Deborah Levy on Her South African Childhood at Local Launch of Man Booker Shortlisted Swimming Home
Britain-based author Deborah Levy left the country of her birth, South Africa, at age nine after her father, a member of the ANC, was jailed. She remembers standing with the passengers on the ship’s deck as it was leaving. They were holding onto reams of toilet paper, with people on shore clutching the opposite ends. When the ship departed, the paper tore.
“I write from that tear,” Levy told guests a special launch of her Man Booker Prize shortlisted novel, Swimming Home, at The Book Lounge in Cape Town last night.
The Book Lounge proprietor Mervyn Sloman, in his introduction of the author, recalled how he received a message from a customer telling him that his daughter had written a book and asking if she could come to discuss it at the bookshop when she is in South Africa. “Now, if I had a Rand for every time somebody asked something like that…” Mervyn said about his initial hesitation. But when he heard that the daughter’s name was Deborah Levy he jumped at the chance! He expressed his respect for any writer who could make it onto the prestigious Man Booker Prize shortlist.
Levy provided some background to her novel, saying that she was in Nice to write when she saw a naked woman wandering around. She asked if she could help her in any way, but the woman just gave her a look that said, “go away”. This provided the spark for Swimming Home in which a family holidaying in the South of France see a naked girl in the swimming pool. While Levy did not intervene in the life of the woman she came across, the character Isabel in Swimming Home does – she invites the naked girl, Kitty, into their home. “In a way the book looks at how we deal with madness – our own and that of others.”
Imraan Coovadia joined Levy in discussion about her book, remarking on the excellent use of dialogue and ensemble feel to Swimming Home. He asked whether her background in theatre influenced her. Levy admitted that theatre taught her some “tricks” for example, “What is important is not how the character looks, but where they look”. Levy believes, “What makes a writer interesting is where she puts her attention”.
Levy created a “cast” of eight lead characters in Swimming Home to whom the reader is introduced over a short period of time. Coovadia commended her for orchestrating this ensemble so perfectly. “It never feels forced,” he said.
During the question and answer session, the audience was dying to know why Isabel lets this naked girl into her family even though it is clear that it will destroy them. Levy didn’t was to give too much away as “this is something the reader must keep thinking about”, but she did reveal that Isabel is trying to change something in her life and that the gesture is not as generous as it seems.
Levy ended by introducing her latest book, the short story collection Black Vodka. It is only being released at the end of February, but Levy brought a few special copies on her trip, that are now on sale at The Book Lounge.
Livetweeting from the launch using the hashtag #livebooks:
Levy talks about how Swimming Home came about. She goes to Nice to write. #livebooks
— Carolyn Meads (@carolynmeads) February 21, 2013
Levy saw naked woman, asked “Can I help you in any way?” Didn’t intervene in the end but in book elderly woman does #livebooks
— Carolyn Meads (@carolynmeads) February 21, 2013
Levy: Theatre teaches tricks. Not how character looks, but where.What make a writer interesting is where she puts her attention. #livebooks
— Carolyn Meads (@carolynmeads) February 21, 2013
Coovadia mentions the precision of Levy’s style. And ensemble feeling. #livebooks
— Carolyn Meads (@carolynmeads) February 21, 2013
Coovadia: Sentences convey concrete impressions, stick out at you. #livebooks
— Carolyn Meads (@carolynmeads) February 21, 2013
Levy talks about influence of film The Swimmer, based on short story by John Cheever. A lot of info, back story concealed.#livebooks
— Carolyn Meads (@carolynmeads) February 21, 2013
Levy: Swimming Home takes place over 5 days. Struggled in beginning to write, introducing 8 characters – theatrical #livebooks
— Carolyn Meads (@carolynmeads) February 21, 2013
Levy talks about character of Joe Jacobs, holocaust survivor from Poland. Parents send him away. Say “can never come back”. #livebooks
— Carolyn Meads (@carolynmeads) February 21, 2013
Levy: Isabel is a war correspondent. Joe is actually more maternal. Turns those stereotypes around. #livebooks
— Carolyn Meads (@carolynmeads) February 21, 2013
Coovadia: Reader constantly watching Kitty and watch others watching her. #livebooks
— Carolyn Meads (@carolynmeads) February 21, 2013
Levy wanted to interrogate the way that women are looked at. #livebooks
— Carolyn Meads (@carolynmeads) February 21, 2013
Levy talks about her new short story collection Black Vodka. Written over 6 years. Hunchback of Notre Dame makes appearance. #livebooks
— Carolyn Meads (@carolynmeads) February 21, 2013
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Book details
- Swimming Home by Deborah Levy
EAN: 9780571299607
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Apr
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