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Book Chat » Recent Topics http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/ Book Chat » Recent Topics en Thu, 17 May 2012 23:07:46 +0000 Lindsay on "David Benatar Turns Sexism on its Head in The Second Sexism" http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/topic/david-benatar-turns-sexism-on-its-head-in-the-second-sexism#post-38342 Thu, 17 May 2012 16:15:58 +0000 Lindsay 38342@http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/ <a href="http://bookslive.co.za/bookfinder/ean/9780470674512"><img height="100" src="http://images.kalahari.com/ann/all/lg/978/047/067/451/9780470674512.jpg" alt="The Second Sexism" align="left" /></a>In his brand new book, <a href="http://bookslive.co.za/bookfinder/ean/9780470674512">The Second Sexism</a>, David Benatar, head of philosophy at the <a href="http://www.uct.ac.za/">University of Cape Town</a>, puts forward the controversial idea that men are the new victims of sexism, in an age were discrimination against women is far from obsolete. Elizabeth Day examines Benatar's claims, and other tales of persecuted men, in an article for The Guardian: <blockquote>You might not have realised it, but men are being oppressed. In many walks of life, they are routinely discriminated against in ways women are not. So unrecognised is this phenomenon that the mere mention of it will appear laughable to some. That, at least, is the premise of a book by a South African philosophy professor which claims that sexism against men is a widespread yet unspoken malaise. In The Second Sexism, shortly to be published in the UK, David Benatar, head of the philosophy department at Cape Town University, argues that "more boys drop out of school, fewer men earn degrees, more men die younger, more are incarcerated" and that the issue is so under-researched it has become the prejudice that dare not speak its name.</blockquote> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/may/13/men-victims-new-oppression">Complete article: The Guardian</a></li> </ul> <div>~ ~ ~</div> Benatar will deliver a talk on The Second Sexism on 21 May as part of HUMA's 2012 seminar series. The talk, entitled "Discrimination against men and boys", will be in held in the Oppenheimer Institute Building on UCT's Upper Campus from 1 to 2 PM. Don't miss it! Event details <ul> <li>Date: Monday, 21 May 2012</li> <li>Time: 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM</li> <li>Venue: Seminar Room <a href="http://huma.co.za/">Institute for Humanities in Africa</a> (HUMA) Oppenheimer Institute Building Upper Campus University of Cape Town | <a href="http://www.uct.ac.za/images/uct.ac.za/contact/campusmaps/big/upper.jpg">Campus Map</a></li> <li>RSVP: Heather Maytham; 021 650 4592</li> </ul> Book details <ul> <li>The Second Sexism: Discrimination Against Men and Boys by David Benatar EAN: 9780470674512 <a href="http://bookslive.co.za/bookfinder/ean/9780470674512">Find this book with BOOK Finder!</a></li> </ul> Sophy on "Award-winning Writer Karen Jennings Debuts with Finding Soutbek (Plus: Excerpt)" http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/topic/award-winning-writer-karen-jennings-debuts-with-finding-soutbek-plus-excerpt#post-38340 Thu, 17 May 2012 15:35:21 +0000 Sophy 38340@http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/ Lauren Beukes on "Fashion victim" http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/topic/fashion-victim#post-38336 Thu, 17 May 2012 15:06:56 +0000 Lauren Beukes 38336@http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/ Carolyn on "Louise Viljoen en Harry Kalmer resenseer 'n Lyf onthou deur Riette Rust" http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/topic/louise-viljoen-en-harry-kalmer-resenseer-n-lyf-onthou-deur-riette-rust#post-38333 Thu, 17 May 2012 11:41:45 +0000 Carolyn 38333@http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/ <a href="http://bookslive.co.za/bookfinder/ean/9781869195489/"><img src="http://protea.bookslive.co.za/files/2012/02/n-Lyf-onthou.jpg" align="left" height="100" alt="'n Lyf onthou" style="margin-right:7px" /></a><img src="/images/carrot.gif" align="left" height="100" style="margin-right:7px" /><img src="/images/stick.gif" align="left" height="100" style="margin-right:7px" />Uitspraak: 'n wortel van Louise Viljoen en 'n stokkie van Harry Kalmer <blockquote>Die publisiteit rondom Riette Rust se kortverhaalbundel ’n Lyf onthou lê veral klem op die avontuurlustigheid waarmee sy skryf oor seks. Daar word ook gesê dat daar nog nie vantevore so openlik in Afrikaans oor hierdie onderwerp geskryf is nie, veral nie deur ’n vrou