Thank you, Mark, for
agreeing to be ‘interviewed’ via my blog. First things first, time for us to
find out about you, via one of your books. I read “The Zebra Affaire” and got
sucked in! This was my review…
“The fictional tale of Elsa, a white native South African, and Stanwell, a black foreigner from Malawi, and their forbidden love story within the harsh Apartheid regime of South Africa in 1976 is beautifully written and I shed a tear at its climax. The addition of non-fiction extracts throughout the story added a depth to the tale that made the situation more real. With the death of Mandela in 2013 it is important to reflect on both the man and the situation in his native South Africa.
I have recently been reading many historical fiction novels based on slavery and colonialism and was extremely glad to stumble across this book. The fact I have Dutch relatives only added to my appreciation of the novel, since I understand the language somewhat.
This is not a typical narrative, but it is definitely a book I would recommend to anyone interested in issues concerning racism and inequality within a tense romantic setting.”
What do you think of my
review?
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I’m touched my historical fiction novel moved you, emotionally.
The fact that you cried tears, rather than was bored to tears, is a wonderful
compliment. It meant you became vested in the plight of the principal characters’
struggle at the centre of the story, despite the unkind real-world
circumstances they both faced.
I also agree with your supposition that it’s important to
consider Nelson Mandela’s legacy. Will his shining example be emulated? Or will current and future South African
leadership follow the tragic norm in Africa—that of abuse of power, corruption
and incompetence? I hope for the former,
but frankly I fear the latter will be closer to the truth…
If I must critique your review, there is one change I’d
suggest. The third paragraph as written seems to suggest “The Zebra Affaire”
was written in Dutch (not English). I know your intention was to say “…the
novel feels very authentic because some of the local colloquialisms, a curse
here an exclamation there, are written in the Afrikaans language—derived from
South Africa’s first Dutch settlers.”
[Fair point, Mark… I am happy to be corrected!]
By the way I appreciate your elegant summary of my book with your phrase “… (it’s about) issues concerning racism and inequality within a tense romantic setting.” Perfect.
[So glad you liked this]
What or who inspired you to
write this story?
Though they don’t realize it, I would have to credit my two
sons. I have this belief that if a people don’t know their history, they are
destined to be forever lost. It was important to me that my sons learned about
their African roots from their father; but my personal story isn’t that
interesting. So I chose to couch the story from the perspective of far more
intriguing characters, that of Elsa (who’s white) and Stanwell (who is black).
The cruel dynamics of the love-struck couple’s story is all theirs, but the place
and time that I inserted them is very much mine. This then provided me with the
platform to shine a bright light on the dark underbelly of racism and
tribalism.
I was brought up in
Gibraltar and I experienced the opposite. I felt like an alien for being a
redhead and so pale, whilst living amongst tanned brunettes! Do you think people
are always faced with some form of oppression wherever they are?
Such a complicated
topic: and one that inevitably devolves into name-calling, hyper-sensitivity
and frustration. But let’s first focus
on two specific words you used, Vanessa: “always” and “oppression”. No, I don’t believe being different
inevitably leads to oppression. As a personal anecdote: I arrived in a frigid,
snowbound Minnesota neighbourhood in 1981—and to my surprise I found myself
considered “an exotic”—apparently I was the first “white African” that this
American Midwest community had met! And as such I was rather revered. I’m sure,
unfortunately, that this isn’t everyone’s experience.
Vanessa, drilling
deeper to the true intent of your question, you are certainly correct. There is
little doubt that generally humans are not tolerant of others unlike
themselves. And that this corrosive behaviour is in the end mutually destructive.
I wish the lessons of the past were
learned, but that’s not the case. (Hence the need for historical fiction to
constantly remind us.) Instead, we compulsively repeat the same disgraceful
patterns of individual and institutional torment. Sadly, there is always a
chosen victim that predators—like bullies in a schoolyard, gang up against. And
invariably the victim is a minority.
Except in apartheid South Africa! Here the oppressed were the majority. This shocking fact alone makes
“The Zebra Affaire” a story worth telling.
If someone from South
Africa in 1976 time-travelled to the present day, what do you think they would
say?
A 1976 South
African would be devastated by what they’d witness in today’s 2014 South
Africa. Despite the fall of apartheid and the wonderful vision of Nelson
Mandela’s “Rainbow Nation”—under the corrupt and incompetent leadership of
current president Jacob Zuma, the nation is leaderless. Though the cruel laws
of apartheid have been removed, they’ve been replaced by rapacious black tribal
elites who are lining their own pockets to the detriment of their own people—and
are using progressively blunt tools to keep the masses in check.
And so I know what a time-traveller would say
for I personally know such a person. A veteran of the guerrilla war against
apartheid that was forced into exile for decades during the long campaign for
liberation, and lifetime member of the ANC (African National Congress); this
veteran is distraught by the self-inflicted wounds forced on the nation by the
current administration. “I cannot believe this is what we fought for,” were the
words shared with me, “I guess we have to soldier on.” The sense of betrayal felt
by this veteran of the liberation struggle was palpable. Such a shame! [I agree… humans are capable of so much,
yet they fail on so many levels when competing against each other for dominance!]
Why do you think no one
speaks out when violence is staring them in the face? Is fear the reason people
ignore abuse? For example, in hindsight, it is easy to point the finger at Nazi
Germany, but The Book Thief recently got me thinking. I imagine most people did
not know what was going on. How do you think people who do know live with
themselves? Are they just evil?
Without a doubt it is primarily fear. Becoming invisible is
a natural survival instinct; akin to an ostrich sticking its head in the ground.
