhale’s dad is a singer and is in the worship team at church. When they are older, maybe dad and son will sing whilst Botlhale and her sister will do poetry performances.

TM: Most parents would probably want you to tell them how it all happened.

How did you notice that your daughter was talented?

Botlhale’s mom: Well I guess being an artist it was very easy to relate with another artist. From a very young age she loved attention. Each time we attended functions she insisted on performing and entertaining. She

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would do monologues in front of the mirror at home. She adds some drama to any normal conversation and acts it out. She is dramatic. She composes songs and enjoys dancing to her music.

I noticed that she was an artist but did not classify it as poetry. When she was in Grade 1 she was given a poem which was also given to a grade 6 to prepare over the weekend for a recital on Monday. She was ready by that Monday. There she was on stage with a microphone, showcasing her amazing talent. The audience were cheering and clapping. Just then, it clicked! She was definitely a poet! Even though I had not even been exposed to poetry, I just knew it. I knew that she had a special gift. It was unbelievable.

She is a great dancer; she has won competitions; she is an amazing actor.

She was the first Grade 8 at school to be in the main production and this year she got the lead role. She is not just a poet, she is an all-rounder.

TM: Botlhale, do you write your own poetry?

BB: I write my own poetry and also write at special request. Another time I was requested to recite and perform Maya Angelou’s poem for the Nelson Mandela event.

TM: Where do you draw inspiration from?

BB: It is from things that are happening around me. The Nelson Mandela poem was about him being the exceptional leader; the Africa poem was about Africa. It is issues and things that need to be heard.

TM: Sadly, I never had a chance to meet the late President Nelson Mandela.

How did it feel to meet him and still perform for him? It must have been an extraordinary feeling?

BB: I didn’t meet him but I performed in his honour. He is and was a great legend! It was a privilege!

TM: Are there any future projects that you are working on? Is there anything that we should be looking out for?

BB: Nothing much. Right now it is about developing me as an actor. I am auditioning for a big role; please keep your fingers crossed for me.

TM: Done. Your career path is directed into acting and drama. Are you planning to keep it that way?

BB: No. I would like to be a chartered accountant.

TM: Wow! What a combination, good luck! Have you performed overseas yet?

TM: Poetry has some deep meaning and still confuses me sometimes. All that I know about poetry is how confusing it is.

Do you relate to it easily?

BB: I have only been to America. I was also in Zambia last year. It was fun.

Funny that some people in America think wild animals are our pets.

BB: Do you remember when you were at school and had to write a poem? That is different from when I write a poem that I will have to perform. At school I write for marks, but for performance I keep it simple and fun. If I had to compete with a child writing poetry for school work I would probably lose marks. I would, however, excel on stage.

TM: I have heard that before. We all need to travel and read to understand how other people live. You are amazing; you speak Setswana brilliantly. How many languages do you speak?

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BB: I am half Xhosa and half Motswana.

I cannot speak Xhosa but I understand it. We speak Setswana at home ̶ NO

English at home.

TM: I also think poetry is more magical and beautiful in one’s native language.

Now let’s talk about the BIG day, South Africa’s Got Talent. How was it? The spotlight was on you that day. I can still remember it vividly.

BB: I was watching TV one day when I saw the advert. I decided to apply and all I wanted to do was to be on TV. At first my application was declined because they were not auditioning for poetry. They reluctantly asked me to perform for the producers, just to give it a try. I was 10 years old then. I had to perform Mary Williams’ poem. One of the judges later encouraged me to write my own and I was elated. I prepared that on the spot and did well. They were blown away. After the first audition I gained confidence. I won after the fourth round!!

Botlhale’s mom: It was a roller-coaster ride with many obstacles. She was not supposed to participate because they were not auditioning for poetry. She was later given a chance to participate on condition she recited other people’s poetry. Although she was later allowed to prepare her own poems, she was asked to add music. She was asked to wear a black and white suit to represent Mandela as a president. We negotiated and were given permission to wear an orange overall (prison-like uniform).

We were not allowed to use Mandela’s prison number due to copyright laws.

We instead chose to embroider ‘27 years’ on the sleeves of her overall and it worked! The cameras zoomed right on that writing. We were not even supposed to use the flag on stage during her performance. It was the flag that sealed off the whole performance.

When she pulled it out of her pocket

right at the end the audience and the judges broke out in a huge uproar.

TM: Awesome. You should write a book.

It will be a best seller. Your story will motivate other young people who dream of succeeding. Do you see a future for poets in South Africa?

BB: Yes. Definitely!

TM: Most artists die poor, yet they are portrayed as rich celebrities. We read about it every day and the struggle that they go though in SA is a concern. Does that bother you at all?

Botlhale’s mom: It is a very difficult industry.

We are advising her to focus on her academics as well. One cannot rely on this type of work only.

TM: Let me give my colleagues a chance to ask one question each.

Tshiamo Mahloele: I have a random question to ask. Which three words describe you?

BB: Humble, talkative and fun.

Boipelo Mngadi: As a successful and talented youth, what advice can you give to other young people who are challenged differently?

BB: I am planning to write a book about my experiences. I occasionally do motivational speaking. My story should be encouraging to some because I started off as a village girl and worked hard to be where I am today. I hope my short life will serve as an inspiration that they too can beat the odds.

Junior Ncube: Should we expect another album from you?

