On our way back from Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens in Capetown, I decided to concentrate on Afrikaans literature for at least the next 12 months – and this is in my mind a very broad concept. It includes translations from other languages into my mother tongue; and it includes literature that originated on this huge continent called Africa. And it includes legal literature.
And I am going for it.
Having said that, I am also writing notes on my iPad of the literature I am
reading.
Here is a list of
literature I have compiled in the meantime:
1. HOLLOW CITY by Tim Haynes and photographer David Edwards. I found
it to be brutally honest, that is both the write-up and the images. Moving and
disturbing all at the same time. This is my city that I know very well. When I
was a young law-student at the erstwhile Rand Afrikaans University, I was
doubling up as chauffer for the South African Airways [as it was then known]
and as such I got to know this city and surrounds very intimately. And has changed
but completely and it hard to say and even harder for me to admit that these
changes were not for the better, in stead it has deteriorated dramatically and
I have to admit, against my will, that it is murderous and rapacious den of
vice. And there are still wonderful people in their trying their level best to
improve life deep inside the city: people like Tim and Dave.
2. A HOME ON VORSTER STREET deur Razina
Theba. A very brave lady this.
In light of her being of Indian origins, and South African, she writes with an
honesty that is sobering and enlightening.It is appalling what happened to them and that it was
meted out by a supposedly Christian Government of pre-1994. Her parents succeeded
to raise their children fairly normal in abnormal circumstances – I salute them
and I salute you.
3. RACCONTEUR ROAD Shots into Africa by Obie Oberholzer; a photographic essay of my
country. I take only five pages every now and again to read it and I read the
photographs as well. How do I read a photograph? With my magnifying glass; then
I take my time to scour it up and down and left to right and diagonally bottom
left to top right and bottom right to top left – slowly and deliberately and
just looking at the detail.
4. VREEMDE STORIES UIT AFRIKA [Foreign Stories from Africa] by Johann Lemmer who
live in the Groot Marico district. That is the habitat of Charles Herman Bosman
– the doyen of the veld and stories of that area and era. Johann Lemmer was
also a sculptor in his own right and I saw his sculpture of ANNA KROTOA.
5. DINK VERDER [THINK AGAIN – a very loose translation] by Hibbe
Van Der Veen who lives in Kempton Park
Gauteng. One thing is for sure and that is that he does not aspire to be
awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for literature at all. He writes short “stories”
and he just dots down his thoughts as and when it strikes him.
6. Citizenship rights in Africa: http://citizenshiprightsafrica.org/
7. The South African Government White Paper on
International Migration: http://www.dha.gov.za/WhitePaperonInternationalMigration-20170602.pdf
8. GOD EN WETENSKAP EN ONS WAT GLO [GOD AND THE SCIENCES
AND WHAT WE BELIEVE] by
Prof. Isak Du Plessis. I’ve read it years ago and am due to read again.
9. THE PROMISE by Damon Galgut the 2021 Booker Prize winner. It is
due to be read again.
10.
A
SHORT HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA by
Gail Nattrass.
11.
COUNTRY
OF MY SKULL by Antjie Krog.
Due to be read again.
12.
NERVOUS CONDITIONS by Tsitsi Dangarembga. Due to be read again.
13.
DIE
MOOISTE MEISIE IN GENUA Ilja
Leonard Pfeijfer translated by Advocate Fanie Olivier during 2019. I only
purchased it yesterday [22 June 2023].
Kuier in 'n plaaskombuis
14.
KUIER
IN 'N PLAASKOMBUIS resepte en stories van gister [Short visit to a farm kitchen, recipes of yesterday]
by Nico MOOLMAN. He tells me that he wrote it for his children and then
only afterwards started publishing it.
This list is not complete
and I am working on it.
What do you read at the
moment? And what do you intend to read for the next 12 months?
Please write me your
story: neelscoertse@wirelessza.co.za
