The Local Lit Scene

Alex Latimer, author of The Boy who Cried Ninjah, Penguins Hidden Talent, The South African Alphabet and Aardvark to Zuma very kindly answered some questions in an email interview for The Book Club Blog. I had reviewed Aardvark to Zuma and loved it as well as the illustrations!

Alex Latimer

I hope you enjoy reading this interview as much as I did!

1)  What were your favourite books as a child?

 My father (Dick Latimer)  published a children’s book in 1983 called The Expedition to the Rainbow’s Heart – and that for me was a special book. Not only was it beautiful to look at, but it brought the world of publishing to my attention at a young age. I also loved the Asterix books – looking at them now, they’re quite amazing. The humour and the storylines were so well crafted – and the drawings of Roman cities were so simple yet full of detail. 

2)  What book/s are you currently reading?

 I’m reading several books right now – Russell Hoban’s Riddley Walker, Leonard S Marcus’ book Show me a Story as well as a pile of others beside my bed.

3) To date, what is the worst book that you have read?

 No question about it – Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel. I may have started worse books and not finished them, but I got all the way through Beatrice and Virgil hoping it’d redeem itself. I still feel cheated that I wasted time reading that book. I’m sure Yann Martel is a nice guy, and I’m sure he’ll write good books again – but that was undoubtably the worst for me.

4)  What inspired you to write Aardvark to Zuma?

 Before the World Cup came to South Africa I got to thinking that there’d be a lot of tourists who just wouldn’t understand South African culture. So I thought about making the book for that, as an educational tool – but as I worked on it, I found that it was more of a book for South Africans. I suppose that’s because it’s full of in-jokes that only South Africans will really understand.

5)  When did you first become aware that you were interested in illustration?

 I’ve always loved to draw – but I don’t think I realised I could be an illustrator until about eight years ago. It was then that I wrote the script for my first children’s book The Boy Who Cried Ninja – and having had no luck in finding an illustrator to draw it up, I did it myself. It took a lot of practice and hard work, but I’m very glad I did it.

6)  Who is your favourite illustrator and what book would your recommend to read?

 I have a lot of favourites – right now I’d say Scott C. and Johan Klassen are my top two. Try Great Showdowns and I Want My Hat Back.

7)  Do you find inspiration in the every day or is there a particular muse that strikes inspiration within?

 I think my muse is a tight deadline. 

8) How did you come into the children’s book writing genre?

 It’d difficult to say. I suppose I’ve always wanted to write books, and I thought that starting with something short would be easier. I was mistaken. Quite often the shorter the text, the more difficult it is to write.

9) Is there another picture book for adults in the pipeline?

 Yes. I’m working on an illustrated version of The Just So Stories. Kipling’s stories are so lovely and I think children and adults still love them as much today as when they were written.

10)  I know this is a bit of a cliched question, but if you had any advice for an aspiring illustrator, what would it be?

 Find your own unique style. Being able to draw in a variety of styles is great – but having your own signature style makes your work memorable and sets you apart from the competition.

I have to say that I agree whole heartedly with Alex regarding the awfullness of Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel, all though I didn’t manage to finish it. I am also excited to see the illustrated version of The Just So Stories and I am sure so will Michel Heyns as I know from his interview with us, that he loved The Just So Stories as a child.

Alex, thank you so much for joining us here on The Book Club Blog, it was great to have you! 

So by now most of you have heard the news that there is a new South African author in our midsts – Paige Nick, who has written the novel ‘A Million Miles from Normal’ but you may be a little confused because the name sounds familiar?

Paige’s blog is also titled ‘A Million Miles from Normal‘ and if you haven’t yet headed over there to check it, believe me, it really is a million miles from normal. But, Paige has also been a winner at The Book Club Blog for a couple of giveaways (here and here) as well as being  one of our major contributors to The Book Raiser we did for Christmas last year.

It was with great pleasure that I  invited Paige to do an interview with us, after reading her book, I was itching to know just that little bit extra…  so without further ado, here she is… Paige  Nick, the newly published author of ‘A Million Miles from Normal’!

1)  Are the characters,events and locations in your book based on your own life experiences?

I’d say it’s 95 – 99% fictional. But some of the places and things that happen to Rachel are very loosely based on experiences I’ve had over the years.

2)  How long did it take you to write ‘A million miles from normal’?

It sounds so corny, but I really think this has taken me 35 years to write. Only because I feel like everything I’ve done to date has led me to this point.

For years I had an idea for this book I wanted to write, but it turned out to be a terrible idea that I ended up wasting years on. The best thing I ever did was put that dodgy idea aside and start something new, which then became A Million Miles From Normal. Once I knew what I wanted to write it just fell out.

In reality I started physically writing A Million Miles in September 2008.

3)  What inspired you to write ‘A Million Miles from Normal’?

I was inspired by every dodgy date, lying-cheating-stealing boyfriend, mad boss, insane client and crazy art director I’ve ever come across, I knew they’d come in handy somewhere along the line.

I was also partly inspired by the advertising industry. I’ve been a copywriter for the last sixteen years, and I love books and TV shows set in adland, like Mad Men. But there just aren’t that many books out there set in the industry. I thought it would be a fun thing to write about. And they say you should write what you know.

