Tuesday 28 April 2015

Franschhoek Literary Festival 2015

I am pleased to say that I'll be visiting the Franschhoek Literary Festival on the evening of 16 May to hear the announcing of the Alan Paton Award shortlist and I'm looking forward to chatting to my fellow authors!

DWG on the 2008 Pogroms - and my new take on the problem as terrorism & genocide

In Drinking with Ghosts, I wrote about visiting Atteridgeville, Tembisa, Jeppestown and Soweto, in September 2009 to revisit the causes and aftermath of the 2008 Pogroms. At Madelakufa, I interviewed Mozambican Paul Nhanguva, 40, who said: "I am not afraid... If [the attackers] knew what they are doing to their own future, they won’t do it again. I have lived through two wars [in Mozambique] and can go without food for five days, but they have never seen war. They are like children playing with matches – and they will burn their own house down!” Last week, The Star ran my op-ed on my argument that the current attacks should be treated by the police as terrorism under the 2004 Terrorism Act, and prosecuted as intent to commit genocide under the 1948 UN Convention on Genocide:http://www.pressreader.com/…/20150…/283334700826459/TextView

Monday 6 April 2015

DWG long-listed for the 2015 Alan Paton Award

I'm proud to announce that Drinking with Ghosts has been long-listed for this year's Alan Paton Award - up against some really stiff and extremely able competition. Congratulations to all my fellow authors on the list - and I'll no doubt be seeing many of you at the Franschhoek Literary Festival next month! http://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/sunday-times/20150405/283609578705717/TextView