BB: Maybe a book, something different.

TM: From Authors Magazine, we wish you the very best in your exams and future ahead. Congratulations and well done.

Botlhale performed a poem specially written for Authors Magazine Hash Tag “Like a Girl” after the interview.

HASH TAG “LIKE A GIRL”

By Botlhale Boikanyo I do it my way Hash tag like a girl I run like a girl I shoot like a girl I kick like a girl I break dance like a girl You wanna know why? Because I am a girl A girl who understands her worth and value A girl who’s not ashamed of who she is A girl who does not apologise for being a girl A girl whose confidence is not built by the opinions of others, but by the way she views herself.

Her confidence is the kind that rebels against society Put downs that are gender based Her confidence is the kind that challenges stereotypes Her confidence is the kind that re-defines and re-writes the meaning of the phrase “like a girl” For she walks with her head held high She wears her confidence on her sleeves for all to see with a big black bolded sign that says on her forehead “like a girl I am unstoppable” The strength and the wisdom that she possesses is astonishing The way she carries herself is amazing Her beauty is from a place that no eye can see from deep within her soul For she may not be perfect, but she is real She may not be the toughest, but she is resilient She does it her way “like a girl” And like a girl she speaks And her smile keeps you begging for more Like a girl she walks And her presence keeps you captivated She is unstoppable Hash tag “like a girl”

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POETS CORNER

Poe in a bot

The lady who kee

It started off as a humble project to raise funds for an unnamed charity, but little did she know what was to come next – business opportunities, performances, fashion shows and showcases. An undervalued talent that she didn’t believe she had opened doors she hadn’t imagined walking through.

Lesego Matsimela was one of the many start-up entrepreneurs who showcased their material at the Hatfield Social Market on Sunday 5 July 2015.

Her initial plan had been to raise funds for a charity as a Miss Jacaranda finalist, but when she got to the Social Market her work: painting, drawing, poetry in a bottle, attracted a lot of attention, and then businesses/companies started approaching her at the market. Lesego had expected nothing more than compliments and admiration for her pieces. But her career took a detour for the better and, as Lesego’s mother told her, “This could be a start of something new.”

Business and the general public took more than an interest and went beyond compliments and admiration, to the extent of encouraging and creating platforms for Lesego to showcase her work on a larger scale. Since that day Lesego has been invited to events such as the Jam in Johannesburg, a function that deals with different types of art: written poetry, spoken poetry, contemporary art and singing.

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by

etry ttle

eps her

Tshiamo Mahloele

“I am 16 years of age and come from beautiful Pretoria, Gauteng. I believe in life that you should never let your insecurities be an obstacle,” the Miss Jacaranda finalist told us.

“I do not excel academically so I rely on my art”. Lesego will be relying on future invitations and exposure received at the Jam and social markets respectively in order to further her career in the near future. The calm, poised introvert expressed her desire to follow a modelling career on top of her art and writing after completion of her secondary studies.

Some would say that Lesego is just one of the many aspiring entrepreneurs out there, but one thing that sets her apart is that she is very much an introvert, but uses it to her advantage.

“So as an introvert, how does one express oneself the way you do so effortlessly in your art-pieces?” asked a member of the AM team. “It’s simple; introverts experience similar emotions to extroverts but don’t show them so easily. That’s where I derive my inspiration that enables me articulate myself so well through my

pieces,” Lesego replied.

One way Lesego has managed to use her introvert traits to her advantage is via her innovative poetry-in-a-bottle concept. Lesego explained that even though she writes poetry she does not enjoy performing in front of live audiences, as she gets stage fright. “So what’s the point of writing poetry if you’re not willing to showcase it in front of a live audience?” one might ask. That’s exactly why one should find out by supporting her and finding out more about her poetry-in-a-bottle concept.

Lesego is still in Grade 11 at school: she plans to build her career around her art, as she does not plan to follow an academic direction. Another of her interests is fashion, so she is going to take a gap year after school and do short fashion courses, and focus on the art after that. We wish her well.

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ARTICLE

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it isn’t real?”

- J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow As a mom of two girls I have often reminisced about my own childhood and all the things I used to enjoy. Often, I wonder whether children today use their imaginations as much as we did when we were young. Do you see your children gathering little objects outside and creating incredible tales and stories during their fantasy play like we used to when we played “cops and robbers” or “fairies and goblins”? Or does your child’s fantasy play seem to consist only of repetitive movements like karate

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Reade raising

chops or ballerina spins - movement that stimulates the body, but not the mind?

A child’s imagination typically emerges between the age of two and five, according to professionals. Through my time working with children as a teacher, I came to realise that children nowadays have little to no imagination, and this is how my story, “Petals of Petunia Place” came to being. I wrote it for no other

purpose than to give it to my child – a sentimental gem of whimsy and fantasy that I could pass on to my precious daughter. It was not intended to be a tangible gift, with a value attached, but rather a key that would unlock her imaginative mind. A tool, to remind her that she was capable of creating magical, wonderful things too.

My love of books and reading has thankfully been passed on through the gene pool. My daughter loves to read, and more often than not we read books with no pictures or illustrations.

I love watching the wonder on her face as she creates her own images, using the vivid and colourful imagination which children possess. After all, was it not Einstein who said ‘Imagination is more important than knowledge.