4)  I love how you bring ‘Five Roses’ tea into your story line, the epitome of South African tea lovers, what is the perfect setting for your perfect cuppa?

The physical writing of this book went hand in hand with endless cups of Five Roses tea. The one certainly couldn’t have happened without the other.

5)  As a newly published author, what were your experiences dealing with publishers and editors?

I think I have been incredibly lucky through this process. I nabbed an agent early, the wonderful Ron Irwin, and we put the manuscript out to pitch after two redrafts. Then we signed with Penguin in September 2009. The process has been a huge learning curve for me. After being in the advertising industry for so long, and feeling like I understand it inside and out, it’s been a fantastic challenge to get to see the inner workings of a whole new industry.

Coming up with the right cover was hard work, and probably the trickiest part of the process for me. We must have bombed over twenty covers before we finally got to this one, just days before deadline. But seeing the finished product and loving it so much instantly made all the trauma history.

6) Do you have any ideas percolating for your next book?

Yes. Yay! I’m just finishing up with the first draft of the next book which will hopefully *holds thumbs* be out next year. It’s not a sequel but something completely different. It still doesn’t have a title, but I’m hoping something will pop up soon. I really can’t call it ‘Untitled’, or as it is currently lovingly named in the folder on my computer; ‘Thingy’, for too much longer.

7)  Which authors would you recommend to read which are in a similar writing style to yours?

Well if you’re a Chick Lit fan you can never go wrong with Marian Keyes. And Cathy Kelly Rocks. And it’s not strictly speaking Chick Lit, but I’ve also loved Alexander McCall Smith’s series of books called 44 Scotland Street.

I love a book that makes me laugh or sucks me in with believable characters. I want to disappear into the pages and not come out till morning.

8)  What were your favourite books as a child?

I just loved ‘A Fly Went By’ by Mike McClintock, and devoured anything Dr Seuss. My whole family would traipse down to the library every Saturday morning to pick out our books for the week and I would always just re-check out ‘A Fly Went By’. I don’t think any of the other children in the neighbourhood ever got to read it because I always had it out.

Then when I was slightly older I remember reading and rereading Neverending Story by Michael Ende. It made me truly believe in magic.

9) What authors would you most like around your dinner table, and if you could ask them one question, what would it be?

At this stage I’d love to have dinner with any prolific author. I’m only just starting out here and any advice would go a long way. I’m curious how my process measures up to other writer’s processes.

But if I had to be specific, I’d love to meet Alexander McCall Smith and pick his brains. And my new all-time favourite author is Jim Crace. He writes literary fiction that is lyrical and poetic and magnificent. I could see myself stalking him quite easily.

Thanks, Paige for sharing with us, it was great to hear a little of the ‘behind the scenes’ action, and once again, congratulations!

And to celebrate with Paige, we have one copy of ‘A Million Miles from Normal’ to giveaway! Why, because we like celebrations and that’s what we do here at The Book Club Blog!

What you need to do to stand the chance of winning is leave a comment, telling us one thing which has happened to you, which was a million miles from normal. The giveaway is open to everybody, yes, you read correctly, so that means, internationally and come next week Friday 16 April, random.org will pick a lucky winner. You never know, it could be you. You know what they say, you have to be in it to win it;-)

And believe me, this is one giveaway that you don’t want to miss!

Now that you have read my review of A Legal Alien, and if you haven’t, what are you waiting for, go here to read it, I would like to introduce to you – Jo Latimer. She is the South African author of this delightful and very funny book.  Jo found The Book Club Blog and when I found out that she had written a book, I jumped at the chance to suggest an interview and what luck! She said yes.

With no further pomp and circumstance, here are the answers to the interview questions. As you will soon see, Jo has a fabulous way with words and her humour shines through this interview.  If you haven’t yet read her book, this is just a small taste of what you can expect.

1)  What were your favourite books as a child?

Before I could read, my grandmother read me the Noddy books, my aunt read me the Narnia series and my mom read me the Stan and Jan Berenstains Bear books (“The big honey hunt” / “The bears holiday”) and the Oscar Wilde Fairy Tales. Those books all hold very special meaning for me as a result. When I started reading I read anything I could get my hands on – I remember Flat Stanley, The Secret Garden and a series (I think) written about a hamster called Hafferty Hamster Diamond. When I was a bit older anything by Roald Dahl – I’m still a fan, Wind in the Willows, Water Babies, Peter Pan… The list is endless!

My last book club left me with all the books (3 huge bags full), so I am working my way through all the ones which have piqued my interest, but which I haven’t had time to read over the last year. Next up is “Three cups of tea”, “The Whale Caller” and as soon as I get my hands on it, the 3rd in the Stieg Larsson trilogy – one of the best series I have read in years.