nie. <ul> <li><a href="http://www.beeld.com/Boeke/OnlangsVerskyn/Bundel-is-gelukkig-meer-as-net-seks-20120513">Volledige resensie: Boeke24</a></li> </ul></blockquote> <blockquote>Kort ná die lees van hierdie boek tel ek ’n boek oor kortverhale op. Geen “how to”-boek gaan jou ’n Alice Munro, A.S. Byatt, Raymond Carver of S.J. Naudé maak nie, maar hulp en wenke is vrylik beskikbaar vir die skrywer wat dit nodig het en wil gebruik. <ul> <li><a href="http://www.beeld.com/Boeke/OnlangsVerskyn/Teks-kon-baat-by-baie-skaafwerk-20120513">Volledige resensie: Boeke24</a></li> </ul></blockquote> Boekbesonderhede <ul> <li>'n Lyf onthou deur Riette Rust EAN: 9781869195489 <a href="http://bookslive.co.za/bookfinder/ean/9781869195489/">Spoor hierdie boek met BOOK Finder op!</a></li> </ul> Helen on "It might be a bug, it might be me..." http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/topic/it-might-be-a-bug-it-might-be-me#post-38327 Wed, 16 May 2012 20:25:38 +0000 Helen 38327@http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/ ... but when I click on "Previous" at the bottom of the Chat tracker at the lower right-hand side of the Bookslive page, all I get is "javascript:;" and nothing else happens. I have tried Justin's Control-Shift-R repeatedly (it fixed all my other new Bookslive page woes) to no avail. I apologize in advance if this is a stupid query, but I rely on being able to navigate backwards in Chat to make sure I haven't offended or ignored anyone... Lauren Beukes on "Drive-By Love - iJusi album cover" http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/topic/drive-by-love-ijusi-album-cover#post-38328 Wed, 16 May 2012 23:21:28 +0000 Lauren Beukes 38328@http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/ Lindsay on "Kwanele Sosibo Reviews Head on Fire by Lesego Rampolokeng" http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/topic/kwanele-sosibo-reviews-head-on-fire-by-lesego-rampolokeng#post-38324 Wed, 16 May 2012 08:21:37 +0000 Lindsay 38324@http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/ <a href="http://bookslive.co.za/bookfinder/ean/9780987028204/"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WCsradeeV1Q/T4UjvKM1kvI/AAAAAAAACPE/expa8YDqwPM/s320/headonfire.jpg" align="left" height="100" alt="Head on Fire: Rants / Notes / Poems 2001-2011" style="margin-right:7px" /></a><img src="/images/stick.gif" align="left" height="100" style="margin-right:7px" />Verdict: stick <blockquote>If writer Lesego Rampolokeng was given to overt off-stage narcissism, he would probably compare himself to a Johnny Dyani bassline. In a country in which populist guitarist Jimmy Dludlu just took a South African Music Award for best jazz album, Rampolokeng’s increasing obscurity is nothing if not symbolic. In 2007 the journal Chimurenga put out its 11th issue, Conversations with Poets Who Refuse to Speak. Had that volume been released this year, Rampolokeng would have featured in its pages, reiterating his “difficulty” with being thought of as a “performance poet” while throwing in some caustic humour about bards who sell petrol and body lotion.</blockquote> <ul> <li><a href="http://mg.co.za/article/2012-05-11-lesego-rampolokeng-fragments-of-obscurity">Complete review: Mail & Guardian</a></li> </ul> Book Details <ul> <li>Head on Fire: Rants / Notes / Poems 2001-2011 by Lesego Rampolokeng EAN: 9780987028204 <a href="http://bookslive.co.za/bookfinder/ean/9780987028204/">Find this book with BOOK Finder!</a></li> </ul> Ben - Editor on "These People are Taking the Day Off :)" http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/topic/these-people-are-taking-the-day-off#post-38309 Mon, 14 May 2012 07:03:11 +0000 Ben - Editor 38309@http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/ <div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/booksa/7194143002/" title="Books LIVE's FLF Team by Books LIVE, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7219/7194143002_8ce2467d7c.