For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.” I agree with Einstein wholeheartedly. If nothing else, we should foster our youth’s imagination, and let them unlock all the wonders of their young minds.

ers

by Paige Weideman

Being a Mum of girls - typical girls - who love romance and fairytales and happy endings, I feel it is far more important to nurture these two little cherub’s minds, than anything else. As an author and an avid reader, I am more than qualified to do so. In fact, I often feel that this is what I was destined to do.

As a teacher, nurturing young minds is part of the job description, but it is never more rewarding than when it is your own children whose lives you are enriching. As parents, we can make all the difference in the world, by showing them our own love of books. A story at bedtime, reading on a rainy day, even the frustrations of load shedding can be alleviated through a good madeup story! Yes, this can be a particularly taxing bedtime request after a long day in the company of a toddler or preschooler, or a brutal day at the office, but if you can bear it, you will probably find you enjoy it just as much as they do. It’s a bonding experience, one that can be fun for the whole family. Your story doesn’t even have to be very good – children aren’t very critical! If you don’t know where to start, get your kids to help. Let them select three items in the room to “star” in the story and take it from there. They can take part by naming the characters as you go. It’s about opening their minds, and teaching them to tap into that imagination.

I remember catching ants as a child,

which invariably led to homes being constructed and naming ceremonies being carried out, for each precious new “pet.” What happened to make-believe?

As adults, we grow up and leave the world of pretend behind, but we hold the memories of that place in our hearts.

We get to visit it again as parents, taking our precious children with us. One of my fondest memories is having a similar “adventure” with my grandmother and this memory awakened something in me I had long thought forgotten. It turns out adults can use their imaginations too, if they have the right motivation!

This is how my book, “Petals of Petunia Place” was created.

Enid Blyton was a firm favourite author of my younger self. Ms Blyton took me on amazing adventures... up the Faraway Tree, to strange lands on the Wishing Chair. Her storytelling was astounding and her books were a magic portal to another place where I could lose myself, and experience true adventure. In a letter to a psychologist Peter McKellar, Blyton described her writing technique: “I shut my eyes for a few minutes, with my portable typewriter on my knee. I make my mind blank and wait, and then, as clearly as I would see real children, my characters stand before me in my mind’s eye. The first sentence comes straight into my mind, I don’t have to think of it – I don’t have to think of anything.”

Wouldn’t it be amazing to bring up children with this type of mind? A mind that sees beyond what is normal or “real”, but rather the miraculous and uncertain?

Children are growing up in a digital era and technology is embedded in their lives. Toy laptops, mobile phones and keyboards are readily available for children to explore and incorporate

into their play. Gaming and television have become an easier option for overworked parents, who are doing their level best in to survive the rat race of societal pressures. While there is a place for digital media in our children’s lives, I do feel that our children are not being taught to think for themselves when everything is spoon-fed to them over media platforms.

In literature, lessons are learned and created for children to discover for themselves. Winnie-the-Pooh teaches us the value of friendship, where Pooh and Piglet are often shown exchanging terms of endearment with one another, letting us discover the true value of someone we hold dear. Peter Pan teaches us the aspect of believing in yourself and your own capabilities.

“The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it.”― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan. This lesson is echoed in one of my favourite childhood books, Redwall

by Brian Jacques, which states: “Who knows, my friend? Maybe the sword does have some magic. Personally, I think it’s the warrior who wields it.”

Let’s teach our children to be warriors, to value friendship, to dream big dreams and believe in one another. Let’s teach them that nothing is impossible, that their world is limited only by a lack of their own imaginations. This is our duty - our honour - as parents, to the children we hold so dear to our hearts.

It is a gift that only we can give them, in a world which sometimes shows them the opposite. And where else would our children be go to be able to feel this way; to believe in the unknown, grasp the true meaning of words, the value and art in imagination? Nowhere but in the arms of a great book.

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ARTICLE

Grah

2015

My very first experience of the Grahamstown Arts Festival in 2014 was a clean, rose-glass-tinted experience.

I floated from one show to another, recklessly astounded that for two weeks my days consisted of a Directing Workshop in the morning, a Jazz concert in the afternoon, an opera in the early evening and an intense play in the evening. In between each event you get to eat a chicken and mushroom Panini at the Mad Hatters café or a vegetarian curry at the Red Café. A year later, my second time around was even more informed and educated – I scrutinised everything I experienced at the festival.

On the first of July 2015, the night before the festival began, I sat with Rhodes University Honours student director, Ameera Mills, who was holding her first National Arts Festival piece called “Void,” a contemporary South African story about a puppet named Joe who takes in a girl named Alex after she faces some obstacles while searching for her father. Ameera and I attended a small wine-filled gathering together and she expressed how much of an honour and a challenge it was to present a piece at the Students Festival Programme.

She kindly gave me permission to sit in on her final rehearsal before show time and I got to see the skeleton the audience does not see because as an audience member you bite into the flesh of the art and digest it however

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hamstown art festival you see fit. The Grahamstown National Arts Festival provided a template in which I could pore over and digest the fact that as a creator or consumer of art, art is a relative term that is often casually used and is always mutating itself in definition.

by Tiisetso Mashifane

It is a multi-purpose tool that has been liberated from Renaissance-European Canon orientated ballets, paintings or classical plays that dominate modern culture, to boundary pushing South African pieces that create the South African art canon which is then represented by the National Arts Festival. Pieces like Artscape’s politicalhistorical two-man play, The Return of the Ancestors. This piece is reminiscent of the South African Protest classic, Woza Albert! by Mbongeni Ngema, Percy Mtwa and Barney Simon. The play tells the story of Stephen Bantu Biko coming back from the dead to save South Africa in its current state.