I always try and give a book a chance – some I will even give until the last page in the remote hope that something redemptive happens. I am sure there have been others, but the one book I absolutely loathed in the recent past was “Love in the Time of Cholera”. Calling it a love story is akin to calling ‘Requiem for a Dream’ a cheery comedy. It’s not about the quality of the writing, but probably the fact that it was ‘Oprah-ised’ and built up to impossible heights – and then I read it and discovered that it’s predominantly quite a dark, twisted tale of a life-long obsession. No thanks! Perhaps I will try reading it again when I’m in the mood for dark and twisted.

I spent two years living in London. By the time I returned home to South Africa, I still felt rather perplexed by all the odd contradictions, characters and rules I had been exposed to. The book began as a kind of literary therapy called “A South Africans Survival Guide to Living in London” which I started for friends and family who had been through the whole experience with me. It was a tongue-in-cheek poke at the seriousness with which the Brits sometimes take themselves. I know that no-one makes fun of the Brits as well as they do themselves (which is part of the strange contradictory nature of living there), but this is my contribution.

There are indeed bits and pieces of people I know in the characters I wrote. For instance, Terry has shades of two very good friends of mine who are the most naturally funny people I have ever met. Glenda is probably one of the characters where I borrowed most blatantly from real life – she is based on a real-life rellie my aunt dug up and the two of us hit it off. We’re still in contact years later and she’s one of my biggest fans. Then there’s the friend of my brother who taps his nose knowingly and tells me that ‘he knows who all the characters are’. I wish he’d clue me in!

Some of the incidents have grains of truth at their centre, but in most cases they have been outrageously and shamelessly exaggerated. The rest is pure fiction. Embarrassingly enough, the vibrating vanity case is a true story – although I was travelling to meet my husband with my in-laws who had come over to visit. They pretended not to know me.

I’ve always had a passion for writing, but never considered taking it any further than storing copious amounts of full, attractively bound notebooks in cupboards. Then I was challenged to try finishing something I had started writing and this was the result. I suppose, then, that the answer is that it was one of those stealthy surprises.

There are too many! I love writers who can tell a story simply, but in a way that is so evocative you can see / hear / feel / taste what they are experiencing. A few years ago I was in an academic bookstore and happened to pick up a book by a South African poet which was called “The dream in the next body” – the poet was Gabeba Baderoon and I was transfixed by the simplicity and beauty of her writing. I love happy accidents like that.

8)  I know this is a bit of a cliched question, but if you had any advice for an aspiring writer, what would it be?

Simply put: Don’t give up. Be prepared to revise, NOT compromise on your work. In all likelihood, most writers will experience rejection of some sort before their manuscript is accepted. When I started approaching publishers, I was told that although they enjoyed the story and my writing, the way the book was written was problematic – a lovely man (who originally came from England and got all nostalgic reading about the room-temperature ale) very kindly told me that the South African publishing world was rather conservative (this was in 2006) and that I should consider re-writing. I considered this and ultimately rejected his well-meant advice, because the story just doesn’t work any other way. It may have taken a few years longer, but it happened.

Being on my farm with my ‘Italian-South African’, 3 dogs, 6 cats, 1 rescue horse who can’t be ridden & an assortment of wild animals. Nothing better.

Thank you, Jo, for being such a willing participant at The Book Club Blog, we enjoyed having you!

(And for those of you who are still not in the know, we have two copies of ‘A Legal Alien’ to give away, for your opportunity, please leave a comment on the review page of this book. The draw will take place on the 15th January and winners will be announced on the 16th. Good Luck!)

Michiel Heyns grew up all over South Africa including Kimberley and Cape Town. He lectured at the University of Stellenbosch but after the publication of his first novel ‘The Children’s Day’ he decided to take up writing full time. His second novel ‘The Reluctant Passenger’ was published in 2003 and ‘The Typewriters Tale’, his third novel, in 2005. His latest novel ‘Bodies Politic’ was recently published  and I am pleased to say that I have just started reading it.

I can honestly say that I have enjoyed all of his works and it brings me great pleasure to bring this interview with him to you. He is definitely one of my favourite authors and the fact that he is South African makes me feel very proud!

I will be reviewing ‘The Reluctant Passenger’ later this week as well as ‘Bodies Politic’ once I have finished reading it. But for now, I introduce to you, MICHIEL HEYNS, maybe this is the day you discover a new author to read, if of course, you haven’t already!

1) Where did you find your inspiration to write ‘The Reluctant Passenger’ and are any of the characters based on ‘real life’ people?

In fact, the two questions have a single answer. The central character, who was also the inspiration behind the novel, was and I’m pleased to say still is, a good friend of mine. Of course, it’s a caricature of him, but that’s where I started: from, for instance, his addiction to chicken mayonnaise sandwiches. Other minor characters were also based on real people, but it would be libellous to say which. And I’ve never known a baboon socially.

The much-maligned Edith Blyton — I read everything she wrote. Then The William books. A really colonial little boy I was. But there wasn’t much indigenous literature around — oh, except for an Afrikaans author, Helena J.F. Lochner, whom I loved.

As for the question I wish interviewers would stop asking, which mercifully you haven’t asked: What are you writing at the moment?

And there we have it, our first exclusive author interview, only at The Book Club Blog! Thank you, Michiel, for being a willing interviewee, it has been fabulous and we appreciate it.