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Books LIVE's FLF Team" /></a></div> The Books LIVE team had a great weekend, livetweeting the 6th annual <a href="http://www.flf.co.za">Franschhoek Literary Festival</a>. Thanks to all who tuned in - we'll resume our regular coverage of all things SA Lit tomorrow morning. Congratulations to Jenny Hobbs and her organising team - the festival was another smashing success! For those who weren't able to follow all the literary action in Franschhoek, don't miss the <a href="http://flf.bookslive.co.za/blog">FLF blog, chock full of the top tweets from dozens and dozens of sessions</a>. And here are two important announcements that you'll not want to miss: <ul> <li><a href="http://bookslive.co.za/blog/2012/05/12/the-2012-sunday-times-fiction-prize-shortlist/">The 2012 Sunday Times Fiction Prize shortlist</a></li> <li><a href="http://bookslive.co.za/blog/2012/05/12/the-2012-sunday-times-alan-paton-award-shortlist/">The 2012 Sunday Times Alan Paton Award shortlist</a></li> </ul> From me to my team: thanks for your professionalism and dedication - terrific work! :) rudzani on "Perspectives on South Africa's Land Reform Debate" http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/topic/perspectives-on-south-africas-land-reform-debate#post-38321 Tue, 15 May 2012 13:01:04 +0000 rudzani 38321@http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/ The book entitled "Perspectives on South Africa's Land Reform Debate" provides an in-depth perspective on South Africa’s land reform debate and aims to stimulate robust engagements and discourses in addressing land reform challenges. The book also highlights the urgency and need to speed-up land reform in South Africa. It is through research of this nature that assists policy and decision makers to take calculated and well informed decisions in addressing land reform challenges. The book presents the achievements and shortcomings of land reform in South Africa and craft a way forward in addressing those shortcomings. It is anticipated that this publication will provide valuable insights to decisionmakers, researchers, students, farmers and the general public on matters pertaining to land reform. The report contributes to knowledge sharing, archiving and management. Readers will enjoy and get engaged with South Africa’s land reform debate. The book is available at Lambert Academic Publishers and Amazon. See the link: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Perspectives-South-Africas-Reform-Debate/dp/3845416076" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/Perspectives-South-Africas-Reform-Debate/dp/3845416076</a> Amy on "Pen/Studzinski Winner James Whyle Debuts with The Book of War" http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/topic/penstudzinski-winner-james-whyle-debuts-with-the-book-of-war#post-37982 Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:19:50 +0000 Amy 37982@http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/ <a href="http://bookslive.co.za/bookfinder/ean/9781431403479"><img height="100" src="http://www.jacana.co.za/images/stories/the-book-of-warcovwebsml.jpg" alt="The Book of War" align="left" /></a>A flickering scene of carnage in the forest. A fairy tale metamorphosed into something simple and old and real and horrible beyond reckoning. Yellow fires roaring like dragons and choking smoke and a stench of burning hair and bone and flesh and the trees looming over it. Bloodied beasts clotted with gore that sniffed about for any that might still live. A slathered shape approached. "I think some got away." "They’ll spread the word," said the Captain. A realist nightmare that piles horror upon horror, <a href="http://bookslive.co.za/bookfinder/ean/9781431403479">The Book of War</a> tells the story of a child who comes to manhood in the bloody cauldron of war. With inescapable prophecies locked quietly in the terse lines, it shines an uneasy light on how South Africa started to become what it is... "It is a very good book...Possibly great." -- Rian Malan "A rare feast – a book whose subject is people slowly making their way through the trudge and mud of their history, but which is also a real page-turner. [It] makes visible, in a way I have not seen before, the Eastern Cape frontier wars." -- William Kentridge About the author James Whyle grew up in the Amatole Mountains of the Eastern Cape. Conscripted into the apartheid army, he was discharged on the grounds of insanity. He did everything in his power to assist the authorities in arriving at this diagnosis. His play about the experience, National Madness, has been called “a simple, subtle and frequently satirical portrait of the condition of militarism”. It was performed at the <a href="http://markettheatre.co.za/">Market</a> and <a href="http://www.baxter.co.za/">Baxter</a> theatres and published in <a href="http://bookslive.co.za/bookfinder/ean/9780868520704">Market Plays</a>. Whyle has published poetry, short stories and journalism. His radio dramas, commissioned by the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/">BBC</a>, include A Man Called Rejoice which was published as Rejoice Burning in the UK in <a href="http://bookslive.co.za/bookfinder/ean/9780954233013">New South African Plays</a>. His screenplay for the film <a href="http://www.oteloburning.com/">Otelo Burning</a> has been nominated for achievement in screenplay by the <a href="http://www.ama-awards.com/">Africa Movie Academy Awards</a>. His story, "The Story", was chosen by JM Coetzee as <a href="http://bookslive.co.za/blog/2011/05/19/james-whyle-wins-the-2011-penstudzinski-literary-award/">winner of the 2011 Pen/Studzinski competition</a>. "...the true drama takes place below the surface" -- JM Coetzee on The Story Book details <ul> <li>The Book of War by James Whyle EAN: 9781431403479 <a href="http://bookslive.co.za/bookfinder/ean/9781431403479">Find this book with BOOK Finder!