Henrietta Rose-Innes's Blog, page 17
May 28, 2015
Green Lion: some early press
Big thanks to Lauren Smith of the great blog Violin in a Void (@Violin_InA_Void on twitter) for this review of the Green Lion launch at the excellent Book Lounge on Tues night: “Perhaps the beauty of the book itself can help me handle whatever lies in its pages.”
Thank you also to the lovely Short Story Day Africa team for for making me their Wednesday featured writer, and for this interview. Do like their Facebook page to keep up with the brilliant work SSDA does (and see their posts from 27 May if you require still more H. Rose-Innes material in your life).
Do also look out for an interview with me about Green Lion coming soon on Art-Movie-Book. Find them also on Facebook.
May 27, 2015
Green Lion launched in Melville
After another great launch at the Book Lounge in Cape Town last night, I’m off to Johannesburg today to chat about Green Lion at the Love Books launch in Melville. I am very happy to be in conversation with the hugely talented author Kathryn White: looking forward to a sparkling convo about lions, taxidermy, alchemy, writing and all sorts. Join us for a glass of wine and a chat.
rsvp 011 726 7408 / kate@lovebooks.co.za
Bamboo Centre, 53 Rustenburg Road, Melville, 6pm
After another great launch at the Book Lounge in Cape Tow...
After another great launch at the Book Lounge in Cape Town last night, I’m off to Johannesburg today to chat about Green Lion at the Love Books launch in Melville. I am very happy to be in conversation with the hugely talented author Kathryn White: looking forward to a sparkling convo about lions, taxidermy, alchemy, writing and all sorts. Join us for a glass of wine and a chat.
rsvp 011 726 7408 / kate@lovebooks.co.za
Bamboo Centre, 53 Rustenburg Road, Melville, 6pm
May 22, 2015
A packed house welcomes Green Lion at Kalk Bay Books
Sheer pleasure to chat to old friend, fine author and eloquent host Darrel Bristow-Bovey at the launch of Green Lion at Kalk Bay Books on 21st May. A wide-ranging, intimate and often hilarious discussion. Photo: Paige Nick.
May 21, 2015
Book launch: tonight at Kalk Bay Books
As I may possibly have mentioned once or twice, my new novel Green Lion has hit the shelves, with a launch this Thurs at Kalk Bay Books. (There will be further launches next week in town and Joburg.)
I’ll be chatting to the estimable author Darrel Bristow-Bovey, so I can promise an evening of riotous entertainment and searing wit. Join us for a glass of wine and conversation about writing, zoo maulings, extinct lions, taxidermy, medieval alchemy and whatever else comes to mind.
RSVP: events@kalkbaybooks.co.za, 021 788 2266
May 20, 2015
Green Lion: launching at The Book Lounge, 26 May
Green Lion will have its second Cape Town launch at the wonderful Book Lounge next week, 26 May. I’m looking forward to conversation with the excellent Hedley Twidle from the University of Cape Town: his deep insight into the book’s Cape Town context, with its intertwined natural and unnatural histories, will make for a richly rewarding discussion. Hope to see you there.
rsvp Book Lounge 021 4622425 or booklounge@gmail.com
(And I’ll be in Joburg on the 27th! – details shortly)
May 17, 2015
May 16, 2015
Photos from the Franschhoek Literary Fest 2015
A few photos from the Franschhoek Literary Festival 2015. (all pics: @BooksLIVESA)
Discussing “How do African writers make their mark on the international market?” (Our considered conclusion: who the hell knows? We just write books.) With Harry Garuba and authors Ekow Duker and Masande Ntshanga.
Talking about African literary prizes with Sunday Times books editor Ben Williams and authors Diane Awerbuck and Helon Habila. Conclusion: they should give us more of them.
With author Helon Habila at the author’s welcome party.
With author and artist Nathan Trantraal at the author’s party.
May 14, 2015
“Prizing African Writing” at the Franschhoek Fest
The annual Franschhoek Literary Festival starts tomorrow and runs through till Sunday. I’l be taking part in a couple of events, the first being “Prizing African Writing“, about the phenomenon of literary prizes. I’m sharing the platform with some eminent prize-winning writers, and we’ll be steered by an outstanding chair: I predict the conversation will be lively and provocative.
“Sunday Times books editor Ben Williams asks prize-winning authors Diane Awerbuck (Cabin Fever, Home Remedies), Helon Habila (Oil on Water, Granta Book of the African Short Story 2013 – editor) and Henrietta Rose-Innes (Green Lion) what literary prizes mean for African writers both on this continent and internationally.”
Friday 15 May, 14h30 at the Protea Hotel 1. (Event 32 on the programme)
Read the full programme here and buy tickets on webtickets.
May 11, 2015
Green Lion review: An Unnatural History
The first review is always nerve-wracking. I am so gratified by this appraisal of Green Lion by the always-excellent Hedley Twidle: generous, insightful, and with a deep understanding of context. All reviewed writers should be so fortunate. (Full version of the shortened version in the print Sunday Times ZA)
“Henrietta Rose-Innes’s remarkable new novel [is] an eccentric, dream-like meditation on the lives and deaths of animals. Though in her vision of the near future, The Lion House has become a modernised research institute and tourist attraction. It is dedicated to breeding extinct animals back into the world (“Like they did with quaggas”) with two black-maned descendants of the vanished Cape lion as the star attraction. This until one of the employees gets (like the unfortunate Timothy Treadwell of Grizzly Man) too close to the animals, and is badly mauled.”
Read the full review here.
