Sunday Times Books LIVE

17.04

And that’s a wrap of the fourth session, fourth day of Open Book 2013!

Carolyn Meads covered the Maskew Miller Longman Literary Awards ceremony:

Guests can now enjoy some champagne with the winners at the @MML_Lit_Awards #OBF2013

— Carolyn Meads (@carolynmeads) September 10, 2013

Lindsay Callaghan covered Mike van Graan’s converation with Nthikeng Mohlele:

Mohlele asked about literary influences. "I appreciate musicians, that is where my primary influences come from" #OBF2013

— Lindsay (@LindsayCal) September 10, 2013

16.52

Here are the winning Maskew Miller Longman Literary Awards books:

All the winning books at the @MML_Lit_Awards #OBF2013 pic.twitter.com/GRSzxY5kpF

— Carolyn Meads (@carolynmeads) September 10, 2013

Congratulations to all the writers!

16.45

Terrific one-liner from Nthikeng Mohlele in the Fugard Studio:

Mohlele:job in communications is interesting, meet all these people, who don't know you're a writer with an internal tape recorder #OBF2013

— Lindsay (@LindsayCal) September 10, 2013

16.45

There’s no end to the Maskew Miller Longman Literary Awards! (It should be pointed out that they’re awarded in all eleven official South African languages.)

Richard Moloele wins in the Setswana category for his book Itlho Le Le Losi #OBF2013 pic.twitter.com/owVQznfk1z

— Carolyn Meads (@carolynmeads) September 10, 2013

16.42

Two more Maskew Miller Longman Literary Awards winners!

Maria Phalime wins in the English category for her book Second Chances @MML_Lit_Awards #OBF2013 pic.twitter.com/QvDeXKRyzZ

— Carolyn Meads (@carolynmeads) September 10, 2013

Mosocha Lubisi wins in the Xitsonga category for his book Ndzhwalo @MML_Lit_Awards #OBF2013 pic.twitter.com/PJXcB1Sulk

— Carolyn Meads (@carolynmeads) September 10, 2013

16.42

…and we have another Maskew Miller Longman Literary Awards winner!

Mandla Ndlovu win in the isiZulu category for his book Amathonsi Abanzi @MML_Lit_Awards #OBF2013 pic.twitter.com/wQgu1PEw15

— Carolyn Meads (@carolynmeads) September 10, 2013

16.41

Let’s switch back to the discussion in the Fugard Studio for a bit. Nthikeng Mohlele is waxing philosophical:

Van Graan asks Mohlele about his black character being given a job by a white man, is this a pessimistic view of SA? #OBF2013

— Lindsay (@LindsayCal) September 10, 2013

Mohlele says no, thinks that's an oversimplification. He talks about moral versus material wealth #OBF2013

— Lindsay (@LindsayCal) September 10, 2013

Mohlele: I get worried about very elementary things that people complicate that are not complicated. Rape, racism, slavery etc #OBF2013

— Lindsay (@LindsayCal) September 10, 2013

Mohlele: I have deep appreciation for music. Snaps his fingers to a beat, says that's what he hears when he writes #OBF2013

— Lindsay (@LindsayCal) September 10, 2013

16.38

And yet another Maskew Miller Longman Literary Award winner!

Jimmy Moshidi wins in the Sepedi category with his book Tahlego Maleka @MML_Lit_Awards #OBF2013 pic.twitter.com/ogspcNfhkW

— Carolyn Meads (@carolynmeads) September 10, 2013

16.33

More Maskew Miller Longman Literary Awards winners:

Lehlohonolo Mokoena, winner in Sesotho category couldn't be here to receive his prize. @MML_Lit_Awards #OBF2013 pic.twitter.com/NT8XqJXT8E

— Carolyn Meads (@carolynmeads) September 10, 2013

Zukiswa Pakama is the winner in the English category @MML_Lit_Awards #OBF2013 pic.twitter.com/pTIqAcwsXS

— Carolyn Meads (@carolynmeads) September 10, 2013

16.27

What do women want? The question is echoed in Nthikeng Mohlele’s discussion with Mike van Graan:

Mohlele: I love women, as part of human race I think women are complex beings. When you write about women it's a task #OBF2013

— Lindsay (@LindsayCal) September 10, 2013

Mohlele saying its hard to understand women in life, so writing them is even harder. #OBF2013

— Lindsay (@LindsayCal) September 10, 2013

16.26

Like we said, Finuala Dowling is good value for money:

Dowling: There are so many titles with 'country' – Cry the Beloved Country; Country of My Skull. #OBF2013

— Carolyn Meads (@carolynmeads) September 10, 2013

Dowling: No, should write Cry the Beloved Character; Character of My Skull. #OBF2013