</a></li> </ul> Lae on "The Accounting by JD Mader - short psychological crime story" http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/topic/the-accounting-by-jd-mader-short-psychological-crime-story#post-38317 Tue, 15 May 2012 05:41:56 +0000 Lae 38317@http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/ Short psychological crime story by JD Mader. <a href="http://wp.me/p1MdRn-if" rel="nofollow">http://wp.me/p1MdRn-if</a> Lindsay on "Justice Malala Addresses the "Absence of Black Voices" in SA Lit via Patrick Flanery's Absolution" http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/topic/justice-malala-addresses-the-absence-of-black-voices-in-sa-lit-via-patrick-flanerys-absolution#post-38209 Mon, 07 May 2012 14:37:36 +0000 Lindsay 38209@http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/ Justice Malala enjoyed Patrick Flanery's <a href="http://bookslive.co.za/bookfinder/ean/9780857892010">Absolution</a>, a book set in post-apartheid South Africa, but it left him wondering where all the black South African writers have gone. Malala believes in the value of writing what you know, which he feels explains the lack of black voices in Absolution, but this leads to his question of where these voices are being represented and by whom. Read his Times LIVE column: <div><a href="http://bookslive.co.za/bookfinder/ean/9780857892010"><img height="100" src="http://penimages.igroup.co.za/9780857892010_FC1.jpg" alt="Absolution" /></a><a href="http://bookslive.co.za/bookfinder/ean/9780620448888"><img height="100" src="http://content.screencast.com/users/BOOKSA/folders/Jing/media/86661a93-2230-41e9-9c24-493595a7f075/Let%20Them%20Eat%20Cake.png" alt="Let Them Eat Cake" /></a><a href="http://bookslive.co.za/bookfinder/ean/9780099535140"><img height="100" src="http://images.kalahari.net/ann/all/th/978/009/953/514/9780099535140.jpg" alt="Disgrace" /></a><a href="http://bookslive.co.za/bookfinder/ean/9781770102590"><img height="100" src="http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z371/sophykohler/2012-03-12_0848.png?t=1331535025" alt="No Time Like the Present" /></a></div> <blockquote>I have just finished reading a moving, gripping new book about South Africa today and yesterday. Absolution, the debut novel of American writer Patrick Flanery, is a book for South African literature lovers: it has echoes of Nadine Gordimer and JM Coetzee, nodding at their writing and their complicated relationship with this and the old South Africa, and at its heart is South Africa's unfinished business with its past. Who betrayed whom among the freedom fighters and among us, ordinary men and women? Who was a spy? How do those complicit in the past's terrible acts of betrayal atone for their deeds? What was the point of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission? I approached this book with some trepidation. One reviewer had pointed out that it felt, well, unsettling to have some American upstart (Flanery was born in 1975) come here and tell us about ourselves. I felt pretty much the same but was ashamed of the thought at the same time. <ul> <li><a href="http://www.timeslive.co.za/opinion/columnists/2012/05/07/where-are-the-black-writers">Complete article: Times LIVE</a></li> </ul></blockquote> The twitterverse was quick to respond to Malala's article: <blockquote>Surely Justice Malala has come across some of these classics? <a href="http://t.co/hQ9heTFN" title="http://lockerz.com/s/207152030">lockerz.com/s/207152030</a> — Zotsho Sidimba (@LoyisoSidimba) <a href="https://twitter.com/LoyisoSidimba/status/199437109789077504">May 7, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote>Maybe Justice Malala has never heard of Zakes Mda, Zukiswa Wanner, Ndumiso Ngcobo etc when he asks 'where are the black writers?' — Suprise Mazibila (@Suprisem) <a href="https://twitter.com/Suprisem/status/199422921419141120">May 7, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote>I like Justice Malala's column on SA writing. It's generalised but so are the millions of potential (general) readers <a