The piece was a brilliant evaluation of South Africa reflecting on itself after the effects of Apartheid through its multiple characters - from a sick grandmother waiting for the government to provide basic services, to a perky news presenter who puts a positive spin on even the most dismal of situations.

I remember my high school drama teacher often telling me that art is often concerned with the human condition and that in each nation state

AUTHORS MAGAZINE | 21

those conditions are individual and to stay true to a South African human condition,. Two years after graduating from high school drama, I found that Phala O. Phala’s Kafka’s Ape embodies that concern. It is a work that has been running for about three years, but I saw it for the very first time when a friend of mine got me a complimentary ticket to its final show. The arts festival occurs in the heart of winter but that does not stop anyone from going to show. Kafka’s Ape started at ten in the evening, when everyone is trying to unwind from a busy day, but the intensity of one actor playing a half-man, half –ape organism delivered a compelling and soul hitting comment on the condition of humanity and how we suffer because of ourselves and are too blind to notice it.

Living in Grahamstown, I am exposed to the binary of social standards such as ‘high art’ and ‘low art,’ or ‘upper class’ and ‘working class’ every single day

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as I rush to get a cup of hot chocolate between lectures but the festival makes that binary very explicit. Art has exploded all over town - there is a clown at every corner, a popular restaurant turned into a jazz lounge and gourmet markets that make you want to walk around with black roses and a camera just to live the two week lifestyle.

This does not, however, diverge that the festival (like most arts festivals around the world), though extremely enjoyable, works on a binary. The shows and exhibitions at the festival are divided into ‘Main Stage’ and the ‘Fringe’ and brings up the question of what is ‘good’ art? Must you earn it? Who gets to decide, because essentially anyone can create art. It is not restricted to a specific group of people, yet when you have a show at The Monument (the headquarters and main stage of the National Arts Festival) there are street kids with white covered

faces and a collecting-cup in front of them, performing as you walk past with your R100.00 ticket in hand.

Inqindi and Waltz are physical theatre pieces by First Physical Theatre Choreographer Nomcibisi Moyikwa.

Though stunning individually, they work really well as complementary pieces. Moyikwa challenges multiple concepts in an essentially South African manner. Inqindi deals with the expression of the South African black woman using physical performance as her tool – it confronts how we look at the black woman because throughout history she has been the object of adverse interpretations and now in this piece, she demands that we listen to what she has to say about that, and proves that she is more than that. The complementary piece, Waltz deals with masculinity and its definition in South African society – it calls to the blood of man, how it boils and expells

itself. Both pieces inevitably ended up winning Standard Bank Ovation Awards One of the first pieces that I witnessed and yet mention last, is Standard Bank Young Artist Award Winner for Performance Art, Athi-Patra Ruga’s The Elder of Azania. I had no idea what was going on, which was the point. The Elder of Azania was a fantastical piece that ignited a childlike imagination, the theatre smelled like baby powder and reminded me of a Queen Bee surrounded by a whimsical empire of neon lights, paint, balloons and wild projections.

The Grahamstown Arts Festival is a both a process, and an experience. Not only in a theatrical, performance setting but as a life process, reflection of the current times, imagination that shape our nation and its culture and minds.

I have been lucky enough to set my eyes and my mind to this concentrated environment of on the clock shows and exhibitions. Ester van der Walt, 25 year old full time Masters Choreography student and creator of Arts Festival physical theatre piece, Transparent extends this notion in commenting that the Festival plays an important role in the development of the South African Art Canon especially since one does not need to audition to present work on the fringe. The festival encourages a general culture of theatre-going, rather than theatre being a luxury that is indulged only once in a while.

Dance transparent

Tiisetso Mashifane meets with 25 year old Rhodes University Masters student, Ester van der Walt (25) at Grahamstown Art Festival for an interview.

TM: Take us through the intricacies that made up your piece, Transparent.

EvdW: I have been performing for some time, but only realised my interest in dance and choreography late in my second year (2011) at university. I took a choreography class in my third year (2012), and I have been specialising in choreography and contemporary performance since then, so I am quite new to the field. Transparent came from an investigation of this short period of time in which I have attempted to catch up with those who have been interested in and trained in dance their whole lives. I realised that my interest in dance and choreography was sparked by a lecture series on Pina Bausch. I found her work to be inspirational, unexpected, challenging and eye-opening. Her incredible range and attention to presence was, and still is, fascinating to me. The interest in Bausch sparked further investigations and I now have a number of choreographers who I consider incredibly influential. Included in this list are practitioners like Yvonne Rainer, Jonathan Burrows and Alan Parker. I started to create a work investigating practitioners like these mentioned above. This work was an attempt to understand them better, to find my own interpretation of them, and to try to embody the wonderful things I saw in them in my own off-beat way. I realised that I am not only influenced by dancers and choreographers, but also other kinds of performers, like Bo Burnham and Andrew Buckland. Transparent is the product of the investigation into those who have helped to shape my ideas about performance. It honours, questions, makes fun of, embodies and deconstructs the works of others to reveal the kind of performer I have become.