Though it may save one’s neck in the near term, it does not guarantee one’s
long term survival. Appeasing a bully really doesn’t work, but it takes a
special strength to stand up to that bully, alone. Clearly British Prime
minister Neville Chamberlain blinked when dealing with Hitler, but to your
point: he didn’t really know what was going on. Surely the true villains were
the German political and military leadership who were well aware of the illegal
military build-up and other secretive behind the scenes preparations. These
senior men stood by and did absolutely nothing.
Certainly some were evil, some were ambitious, some were ideologues, but
most were cowards.
In South Africa there was a duality that added further confusion—or
plausible deniability to this mix. As I wrote in The Zebra Affaire: “Elsa was no racist. She never had to be; her
government assumed that responsibility.” What I’m attempting to say is that
Elsa never had to face within herself any personal demons of racism, she never
had to go there, ever, as the laws scripted the rules of behaviour between the
racial groups, and as such relieved her of any personal responsibility. So add to the above list of sins, indifference.
Do you think love breaks
down all barriers? Is not the point of, for example, the classic “Romeo &
Juliet” that forbidden love is both a curse and a cure?
Love certainly has
the potential to break down all
barriers. I’ve always been intrigued by that which triggers the attraction
between two distinctly different individuals; and in doing so creates such an
immutable bond that very little can destroy it. I even question whether death
can destroy it. For example in the “Romeo & Juliet” scenario, though the
two lovers die their love ultimately lives on in the reconciliation of their
two warring families. Or maybe I’m just a romantic… [nothing wrong with being a romantic!]
How did you find mixing
fiction with fact in such an obvious way? At times, this detracted from the
story, but I found it helpful and emotional. Especially at the end.
I had three
principles guiding me: entertain, inform and to be sincere. If it was solely a
work of fiction it would have been easier to write, as I would not have been
bound by the inconvenience of facts. But “The Zebra Affaire” is an important
story, and quite disturbing considering these events happened not too long ago.
So I needed it to be believed, and so I wrote it in a way that it was both
authentic and sincere. This realization compelled me to fill the reader’s
knowledge gap on South African history.
To do so I could
have used conventional Chicago Manual of Style formats such as footnotes and
endnotes to provide the historical or societal constructs of the period. But
footnotes are tiny, difficult to read. And endnotes, they are parked somewhere at
the back of book. So I introduced something novel—one reviewer called them
“anywhere notes”—where I provide italicized
expositions within the context of narrative. Judging by the accolades this technique has
received readers have embraced this format and now better understand the
motivations of the characters (both good and venal) as the tension in the story
builds.
Do you find it hard to
write historical fiction? Do you spend hours doing the research?
Research took a year, including wonderful weeks in the
field—the South African bush, documenting the behaviour of the animals in their
natural environment. The climax of the story needed the suspense of an
authentic safari. And it was crucial the animals and the bushveld played their
role in supporting the human saga unfolding within their midst. I used both a
video- and still camera to record these experiences; and I personally enjoyed
reliving these moments when writing the story.
Writing historical
fiction is a double-edged sword; there’s the benefit of an existing structure
of date-stamped facts, but then there is the deficit when facts refuse to
conform to the fictional narrative’s structure. But for me it is well worth the
trade-off. I learn so much during the research process. Believe me, it’s really interesting stuff—quite
eye-opening actually. And for me a reward for working in the historical fiction
genre is knowing that I’m able to transfer this knowledge to the reader within
the context of a compelling, vivid story—set in an exotic location, without any
of the pain of formal study.
But I must
emphasise, my objective is to first entertain. I’m focused on creating
memorable characters, within a story construct that is filled with suspense, fraught
with danger, and filled with passion. It just happens that the reader will
learn something new about their world as the story unfolds.
Do you think social media
is important? If so, how do you prioritise your time?
Vanessa, I wish I
was as capable as you in this social media space. [I can but try…] Yes, it is important and I have found
myself engaging with folks from all around the world due to its no-cost
ubiquity and reach. I was delighted by the generosity displayed by strangers on
social medial when creating the book. For example, I polled their opinion when
selecting the best book cover.
Regarding the
promotional reach, it has also proven to be helpful. In fact, Vanessa, that’s
how we met. But I must admit it consumes too much of my time. This is due to my
inability to process it efficiently. I’d
like to think it’s a flaw in the structure of Facebook, Twitter, Google + or
whatever, but being honest I’m probably not using these platforms correctly. In
short I’m overwhelmed by the volume of data I don’t need, and I’m constantly
missing the most important stuff. Time to send out an S…O..S… [Ha, ha... I'll have the lifeboat waiting for you!]
Do you have an author you admire? If so,
why?
It is not a coincidence that historical fiction is my genre
of choice. It’s by reading Herman Wouk (“Winds of War”), Leon Uris (“Exodus”)
and Irving Stone (“The Agony and the Ecstasy”) that I learned so much—without
realizing it, because they are masters of weaving wonderful tales that both enthral
and inform. These are the best attributes of good historical fiction. Add Ken
Follett, Alice Walker, Tom Clancy and South African greats, Wilbur Smith and
Andre Brink and I’ve been fortunate to have feasted on a rich, fulfilling diet
of magnificent literature. My current favourite is Alan Furst (“The Foreign
Correspondent”).
[I have read &
enjoyed Leon Uris and Ken Follett… my husband is a fan of most of these!]
Where we can find out more
about you and buy your books?
Vanessa you are
welcome anytime to visit my site, leave a comment or two, and hopefully write a
guest blog. Your readers are most
welcome as well. You will find me at my
BLOG
“The Zebra Affaire”
is available to purchase in both paperback and Kindle editions via
AMAZON.
Thank you for taking the
time to speak to me.
Vanessa, it’s my pleasure. I very much appreciated your interesting
questions.
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