href="http://t.co/phUNWfAu" title="http://www.timeslive.co.za/opinion/columnists/2012/05/07/where-are-the-black-writers">timeslive.co.za/opinion/column…</a> — percy zvomuya (@percyzvomuya) <a href="https://twitter.com/percyzvomuya/status/199406201614766080">May 7, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote>Justice at his most uninformed. He is not reading RT @<a href="https://twitter.com/TimesLIVE">TimesLIVE</a>: Column: Where are the black writers? <a href="http://t.co/6a2pnjVb" title="http://bit.ly/KxWQOY">bit.ly/KxWQOY</a> by Justice Malala — Victor Dlamini (@victordlamini) <a href="https://twitter.com/victordlamini/status/199398102191448064">May 7, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote>RT @<a href="https://twitter.com/MargieOrford">MargieOrford</a>: Where are the black writers? <a href="http://t.co/pRQ51qYF" title="http://bit.ly/IxL1TU">bit.ly/IxL1TU</a><- Not enough, but I know a LOT of great black SA writers right now — Lauren Beukes (@laurenbeukes) <a href="https://twitter.com/laurenbeukes/status/199415284463976448">May 7, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote>A few black SA writers kicking ass right now: @<a href="https://twitter.com/thando_mqo">thando_mqo</a>, Zukiswa Wanner, Kgebetli Moele, Sifiso Mzobe, @<a href="https://twitter.com/siphiwomahala">siphiwomahala</a>, Cynthia Jele... — Lauren Beukes (@laurenbeukes) <a href="https://twitter.com/laurenbeukes/status/199415533966327808">May 7, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Book details <ul> <li>Absolution by Patrick Flanery <a href="http://www.penguinbooks.co.za/book/9780857892010/">Book homepage</a> EAN: 9780857892010 <a href="http://bookslive.co.za/bookfinder/ean/9780857892010">Find this book with BOOK Finder!</a></li> </ul> <ul> <li>Let Them Eat Cake by Justice Malala EAN: 9780620448888 <a href="http://bookslive.co.za/bookfinder/ean/9780620448888">Find this book with BOOK Finder!</a></li> </ul> <ul> <li>Disgrace by JM Coetzee EAN: 9780099535140 <a href="http://bookslive.co.za/bookfinder/ean/9780099535140">Find this book with BOOK Finder!</a></li> </ul> <ul> <li>No Time Like the Present by Nadine Gordimer EAN: 9781770102590 <a href="http://bookslive.co.za/bookfinder/ean/9781770102590">Find this book with BOOK Finder!</a></li> </ul> Kelwyn Sole on "The Possibilities of Fantasy (and SF?) in SA" http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/topic/the-possibilities-of-fantasy-and-sf-in-sa#post-38299 Sun, 13 May 2012 07:19:36 +0000 Kelwyn Sole 38299@http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/ Lae on "Author Spotlight: JD Mader" http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/topic/author-spotlight-jd-mader#post-38308 Mon, 14 May 2012 05:16:03 +0000 Lae 38308@http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/ A crime author you don't want to miss. <a href="http://laemonie.wordpress.com/2012/05/14/jd-mader-spotlight/" rel="nofollow">http://laemonie.wordpress.com/2012/05/14/jd-mader-spotlight/</a> Sophy on "The 2012 Sunday Times Fiction Prize Shortlist" http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/topic/the-2012-sunday-times-fiction-prize-shortlist#post-38297 Sat, 12 May 2012 17:47:08 +0000 Sophy 38297@http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/ Lauren Beukes on "Poisonous Tree" http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/topic/poisonous-tree#post-38293 Fri, 11 May 2012 13:40:57 +0000 Lauren Beukes 38293@http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/ Ruckus on Twitter today over <a href="http://m.news24.com/news24/SouthAfrica/Politics/Outrage-of-FW-de-Klerk-comments-20120511">FW De Klerk's interview on CNN</a> "in which he admitted that apartheid was "morally indefensible", but appeared to defend the homeland system". I already said pretty much everything I have to say on this in a guest column I did for The Big Issue in 2011. "Because let’s not kid ourselves. Apartheid really was that bad. Torture and disappearances, letter bombs and necklacings and covert poisonings, secret police and assassination squads, insane censorship and insidiously everyday violence– and that’s just the icing on the cake. The actual cake was institutionalised racism, systematic oppression, human rights violations... We may have cut down the poisonous tree, but the roots are deep and tangled and treacherous. The legacy is going to be tripping us up for decades to come." <a href="http://laurenbeukes.bookslive.co.za/blog/2011/01/11/why-apartheid-still-matters/">[Read the rest here]</a> Sally on "What inspires me" http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/topic/what-inspires-me#post-38291 Fri, 11 May 2012 10:02:11 +0000 Sally 38291@http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/ As part of the Franschhoek Literary Festival Book Week for Young Readers I spoke to some eager young minds (and one bemused principle) about what inspires me as a writer. Below is the abridged version.  