In finishing, it can be said that the Grahamstown National Arts Festival is there to remind us, regrettably only once a year, that a nation has no culture without its art.

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TM: What did you want your audience to take away from the performance?

EvdW: The aim of the work has always been to be both entertaining and interesting.

Transparent is an attempt at performed, embodied dissemination of research. In other words, I hoped that the performance would be entertaining to watch, but that it would also reveal the research I have undertaken into these influential artists. I hope that the audience experiences and gains new knowledge of a bit of dance and performance history. The performance has also been a way for me to find myself within the field and to try to share the kind of performer that I am with an audience.

TM: Do you think that the festival fulfils a specific purpose/role in defining art in a South African context (socio-political, cultural, etc.)?

EvdW: The festival certainly has an important role to play in the development of the South African canon. The ovation awards and young artist awards serve as an indication of the kind of art that is successful and appreciated in the country at this time. It is a platform for a wide range of practitioners to share their work in a somewhat uncensored way, considering that one does not need to audition to present a work on the fringe. It is only necessary to complete the correct paperwork and pay the application fees. It is also an opportunity for artists to see what other artists are doing, to be inspired by them and to recognise trends and developments within their field. The festival also encourages a culture of theatre-going, which we as theatre practitioners must support, considering that our profession is so reliant on the development of more interest in theatre as a general cultural practice rather than just a luxury which one enjoys every few years.

My website has some more bio info, images, videos and a bit of writing on my work: http://estervanderwalt.weebly.com/

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THE MORE

THAT YOU READ THE MORE THINGS

Read recommended

YOU WILL KNOW THE MORE THAT

YOU LEARN THE MORE PLACES

YOU’LL GO Dr. Seuss Title: The Crisis of Authority – Workforce Tensions. A Desperate Call for Intervention Author: Myrah K. Mashigo-Tshabalala Publisher: Xlibris LLC The desperation for improved public service has gone beyond morbid boardrooms and fiery street protests.

This is a well-researched book that gives a clear perspective of the crisis areas that impact negatively on service delivery within the public sector, consequently ‘generating’ a frustrated society. Myrah, a government official and a previously renowned union leader, highlights the causes of the problems tarnishing the good intent of public service. She also offers solutions on how management can influence a positive change within government departments. This is a well-crafted chronological paperback that will attract anyone who values a ‘humanised’ workplace and outstanding client service. It is also suitable for senior tertiary student within management disciplines. Very thought -provoking AUTHORS MAGAZINE | 25

Reads recommended

Title: All the Bright Places Author: Jennifer Niven Teen, Mental illness

Description: The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park, All the Bright Places is a compelling and beautiful story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him. Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the ‘natural wonders’ of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself - a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink. How far will Violet go to save the boy she has come to love?

An intense, gripping YA novel, perfect for fans of John Green, Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, Gayle Forman and Jenny Downham.

Title: The Girl on the Train Author: Paula Hawkins Crime, suspense, thriller Description: Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck.

She’s even started to feel like she knows them. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them.

Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

Compulsively readable, The Girl on the Train is an emotionally immersive, Hitchcockian thriller and an electrifying debut.

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The Nightingale Author: Kristin Hannah Historical Fiction

Description: FRANCE, 1939. In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France … but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When a German captain requisitions Vianne’s home, she and her daughter must live with the enemy or lose everything. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates all around them, she is forced to make one impossible choice after another to keep her family alive.

Vianne’s sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old girl, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets Gäetan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can … completely. But when he betrays her, Isabelle joins the Resistance and never looks back, risking her life time and again to save others.

With courage, grace and powerful insight, bestselling author Kristin Hannah captures the epic panorama of WWII and illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen: the women’s war. The Nightingale tells the stories of two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals, passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love, and freedom in German-occupied, war-torn France--a heartbreakingly beautiful novel that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the durability of women. It is a novel for everyone, a novel for a lifetime.

Title: Go Set a Watchman Author: Harper Lee Literary, Classics

Description: From Harper Lee comes a landmark new novel set two decades after her beloved Pulitzer Prize–winning masterpiece, To Kill a Mockingbird.

Maycomb, Alabama. Twenty-six-year-old Jean Louise Finch—”Scout”—returns home from New York City to visit her aging father, Atticus. Set against the backdrop of the civil rights tensions and political turmoil that were transforming the South, Jean Louise’s homecoming turns bittersweet when she learns disturbing truths about her close-knit family, the town, and the people dearest to her. Memories from her childhood flood back, and her values and assumptions are thrown into doubt. Featuring many of the iconic characters from To Kill a Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchman perfectly captures a young woman, and a world, in painful yet necessary transition out of the illusions of the past—a journey that can only be guided by one’s own conscience.

Written in the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman imparts a fuller, richer understanding and appreciation of Harper Lee. Here is an unforgettable novel of wisdom, humanity, passion, humor, and effortless precision—a profoundly affecting work of art that is both wonderfully evocative of another era and relevant to our own times. It not only confirms the enduring brilliance of To Kill a Mockingbird, but also serves as its essential companion, adding depth, context, and new meaning to an American classic.

AUTHORS MAGAZINE | 27

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ARTICLE

Breaking the

Habit The book landed on my bed with a weighty thud. Far weightier than I would have anticipated for such a small thing. I looked up from where I reclined between the sheets at my wife’s departing back. A business trip was taking her to Edinburgh for a few days.

