Last Saturday saw the launch of the #WritingMyCity book, the exciting collection of
Cape Town writing, put together by Cape Town Library Service and Open Book.
The selected authors signed a copy for the organisers, Christelle Lubbe and
Frankie Murray. Then we opened our copies and started reading each others stories.
There are some fascinating stories, poems and memoirs in the collection.
Here’s the piece I wrote (page 96):
I’d been late leaving school that afternoon. I’d stayed behind because nice Miss Leibrandt had been helping me with my poem.
On the way home I’d been kicking a can along the dirt pathway between the shacks when I heard shouting over on the main road. Then there was the explosion. Flames shot up into the air, all red and angry-looking. Black smoke billowed upwards.
My house was the other way, but I had to see. I peered out from the end of the lane. People were jumping up and down in the street, arms waving angrily. They were chanting.
Flames licked out of the little corner shop. My friend’s shop. Mr Kabongo whose skin was as black as night, who came from another country further up the map of Africa. Mr Kabongo who told me stories about the animals of the forest where he grew up and the people who lived there before the war in his country. Mr Kabongo who gave me sweets when I went to fetch a half-loaf for my mother.
And now his shop was destroyed. I wondered if he was safe. Had he run, as he’d run before?
Why can’t we all live together?
luna's on line 
Very touching poem
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What a cool activity!
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It’s been brilliant – such a great opportunity to connect with people across the Big City!
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That was a good piece.
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Thanks Darnell, inspired by some sad, gritty reality which unfortunately isn’t going away soon. Cry the beloved country!
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GREAT BLOG AND GOOD LUCK WITH THE BOOK, CHINA
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Thanks so much!
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[…] Chris Hall […]
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Hold on, hold on – so you were in SA launching a book that you have writing inside of? You’re a published international author and all of that? Okay! Yay for you, Chris – well done!
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Oh Robert, you do make that sound very grand, and I especially like the ‘published international author’ bit 🙂
I actually live in South Africa now, but yes, I am published in the above-mentioned anthology. Actually, I’m feeling a bit of a fraud, since I wrote that little fictional piece from the POV of a young boy living in an informal settlement and I’m pretty sure that all the other stories were the authors’ authentic experiences. However, I didn’t imagine the actual experience of an English immigrant would have quite the same impact. Still, my work was selected and it was published, and I am very happy about that (taking a bow).
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Excellent! I’m glad you took it so well that I glossed over the fact that you have multiple books out there in your own right. Thanks for being so gracious. So, SA, huh! How’s that going for you?
And as for feeling like a fraud, do you imagine that all the other contributors in the book stuck strictly to the remit? *makes rude noise* Well think again. 😀
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Mmm, you might be right. All good here, especially no snow! Political nonsense and government ineptitude (oh, but you have that too now).
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Haha, yah – the government is in total meltdown here. Such fun! 🙂
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The “kicking a can” bit reminds I of primary school days when I kicked stones, destroying my shoes and getting punished for it. 😊😂😂😆😅
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And it calls for a celebratory dance for that publication. Cheers Chris 🍻🍷🍾🍹
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Thanks, Joseph!
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What a vivid, tragic moment. So glad you’ got to share this moment with so many others to celebrate your home!
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There are so many interesting viewpoints in that one book, mostly from first hand experience, unlike mine, although the piece does reflect the unhappy reality of xenophobia here.
The whole journey from the workshops to the launch was something I’m sure we’re all proud to have been part of.
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As you should!
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