Archive for the ‘Biography’ Category
by Sophy on Aug 2nd, 2010
Melinda Ferguson spoke to Wordsworth’s Andrew Majoribanks at the Cape Town Book Fair about her latest book Hooked and the re-issue of Smacked.
Hooked tells the story of internet seduction and how one addiction can translate into other kinds of addictions. Once off drugs, Ferguson became addicted to Facebook where, she remarked, “you forget how old you are”. Ferguson would spend 7 hours a day chatting to a young stranger who befriended her online, until it reached what she called “the 13th step”, it gained a sexual dimension. However, Ferguson also noted that “I only have the luxury of being hooked (on Facebook) because I’m clean.”
Quote of the hour: “I might as well have been using heroin but I was using the internet” – Melinda Ferguson
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by Bontle on Jul 31st, 2010
The always entertaining Chris van Wyk kept the audience at CTBF’s Dalro Forum laughing while he spoke about his new book, Eggs to Lay, Chickens to Hatch with Fred Khumalo.
The book is the second memoir of van Wyk’s life, this time focussed on his friendship with his home’s domestic worker, Agnes. According to van Wyk, she was not the best housekeeper but she had a sense of humour, a funny work ethic and a very particular point of view that he remembers fondly, even all these years later.
Quote of the hour: “Someone asked me today if I am going to write a third memoir of my childhood. I’ve written two now. If I have to write another one, I’ll have to start lying. I don’t think I have any more to say about my childhood” – Chris van Wyk
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by Jani on Jul 31st, 2010
Braam Malherbe and Lewis Gordon-Pugh are both “world first” athletes: Braam having run the entire Great Wall of China and Lewis for having swum in all the world’s oceans. Unfortunately the “human polar bear” couldn’t attend the session, but it gave the audience more time to learn about China and Braam’s incredible adventures there.
Malherbe brought along some video and slides of the China emphasizing what an enormous undertaking the adventure was for both him and the team. It turns out that running around 40 km per day in temperatures of up to 35 degrees Celsius and below 10 degrees Celcius gives one time to think. Braam concluded that the greatest error or sin in life is that of mediocrity.
Quote of the hour: “For me what makes the ordinary, extraordinary is having dreams.” -Braam Malherbe
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by Carolyn on Jul 31st, 2010
The values that his mother taught him, had a great impact on Jay Naidoo’s life.
Naidoo said in discussion with Peter Harris and Elinor Sisulu at the Cape Town Book Fair that the tolerance, compassion and selflessness he learned from his mother was what attracted him to the struggle against apartheid, and specifically to Steve Biko.
“Today people seem to celebrate material wealth, but if you look at icons like Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu, their fame has nothing to do with wealth and everything to do with service.”
When Elinor wrote the biography of Albertina and Walter Sisulu, she kept being drawn into other people’s stories as well, because the Sisulus lived their lives in service of others.
Quote of the hour:
“My mother was the anchor of my life.”
– Jay Naidoo
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by CTBF on Jun 8th, 2009
The launch of Allan Boesak’s autobiography has been “postponed indefinitely” after former finance minister Trevor Manuel objected to claims that he and his family received “struggle accounting” money.
Manuel sent Boesak a lawyer’s letter over claims made in the book, which was due to be launched in Somerset West on Friday.
Manuel’s spokesperson Thoraya Pandy said Manuel had been advised on Friday that the publisher, Joho, had put the printing of the book on hold.
Boesak was also due to speak at the Cape Town Book Fair on Saturday but has now been dropped from the programme.
In the book, Boesak, who served a year in jail for theft and fraud of donor funds during the apartheid era, alleges the ANC “knows where the money went”. Boesak later received a presidential pardon.
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by CTBF on May 25th, 2007
The man who defended Biko, Mandela, Sisulu and even Morgan Tsvangirai – human rights activist George Bizos will find himself in the dock at the Cape Town Book Fair, which opens in just three weeks’ time.
There, Bizos will be cross-examined by a formidable duo: Cape High Court judge Dennis Davis and former Minister of Education and current MP Kader Asmal, who will probe aspects of Bizos’ highly anticipated autobiography, Odyssey to Freedom.
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