Being a writer doesn’t necessarily mean that as soon as you sit down in front of a computer the words will start pouring out and before you know it you have a book. Everybody needs inspiration, whether it’s for an essay or project, and sometime writers need to be inspired too. <a href="http://sapartridge.bookslive.co.za/files/2012/05/frankenstein.jpg"><img src="http://sapartridge.bookslive.co.za/files/2012/05/frankenstein-183x300.jpg" alt="" title="frankenstein" width="183" height="300" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1268" /></a> One of my major sources of inspiration is other writers, particularly female writers. My favourite story to tell is of that fateful night in 1816 when Lord Byron proposed a contest to his friends to see who could write the scariest story. In attendance were Byron, John Polidori, Percy Blythe Shelley and his wife Mary. Both poets produced nothing, John Polidori wrote The Vampyre, but it was twenty year old Mary Shelley who won hands down with her novel, Frankenstein, about a doctor obsessed with the idea of bringing the dead back to life. It’s my favourite example of whatever boys can do we can do better. We’ve come a long way since the days of whalebone corsets and fainting fancies and there are thousands of female writers to be inspired by. A few of my personal heroes include Lisa Jane Smith (The Vampire Diaries), Stephenie Meyer (Twilight), J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter) and Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games) – all bestselling authors. In South Africa we also have no shortage of female writing talent to be inspired by – Margie Orford, Kate White, Sarah Lotz, Amanda Coetzee, Henrietta Rose-Innes, Alex Smith, Lauren Beukes... I could go on forever. Growing up I always knew that I was going to be a writer. There was no question of my becoming anything else. While the other kids were sitting in their circles talking about boys, I was sitting on the steps of the library writing my heart out. Even at the end of exams I’d scribble on the back of my exam paper. I have boxes and boxes of handwritten notes in my untidy childish scrawl. <a href="http://sapartridge.bookslive.co.za/files/2012/05/othello.jpg"><img src="http://sapartridge.bookslive.co.za/files/2012/05/othello-181x300.jpg" alt="" title="othello" width="181" height="300" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1269" /></a> As I kid I was particularly obsessed with Stephen King, and his novels were an endless source of inspiration. It actually felt like I was reading young adult fiction, as most of the characters were my age. In Salem’s Lot he wrote about a teenager, Mark Petrie, who wakes up one day to find that the rest of the town have been turned into vampires. In Apt Pupil, Todd Bowden discovers a Nazi hiding in his neighbourhood, and then in Christine, Arnie Cunningham buys a possessed car. King would put these kids in the worst possible situations and in that way show their inner strength, their resilience and also their innocence. I loved it. I wanted to write a novel about a kid in a horrible situation, do terrible things to him and then spit him out again. So I wrote The Goblet Club, about a teenage boy’s experience in the world’s worst boarding school. But it wasn’t only Stephen King that inspired me. I needed a villain too, so I looked to my old school setworks for inspiration. I was immediately drawn to the character of Iago in Shakespeare’s Othello who got others to do the dirty work for him, while he whispered from the sidelines. Iago inspired the character of Trent, a good looking and charming young man who incites his friends to commit murder without them even knowing. For my second novel, Fuse, the inspiration found me. <a href="http://sapartridge.bookslive.co.za/files/2012/05/book_lord_flies_jpg_280x450_q85.jpg"><img src="http://sapartridge.bookslive.co.za/files/2012/05/book_lord_flies_jpg_280x450_q85-189x300.jpg" alt="" title="book_lord_flies_jpg_280x450_q85" width="189" height="300" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1270" /></a> I was deeply struck by the story of Morne Harmse, the troubled kid that brought a samurai sword to school. I thought a lot about Morne, and asked myself the question, ‘What causes these kids to lash out at the world?’ I started writing the story of a boy plotting to blow up his school, but who was stopped before he could do any harm. The world turned against him, and he was forced to make a run for it. I was reminded of William Golding’s Lord of the flies, which explored the theme of survival of the fittest, loss of innocence and the ugly side of human nature.You only need to watch reality TV to see how quickly normal people can turn on each other. Morne’s case also made me curious about what happens to these kids after these incidents, so I explored various scenarios and included several worst cases in the book. Fuse was my way of telling my readers to be aware of their choices. Books are a great way to step into someone else’s shoes; explore the possible consequences of our actions and learn a little empathy at the same time. It’s a thrilling tale aimed to entertain, but it should ideally make you pause for thought too. Dark Poppy’s Demise was inspired by my own foray into the world of online dating, but I also wanted to explore the concept of evil. You can't tell that someone is bad from the outside. Danger can come in the form of a friend, a family member, a neighbour, the well dressed man buying bread at the shop or the harmless old man that lives down the street (read Apt Pupil to illustrate my point). There's a little patch of darkness inside of a lot of people, with no trace of it on the outside. What that meant for me is that the villain of my story could be anyone. In Dark Poppy’s Demise my character of Jenna meets the boy of her dreams on Facebook. He’s cute, charming, romantic – the whole package. Naturally he turns out to be one half of a psychopathic duo who uses the Internet as a stalking ground to find their victims. And it happens. Trust me on this. Another thing that inspires me is the country I live in. I wanted Cape Town to be the unspoken character in my novels. Its an old city, full of history and culture. I wanted to capture the salty sea smell, the feel of the cobbled streets under a worn sneaker, the pink of the sky above Table Mountain at sunset, the view from De Waal drive at twilight. I want my readers to fall in love with its quirks - its graffiti, its unfinished bridges, its flower sellers and toothless street vendors. I wanted it to be real. <a href="http://sapartridge.bookslive.co.za/files/2012/05/20120104060816Twilight_book_cover.jpg"><img src="http://sapartridge.bookslive.co.za/files/2012/05/20120104060816Twilight_book_cover-200x300.jpg" alt="" title="20120104060816!Twilight_book_cover" width="200" height="300" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1271" /></a> Writing is a way for us to express ourselves and to make sense of the world we live in. Books also help us to understand ourselves better and work through our issues. One of my favourite examples to use in school talks is Twilight. I asked the kids what the book would be like without vampires. (My favourite answer was from a boy who exclaimed, “an over emotional girl!” He was half right). In Twilight, if you take the vampires out the equation you’re left with the story of a girl whose parents are divorced, who feels like she has no place in the world, who has no relationship with her father, who is choosing her boyfriend over her friends, and who is struggling with the realisation that her best friend is in love with her. Everyone can relate to at least one of those. I hope the kids left inspired to write their own stories. Ben - Editor on "New-look Books LIVE :)" http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/topic/new-look-books-live#post-38272 Thu, 10 May 2012 05:51:13 +0000 Ben - Editor 38272@http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/ Greetings Books LIVE readers! Today, we present a fresh new look for our front page, which brings us more in line with other Avusa Media LIVE sites (<a href="http://www.timeslive.co.za" rel="nofollow">http://www.timeslive.co.za</a> etc). Because themes can take some time to propagate, you might see a mess for a few hours at <a href="http://bookslive.co.za" rel="nofollow">http://bookslive.co.za</a>, instead of our snazzy new duds. Use shift+refresh in your browser to clear your cache a few times and the front page will start resolving normally. The change was quite an effort - congratulations to the Books LIVE dev and design team for getting it done. Please add your feedback, pos or neg, in the comments below - thanks! Cat Hellisen on "I can be the most ridiculous fangirl" http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/topic/i-can-be-the-most-ridiculous-fangirl#post-38227 Tue, 08 May 2012 08:06:10 +0000 Cat Hellisen 38227@http://bookslive.co.za/bookchat/