I waited for the front door to close.

Another weighty thud. My fingers tiptoed across the duvet to rest lightly on the book, tilting it so that I could read the title.

“No Plot? No Problem!”

For the briefest millisecond I thought she had bought me a Chinese cookery book. But then my eyes widened at the small picture of the typewriter on

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the cover. Nope. No sweet ‘n sour pork recipes inside this baby. It was a book on writing.

Another one.

I felt my nostrils flare, heard the inrush of air. But by then my eyes were already reading the book’s byline: “A LowStress, High Velocity guide to writing a novel in 30 days.”

Whatever.

That day was the 23rd of October 2011.

I remember it well. My last day as a wannabe writer. Over morning coffee, with the sprog safely imprisoned at her nursery school, I read through the first few chapters. They were pretty good.

An insight into NaNoWriMO

by Ian Tennent

Chris Baty was the author’s name, and the boy could write.

So what?

By lunchtime, the book complete, “So what?” was morphing towards, “So, why not?” For the first time in many a year, sans a treadmill, my heartrate had ticked up. Had ticked up quite a lot.

“No Plot? No Problem!” promised that it was possible to write a novel in a month. Chris Baty had done it. Some of his friends had done it. And now, over a decade later, tens of thousands across the globe were doing it. Why not me?

How? NaNoWriMo, that’s how.

Say what?

NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month – Chris’s brainchild way back in 1999, that has gone from strength to strength and taken the writing world by storm. Effectively it’s the Comrades Marathon of Writing, where global participants undertake to write a 50 000 word novel in a month. Which month? November!

November was a week away.

The problem I had was that the system’s success rested on three itty bitty principles that nobody, least of all me, would ever contemplate using. They were just so juvenile. Stupid… Shhtooopidd!

Principle 1. Get a Deadline. As immovable as the Rock of Gibraltar... with an anvil on top.

No way! True art will not be rushed! I thought.

And why not? Chris countered. A deadline doesn’t cost you anything. In fact I’ll even give you one for free. The 30th of November. That’s 50 000 words in 30 days or 1666.67 words per day. Stephen King writes at least 2000 words a day.

What are you whinging about?

Principle 2. Tell the world about it. Sign-up online. Make it official. Make it intractable. Tell your family, tell your friends, your pet worm. Let them hold you accountable.

Have you lost your tiny mind?

Tell the world about it and your pride, your ego, will get you through it.

I have no ego.

Really, No pride?

Nope!

Then you’ve got nothing to lose.

Principle 3. “Rubbish!” Give yourself permission to write rubbish.

You are not going to create a literary masterpiece in a month. And that’s ok.

NaNoWriMo is not about producing the Sistine Chapel of prose.

It’s about learning how to write to a deadline, coping with the self-inflicted pain of poor discipline, learning the benefits of routine, building a framework around you that encourages success. It’s about feeling good when you hit your target; feeling worthless when you don’t. It’s about output, it’s about finally embracing how rubbish you actually are at writing, hitting the floor of the hole you’ve dug, so that you can shove back off it and claw your way out. In essence it’s about actually being a writer. And, you get to do all this with an army of fellow jarhead recruits at your side and your nearest and dearest cheering you on. Best of all, in the darkness of that pit, buried in its walls and floor, you’ll stumble across a gem or two. Not enough. Not nearly enough. But enough to fill your fist when you punch through into the sunlight after 30 days. And with your fistful of gems, you can go to war, for real!

NaNoWriMo officially begins every year on 1 November. Prior preparation is discouraged. You start writing on the first of November and you end at midnight on the 30th. It’s a global phenomenon. Amateurs and Professionals alike take part. Your work is yours to see and yours to share, if you want. You are free to interact with other participants, via dedicated chatrooms, as much or as little, as you want. Free to share in the tips and tricks and pep talks, as much or as little, as you want.

It’s free. And you are free to donate, as much or as little, as you want.

It’s a fantastic springboard for anyone looking to break the habit of failing to write.

NaNoWriMo was the first step in my journey. Why not make it yours?

Checkout their website for more info: http://nanowrimo.org/

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT NaNoWriMo 310,095 participants started the month of November as auto mechanics, outof-work actors, and middle school English teachers. They walked away novelists.

651 volunteer Municipal Liaisons guided 595 regions on six continents.

89,500 students and educators told their stories with the Young Writers Program.

650 libraries opened their doors to novelists through the Come Write In program.

And in 2014, 55,774 Campers tackled a writing project during Camp NaNoWriMo.

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Listen

ARTICLE

to me... Why you should be

listening to Audiobooks

by Helga Pearson When I was a kid, I had an annoying habit. I would hide behind the couch in our lounge and secretly tape various family conversations. Inevitably, this meant that most of my recordings ended with some version of, “What the blazes are you doing back there!?

Are you taping us? You sneaky little….”

Personally I think my family should have been a bit more understanding.

For all they knew, this early interest may have led to a promising career in investigative journalism, or even politics. I’m just saying.

I really loved that little tape recorder.

When I wasn’t using it to produce homemade blackmail material, I used it to bring to life my other source of childhood entertainment. By this I mean a magazine and tape series known as ‘Story Teller’, produced by the UK company, Marshall Cavendish.

