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2011 Midlands Literary Festival Features Mandy Wiener, Shaida Ali, Sifiso Mzobe and More!

by Chiara on Jul 29th, 2011

Midlands Meander

Last year Darryl David brought us the first ever Midlands Meander Literary Festival. Now, this August, the Midlands Meander ushers in Spring with the 2nd Midlands Literary Festival, which takes place from the 26-28 August at Yellowwood in Howick.

This year’s line-up of speakers includes Sue Rabie, whose novel Blood at Bay was a finalist for the Commonwealth Literary Prize, Kobus Moolman and Ingrid Andersen, Mandy Wiener, author of Killing Kebble, Scott Couper, who wrote the biography Bound By Faith on Albert Luthuli, Shaida Ali, author of the UJ Prize-winning novel, Not a Fairytale, and Sifiso Mzobe, whose novel Young Blood won the 2011 Sunday Times Literary Award and Herman Charles Bosman Prize.

Dr Ian Player, author of Zululand Wilderness, will also be attending the festival along with Judge Chris Nicholson, author of Permanent Removal, who will give a talk on the fascinating story of Papwa. Darryl David, event organiser, will also be giving a talk along with Philippe Menache on their bestselling book, 101 Country Churches of SA.

On the culinary side of things, celebrity chef Jackie Cameron will be talking about Heston’s Fantastical Feasts, and for sports fans, John Cameron-Dow will talk about his book Comrades Marathon, Dan Retief will talk about Springboks and the Holy Grail and King of the Comrades, Bruce Fordyce will attend alongside champion jockey, Michael ‘Muis’ Roberts.

Blood at BayLight and AfterPiece WorkKilling KebbleAlbert Luthuli'Til the Cows Come Home

Not a Fairy TaleReclaiming the L-WordThe Derelict HouseYoung BloodZululand WildernessPermanent Removal

101 Country Churches of South AfricaHeston's Fantastical FeastsComrades MarathonThe Springboks and the Holy GrailHauntedDurban in a Word

Here is an overview of the festival events:

Friday 26 August

  • Arthur Duncan: Victory in Diversity – Through the Fire
  • Darryl David: Building an Architecture of Knowledge for a Zulu Literary Museum
  • Stephen Pryke: The Magic of the Midlands – Slide Show
  • John Cameron Dow: The Comrades Marathon: The Ultimate Human Race
  • Jean Temkin

Saturday 27 August

  • Mandy Wiener: Who Killed Kebble?
  • Wulf Avni: Watching the Water / River Flow
  • Shaida Ali: Not a Fairytale – Sunday Times Literary Prize Finalist
  • Scott Couper: Chief Albert Luthuli Biography
  • Mandy Wiener: Who Killed Kebble?
  • Michael Roberts: Darryl David interviews SA’s champion jockey
  • Dan Retief: The Springboks and the Holy Grail

Sunday 28 August

  • Sue Rabie: Blood at Bay
  • Jackie Cameron: Talk on Heston’s Fantastical Feasts
  • Dudley Smith: On Steam Trains and Gerard Bhengu
  • Elwyn Jenkins: The Mysterious Kimberley Train (& Other Railway Poems of SA)
  • Darryl David / Philippe Menache: 101 Country Churches of Sa
  • Bruce Fordyce: Darryl David in Conversation with a Living Legend
  • Chris Nicholson: Papwa
  • Sifiso Mzobe: Young Blood
  • Ian Player: The Duzi & Zululand Wildreness

Press release:

The magical Midlands Meander will usher in spring with the 2nd Midlands Literary Festival from the 26 – 28 August at Yellowwood in Howick. And boy , do we have an august line up for you! At the time of going to press, our line up had all but been finalised, with only 5 places to be filled. What really excites me about this festival says Darryl David, founder of the festival, is the sheer depth of literary talent we have in this region. I organise 3 other literary festivals throughout SA, and there is no repetition of speakers across any of these festivals. Moreover, bar Dr Ian Player, there are no repetitions from last year. I only made the exception for Dr Player because father time is not exactly on his side, and there was so much that I wanted to hear him speak on. And I don’t know whether to be happy or angry with the publishers. When I organise BookBedonnerd in Booktown Richmond, publishers are reticent about making the arduous journey. But for this festival – it’s like taking candy from a baby. So thanks to all the publishers who support this festival.

Some of the big names lined up for the festival are Dr Ian Player; Judge Chris Nicholson, who will speak on the remarkable story of Papwa; Darryl David & Philippe Menache on their bestselling 101 Country Churches of SA; Sue Rabie, whose novel Blood at Bay was a finalist for the Commonwealth Literary Prize; Mandy Wiener, who will have us riveted with her book on the killing of Brett Kebble; Scott Couper on his biography of Albert Luthuli. We are especially proud to have Sunday Times Literary Award Finalist Shaida Kazie-Ali with her novel Not a Fairy Tale at the festival and ‘homeboy’ Sifiso Mzobe with his award topping novel Young Blood. Sifiso is hot property right now, having scooped the Herman Charles Bosman as well as the prestigious Sunday Times Literary Award. I am even more proud that I invited him before he had scooped any of these awards, so lunch is on you, Sifiso! On the culinary front, celebrity chef from Hartford House, Jackie Cameron will be dropping in to talk on one of the great culinary books of the last year Heston’s Fantastical Feasts .

On the sporting front, we have the stuff of legends. Champion jockey Michael ‘Muis’ Roberts will be at the festival, as will John Cameron Dow with his book on the ultimate race, The Comrades; Dan Retief will get us in the mood for the impending Rugby World Cup with his book The Springboks and the Holy Grail. And boy are we proud to boast that Bruce Fordyce, the King of Comrades, will also be at the festival. As you can see, the KZN Midlands is not only a land of great literary talent, but a place famed for its sporting legends. By the time Dr Ian Player closes the festival with a talk on the Duzi, few will leave the room disputing this fact.

Book details

Photo courtesy Kim’s South Africa

Cats: Events, News, South Africa
Tags: 'Til The Cows Come Home, 101 Country Churches of South Africa, Albert Luthuli, Alleyn Diesel, Blood At Bay, Bloomsbury, Book Town Richmond Press, Books LIVE, Bound By Faith, Christopher Nicholson, Comrades Marathon, Crime, Dan Retief, Darryl David, David Philips Publishers, Deep South, Di Stewart, Durban In A Word, Elephants in my Garden, English, Events, Fairy Tale, Fairytales, Fiction, Ghosts and Spirits of Southern Africa, Haunted, Heston's Fantastical Feasts, Human & Rousseau, Ian Player, Ingrid Andersen, John Cameron-Dow, Just Done Publishing, Killing Kebble, Kobus Moolman, Kwela, Lesley Cripps Thomson, Lifestyle, Light and After, Mandy Wiener, Midlands Literary Festival, Midlands Meander, Modjaji Books, Natal Midlands, News, Non-fiction, Not A Fairy Tale, Pan Macmillan, Penguin, Permanent Removal, Piece Work, Poetry, Reclaiming the L-Word, Rugby, Scott Couper, Shaida Ali, Short Stories, Sian Hall, Sifiso Mzobe, South Africa, Sport, Sue Rabie, The Derelict House, The Springboks and the Holy Grail, The Ultimate Human Race, Tod Collins, Travel, UKZN Press, Umuzi, Wits University Press, Young Blood, Zebra
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