— Carolyn Meads (@carolynmeads) September 10, 2013

16.23

Nthikeng on food and love, in the Fugard Studio:

Mohlele saying he doesn't like ready made things, won't order off normal menus, will chop and change so it has his stamp #OBF2013

— Lindsay (@LindsayCal) September 10, 2013

Mohlele saying you need to be conscious of molding life into who you are. This applies to how he writes about love in the book #OBF2013

— Lindsay (@LindsayCal) September 10, 2013

Mohlele saying as a teen he thought he knew what love was but as he grew older he realised it was an undiscovered city #OBF2013

— Lindsay (@LindsayCal) September 10, 2013

16.22

Finuala Dowling is always good value for money, has some thoughtful words for the audience at the Maskew Miller Longman awards:

Dowling talks about the difficulty of writing a novel. "You have to give yourself license, freedom". #OBF2013

— Carolyn Meads (@carolynmeads) September 10, 2013

Dowling relates how when she became pregnant 20 yrs ago, she realised that if she doesn't start writing all she'll have is nappies #OBF2013

— Carolyn Meads (@carolynmeads) September 10, 2013

Dowling says writing a SA novel is even harder. #OBF2013

— Carolyn Meads (@carolynmeads) September 10, 2013

Dowling: Some SA writers feel need to have every atrocity of apartheid happen to character. Trust their SAness will come though. #OBF2013

— Carolyn Meads (@carolynmeads) September 10, 2013

16.19

Hey, look who pitched up at the Maskew Miller Longman awards!

Finuala Dowling is the speaker at @MML_Lit_Awards #OBF2013 pic.twitter.com/dR4rVgUZmq

— Carolyn Meads (@carolynmeads) September 10, 2013

16.18

Why does Nthikeng Mohlele write? What are some of the surprises?

Mohlele: I write for anyone & everyone that is a fan of literature.Don't want to burden creative process by worrying about audience #OBF2013

— Lindsay (@LindsayCal) September 10, 2013

Mohlele says he has been surprised by who reads him. Old tannies who come up and say they fell in love with their husbands again #OBF2013

— Lindsay (@LindsayCal) September 10, 2013

Mohlele saying that he writes because he loves literature. Naive to try change world but maybe touch some people who read it #OBF2013

— Lindsay (@LindsayCal) September 10, 2013

16.15

We’re getting closer to the awards announcement in the City Library; here are some further details on the gongs:

Warren Kliphuis, sales director at Maskew Miller Longman opens the @MML_Lit_Awards #OBF2013 pic.twitter.com/sjpufYUjPQ

— Carolyn Meads (@carolynmeads) September 10, 2013

Kliphuis: The @MML_Lit_Awards is in its 7th year. This year the focus was on novels. Had lots of entries. Lots of interest #OBF2013

— Carolyn Meads (@carolynmeads) September 10, 2013

132 entries from 110 entrants were received.The prize is open to all languages of SA, but only 10 languages represented in entries. #OBF2013

— Carolyn Meads (@carolynmeads) September 10, 2013

Kliphuis mentions possibility that @MML_Lit_Awards will be rebranded, but most importantly, it's here to stay. #OBF2013

— Carolyn Meads (@carolynmeads) September 10, 2013

16.10

Nthikeng Mohlele is losing his voice, but it’s hard to keep a good writer down:

Mohlele has lost his voice so if more is said by Van Graan than him in this session, that's why #OBF2013

— Lindsay (@LindsayCal) September 10, 2013

Mohlele describes himself as a bouncy fellow, not despairing like character. Many great things about SA, as many as wrong things #OBF2013

— Lindsay (@LindsayCal) September 10, 2013

Mohlele: creative writing as an imaginative science should not be limited by your immediate surroundings or current events #OBF2013

— Lindsay (@LindsayCal) September 10, 2013

16.06

Fingers and toes are being crossed at the Maskew Miller Longman awards ceremony in Cape Town’s main library:

Awaiting the announcement of the @MML_Lit_Awards at Central Library Cape Town #OBF2013 pic.twitter.com/625BsNipBu

— Carolyn Meads (@carolynmeads) September 10, 2013

Meanwhile in the Fugard Studio things are underway:

Nthikeng Mohlele's session starts off with Mike van Graan introducing Mohlele and giving summary of Small Things #OBF2013

— Lindsay (@LindsayCal) September 10, 2013

15.55

Here’s who’s covering what this hour:

At 4PM the @MML_Lit_Awards winners are being announced at Cape Town Central Library. I'll be there! #OBF2013

— Carolyn Meads (@carolynmeads) September 10, 2013

Next up I'll be tweeting Nthikeng Mohlele talking to Mike van Graan about his novel Small Things #OBF2013

— Lindsay (@LindsayCal) September 10, 2013