If by now you know what I’m talking about, then you sir, had a magical childhood. If however you didn’t spend your formative years in your room, lying on the floor amongst a pile of books, magazines and tapes - let me explain.

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Storytellers were magic. They were a portal to another world. Each issue contained an amazingly varied selection of individual children’s stories, songs and poems along with serialised stories published over multiple issues. These tales ranged from the familiar like Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan to lesser known ones such as Children Of The Sun and The Land Of The Bumbly Boo. Not only that, some of the most memorable and beloved characters could be found in these pages, characters like Timbertwig, Gobbolino and Grogre The Golden Ogre.

Not only did you get a gorgeously illustrated magazine but each issue came with an audio tape of all the stories narrated by a selection of Britain’s finest actors and voice artists of the day. The overall production quality was truly astounding and you really have to wonder how they got the budget together to pull it off.

Today, these magazines and tapes are highly collectible amongst the mistyeyed Gen-X crowd. There is even a Facebook group where 30 and 40-year old adults reminisce about the amazing phenomenon that was The Marshall Cavendish Story Teller collection. (It’s not as creepy or sad as it sounds. I promise) So, why this rewind down memory lane?

Well, I’m an audiobook enthusiast - and as you can see, it started at an early age for me. That said, I don’t think my love of books read out loud is exclusively a hangover from childhood. There are a number of reasons audiobooks should be a part of any book lover’s library.

Firstly, the majority of early fiction was in fact meant to be heard, not read.

Greek tragedies, Shakespearean plays, romantic poetry – all of these were written to be performed out loud in

front of an audience. Also, as author Phillip Pullman says,” Long before writing, people were telling each other stories and the audiobook goes all the way back to that tradition.” So the vocal narration of fiction is not a new-fangled marketing invention or yet another sad by-product of our attention-starved, modern society.

Audiobooks as we know them have also come a long way technically speaking.

First, we had record albums, then books on tape cassettes, then CD’s. All of these options were a little clunky and stupendously expensive. Today, sites like Audible.com have made things a little easier (and somewhat cheaper.)

It’s simple enough now to download straight from the internet right on to your computer or smart phone. The best part about it is the portability. Hook up some head phones or plug in to your car radio and that jog, or housecleaning, or car journey just became a lot more interesting.

Audiobooks are an art form. As with any art, along with the sublime you also get the utterly mundane and mediocre. It is imperative that you choose wisely, to fully appreciate the audio experience.

To begin with, your selection should of course be guided by your personal taste. Choose a genre, author, or subject matter that appeals to as you would any book. Next tip: Listen to the free audio samples. You may pick a fabulous book but a bad narrator can ruin the entire experience. In the case of audio books I would go so far as to say that the narrator is more important than the subject matter. Tom Hiddleston and Morgan Freeman can read anything they like, including the washing machine manual, and I guarantee it would be worth the listen! That said, narrators do not need to be celebrities - although this does

seem to be the current trend. There are many amazing, award-winning narrators whose faces and names you would otherwise never know.

Which brings me to my own pet peeve.

Author-read books. (Hang on a minute here, I just have to climb up onto this wooden crate ) Listen up! I’m looking at you publishers. Authors are amazing at getting those compelling squiggles on to the page, and we implore you: keep doing that. Some authors even have the chops to read their own books and deliver a great performance, Neil Gaiman comes to mind. However narration is just that, ‘performance’ and unless you have the acting ability and/or the quality of voice to pull it off, just say NO. Please, I beg of thee, publisher and author alike, call in a professional voice artist (did I mention Tom Hiddleston does narration?) who matches the style of your work and let them do the work justice. Do not slay your newborn child (in this case, your newly released book) by making us listen to a deadpan, lacklustre rendition of what might have been a masterpiece. Ok, I’m done. The soapbox is packed away.

I hope, after all of this, I have convinced you to at least give audiobooks a try.

Some books snobs may still say - but how can you even call them books, there is no ‘reading’ involved?

Don’t be that person.

I know my fair share of passionate book fans and the one thing we all have in common is how much we love the stories and the characters, no matter how we input that stuff into our “brainjelly”. So ignore the posers and rather plugin in some headphones. Because according to this book nerd, audiobooks are awesome.

AUTHORS MAGAZINE | 33

ARTICLE

FROM INDIE TO PUBLISHED: Part 1

Self-Publishing experiences My

the good, the bad and the ugly.

I am what you would call a “hybrid” author – I am both published in the traditional sense and I indie publish select titles. I enjoy the freedom this affords me, and the creative license I retain, while at the same time having the “power of the publisher” behind me opens doors that would otherwise remain locked. Over the course of the next ten weeks, I will share my experiences, discussing the pros and cons of both mainstream and selfpublishing.

In March 2012, at the age of 32, with a business to run and 3 very young children, I sat down and started writing my first book, The Legacy. Seven months later, with finished manuscript in hand, I had a very difficult decision to make: to self-publish, or to submit to mainstream publishing houses and hope for a positive outcome. In the end, I opted to do both. I would submit my manuscript to traditional publishers, but in the interim, I would indie publish and launch my book on society. Of course, I secretly had big dreams that I would be an overnight sensation – my success would rival the great self-published likes of Tracey Garvis-

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Graves and Colleen Hoover. I would be snapped up by a big name publisher within weeks, and land a lucrative book deal.

Let me just start by saying that that never actually happened.

