"The Next Big Thing"
I was tagged in a blog by author Edyth Bulbring so now it’s my turn to talk about my new novel Dreaming of Light which won the Sanlam Gold Prize for Youth Literature. It looks at the lives of illegal gold miners in South Africa, especially those of youngsters trafficked in from neighbouring countries and forced to work underground.
Where did the idea come from for the book?
I’d always been aware of illegal gold mining, and as I heard more and more horror stories it became something I wanted to write about. I revisited Barberton, where the story is set, and the surrounding countryside and the loneliness of a particular road became the inspiration for what happens outside the mine in the latter part of the book.
What genre does your book fall under?
It’s being marketed as YA fiction, but one of the publisher’s readers used the words ‘cross over’, and I have to say that so far most of the feedback I’ve had has come from adult readers. Happily, it has all been positive.
What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
I think the younger characters’ parts would be a great opportunity for unknowns. But you need a big name, don’t you? Perhaps Samuel L Jackson might agree to guest star as Papa Mavuso!
What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?
It’s about how we can lose our humanity in the battle to survive but are sometimes lucky enough to regain it.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
About two or three months. I’m not the fastest writer, and I had other bits of writing going on at the time.
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
I’ve been privileged to know a handful of amazing optimists in my life. Without them I wouldn’t have known where to start in creating Taiba, one of two characters in the novel who is able to hold on to hope. The second, Katekani, grew out of an inspiring story a friend shared about her crippled sister.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
The character of my eighteen-year-old narrator, Regile. Years in illegal mines have hardened him, but when he meets Taiba something is breached. Remaining unfeeling becomes a conscious act of will – and a struggle.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
My book is published by Tafelberg in South Africa.
Who are you passing the baton to for next week’s Next Big Thing?
I am passing it on to YA authors Joanne MacGregor and Neil Malherbe.
Joanne MacGregor has just launched Rock Steady, a sequel to the successful Turtle Walk. She is also the author of the "Jemima" books for younger readers.
Neil Malherbe's debut novel The Magyar Conspiracy won the Sanlam Silver Prize for Youth Literature.
Where did the idea come from for the book?
I’d always been aware of illegal gold mining, and as I heard more and more horror stories it became something I wanted to write about. I revisited Barberton, where the story is set, and the surrounding countryside and the loneliness of a particular road became the inspiration for what happens outside the mine in the latter part of the book.
What genre does your book fall under?
It’s being marketed as YA fiction, but one of the publisher’s readers used the words ‘cross over’, and I have to say that so far most of the feedback I’ve had has come from adult readers. Happily, it has all been positive.
What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
I think the younger characters’ parts would be a great opportunity for unknowns. But you need a big name, don’t you? Perhaps Samuel L Jackson might agree to guest star as Papa Mavuso!
What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?
It’s about how we can lose our humanity in the battle to survive but are sometimes lucky enough to regain it.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
About two or three months. I’m not the fastest writer, and I had other bits of writing going on at the time.
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
I’ve been privileged to know a handful of amazing optimists in my life. Without them I wouldn’t have known where to start in creating Taiba, one of two characters in the novel who is able to hold on to hope. The second, Katekani, grew out of an inspiring story a friend shared about her crippled sister.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
The character of my eighteen-year-old narrator, Regile. Years in illegal mines have hardened him, but when he meets Taiba something is breached. Remaining unfeeling becomes a conscious act of will – and a struggle.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
My book is published by Tafelberg in South Africa.
Who are you passing the baton to for next week’s Next Big Thing?
I am passing it on to YA authors Joanne MacGregor and Neil Malherbe.
Joanne MacGregor has just launched Rock Steady, a sequel to the successful Turtle Walk. She is also the author of the "Jemima" books for younger readers.
Neil Malherbe's debut novel The Magyar Conspiracy won the Sanlam Silver Prize for Youth Literature.
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