When I write stories set in Cape Town, I love painting a picture for readers who may not be familiar with the city – the blanket of cloud sweeping down Table Mountain, the paragliders slowly descending in circles around Lion’s Head, the graffiti-covered trains snaking into town.
I don’t have the most refined palate. Growing up, meals were a rotating conveyor belt of toast, spaghetti, mac and cheese, stew and braai (charred to a crisp, the way my father liked it.) Take-aways like KFC were a weekend treat, and on special occasions, and I mean, really, really special, we went to Spur.
I consider this a blessing. Being raised without a silver spoon in my mouth helped me understand the value of hard work and getting what you pay for. Which is why these days, when I do have a little extra to spend on eating out, I try to get my money’s worth.
Living in Cape Town means you don’t have to venture out very far to see breathtaking scenery. It’s a permanent backdrop.
As someone who doesn’t enjoy summer very much (this pale complexion takes years of avoiding the sun) winter is my favourite time to explore The Cape of Storms. The world comes alive, like a dog shaking off its wet fur. Just look outside to see how vivid green the grass has become as it waits expectantly for the rumbling black clouds to release more rain; how the skies are never anything less than dramatic.
It’s so wonderfully gloomy.
Here are some of my favourite places to go when it’s cold outside.
19 November 2015
Last month SA Horrorfest held its annual literary chapter, Bloody Parchment, at the historic (and suitably spooky) Labia Theatre in Cape Town.
21 September 2015
My YA masterclass returned to Open Book again this year and to my absolute delight, was one of the first events to sell out. Last time we tackled How to write a YA novel, so this year I decided to narrow the focus a little bit.
Continue reading “Open Book Festival: Worldbuilding workshop” →
One of the highlights of being an author is that sometimes I’m invited to formally talk to other authors.
I mean, you want me to have a conversation with a fellow author? I’m in!
When The Book Lounge asked me to do a Q&A with Hugh Howey I couldn’t accept fast enough.
23 September 2014
I always look forward to September, when literary giants descend on Cape Town for the Open Book Festival.
I was excited to chat to The Girl With All the Gifts author Mike Carey for Open Book’s first-ever zombie dress up event. I arrived dressed as Dr Caldwell, a character from the novel, while Mike turned heads in his zombie make-up.
Continue reading “Open Book Festival: Surviving the zombie apocalypse with Mike Carey” →
Sharp Edges comprises six chapters written from six different perspectives. Here are a few quotes that capture the mood of some of these chapters.
Anthony Horowitz kicked off his South African tour with an appearance at Exclusive Books V&A Waterfront. It was a great privilege to introduce the best-selling author to the crowd, and an even greater privilege to soak in the knowledge of one of my all-time favourite authors.
23 May 2013
It’s difficult to come back down to earth after a weekend of non-stop celebration, but that’s what it felt like after this weekend’s Franschhoek Literary Festival. It was a whirlwind of friends, wine, good food and happy memories.
Sally Partridge