I did, however, get offered a publishing contract almost two years later, for The Legacy Trilogy. By this time, I had selfpublished four books. Over the next ten weeks, I will be discussing this entire journey in greater detail, but today I would like to focus on my own selfpublishing experiences.

Many writers are under the misconception that self-publishing could negatively affect your chances of being offered a publishing deal by a traditional publisher. This is not the case. Publishing houses watch the digital markets very closely, and if a book starts to sell really well online, the chances of being offered a publishing contract increases considerably.

Self-publishing is very daunting when you look at it as a whole, and I made what I still feel is the biggest mistake of my writing career and “paid” someone to assist me with the process. I am

by Melissa Delport

a fast learner, so I never made this mistake again. I have subsequently heard horror stories whereby some authors unwittingly sign over the rights to their work to the vanity publisher.

Fortunately, that didn’t happen to me, but I would still advise every aspiring author against using a vanity publishing house. Ever. Please don’t pay someone else for something you are more than capable of doing yourself. Your vanity publisher will, in all likelihood, not read your book. They also could not care less whether your book is successful because they have absolutely no vested interest in it.

I used a vanity publisher for The Legacy because I was naïve and overwhelmed, and I wanted someone to hold my hand. I learned the hard way, that a vanity publisher is more interested in the contents of your purse than in your book content, and that you can do a better job all on your own, at far less cost. As a result, the next three books I self-published…well, myself.

My vanity publisher, who I will not name because this is not a name-andshame article but rather and attempt to assist upcoming writers, was no better or worse than any other. Even so, I was left disillusioned and disappointed, and ended up doing most of the work myself anyway. All I wanted was to see

my book in print, and when that day (finally) came, instead of a champagne toast, I was ushered into a garage by a very sweet but lowly young employee, who helped me load heavy boxes of books into my boot. Not exactly the congratulatory end to our relationship that I had envisaged.

If you are still considering using a vanity publisher (and I sincerely hope you aren’t) then please bear the following points in mind, and make sure that you discuss these in advance with the company you are paying handsomely.

As new authors, we tend to put these vanity publishers on a “pedestal” because they are helping us realize our “dream.” Do not make this mistake.

This is a business transaction – treat it as one.

Read your quotation very carefully.

My quote was no less than 5 pages outlining what the vanity publisher would do, including making my book available on Amazon. One line was very clear and stated: “Our price includes everything and there are no hidden costs.” However, when it came time to upload the ebook, I was charged an additional R690 for this service.

When I queried this, I was informed that I had “misunderstood” the original quotation.

Time Frame: Discuss this with your vanity publisher and ensure that they give you a reasonable time frame to work with and then ensure that they adhere to it. I was originally told I may well have my books by Christmas. I eventually received them in March.

I don’t believe that three months is a reasonable variance. Ask for a production schedule in advance, and insist that they adhere to it.

Editing: Personally, I think that this is the single most important step in

the publication process. I will discuss this further in Week 3, highlighting the difference a great editor makes, but for now, just trust me that editing should feature heavily in your budget.

The problem I experienced with my vanity publisher at this point was that they outsource this function and as such, they allow for only one round of editing. What this means is that your book is edited and a list of suggestions and recommendations are offered that will make your manuscript stronger.

Contrary to their “no hidden costs” propaganda, you are also at this stage informed that any additional edits will be charged for. You are not allowed to contact the editor and as a result, you receive no further feedback as to whether the changes you are making are actually strengthening your manuscript, or doing it more harm than good. My subsequent dealings with editors are a delight, and I have found they are very open to re-editing changes and providing feedback as to your proposed improvements, but vanity publishers do not allow for this. They also take no accountability through the editing process. You as the author have to proof-read the edited manuscript and sign it off. Any errors that have been overlooked are your own problem. It is impossible for an author to proof-read their own work, and as a result errors will be missed.

My final printed book had far too many errors remaining – a problem I overcame by using beta readers for my subsequent novels.

Beta Reading: Ask your vanity publisher if they make use of beta readers. Mine did not, and as a result, errors slipped through, even after the professional edit was completed. This is normal, and a beta reader should be able to pick these up so they can be corrected

before going to print.

Marketing and Distribution: Enquire as to whether your vanity publisher can assist with marketing and distribution.

I was advised that I would be provided with a “marketing kit.” What I received was a cd filled with literally hundreds of random Google searches and outdated data. I threw it in the bin, and had to fumble my own way through this mammoth task. It is exceptionally difficult to get a book distributor as a self-published author, and without one you will not get your book into the bigger stores such as CNA, Exclus1ves and Bargain books.

Digital platforms such as Amazon, Smashwords and Barnes and Noble, are also difficult to navigate, and my vanity publisher could not assist me with any of these sites. They had no knowledge of any of the tax exemption forms, the royalty withholdings, or how the online stores worked. It took months for me to finally understand, and I am still learning.

Luckily, I am made of sterner stuff than some, and I shrugged the whole ordeal off and put it down to one of life’s lessons. There were a few good things that came out of my experience – I learned what not to do. I learned how the process worked, from “farm gate to dinner plate” and I learned that if you want something done properly, you really should do it yourself.

I will be discussing the entire process in next week’s article, which highlights why you should be in charge of every step of the publication process and recommending the professionals that I use in publishing my books.

Until then, Happy writing!

Originally published on Alllaboutwritingcourses.com

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