Crime Beat: the CrimeWrite programme 27 & 28 November
Here it is, the final programme to the first ever festival dedicated to South African crime fiction – CrimeWrite, a feature of the BookEx promotion. I’m sure other crime fiction festivals will follow but this one has been put together by the writers themselves, and they’re addressing issues they believe are important. That CrimeWrite has happened at all is thanks to a short Facebook conversation five weeks ago when Helen Holyoake undertook to give us a platform at BookEx if we could come up with the goods. In making it possible I have to thank the crime writers for so willingly giving of their time, Wessel Ebersohn for producing the SA Crime Writers poster, the publishers, Jonathan Ball Publishers, Kwela Books and Penguin SA for financial assistance, Helen Holyoake of Helco Promotions for putting CrimeWrite on the media map, Estoril Books for taking the opportunity to promote the genre, and to Jo Ractliffe for being willing to talk killer music, Louis Greenberg and Peter Harris for chairing some sessions, Edyth Bulbring, Mandla Langa and Arja Salafranca for agreeing to weigh in on the state of our crime fiction.
Where: the Sandton Convention Centre
When: Saturday and Sunday 27 & 28 November 2010
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The CrimeWrite Writers
The usual suspects: Antony Altbeker, Wessel Ebersohn, Richard Kunzmann, Sarah Lotz, Jassy Mackenzie, Chris Marnewick, Deon Meyer, Sifiso Mzobe, Mike Nicol, Margie Orford, Michael Sears, Roger Smith, Stanley Trollip, Martin Welz.
The commentators: Edyth Bulbring, Louis Greenberg, Peter Harris, Mandla Langa, Jo Ractliffe, Arja Salafranca,
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The CrimeWrite Programme
Saturday 27 November 2010
10 – 11: The Forensics of Writing Crime Fiction (1)
You want to write a crime novel but you haven’t the faintest idea where to start. Come and get the lowdown from Wessel Ebersohn, Sarah Lotz, Sifiso Mzobe and Mike Nicol about the tricks of the trade. Those who register with CrimeWrite can enter the CrimeWrite short story competition, details given at the sessions. The winner gets a bag of books and their entry is posted on Crime Beat, BookEx wedsite and the BookEx Facebook page.
11 – 12.30: CrimeWrite Drive-bys
The drive-bys are feisty, gritty one-on-ones lasting thirty minutes each. Gather round to hear: (1) Stanley Trollip and Margie Orford talk about murder most foul before (2) Sarah Lotz and Sifiso Mzobe get onto their favourite topic of fast cars only to be pushed into the wings when (3) Mike Nicol and artist Jo Ractliffe spin the music of mad sad bad songs that are the soundtrack to his novel.
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12.45 – 1.00: A Skype audio interview with the noir boy of SA crime, Roger Smith, currently chilling on a Thailand beach.
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2.00 – 3.00: True Romance
Margie Orford thinks the crime novel is really a love story in disguise and judging by the amorous adventures Wessel Ebersohn, Jassy Mackenzie, and Michael Sears put their characters through, she might have a point. Louis Greenberg will keep them from scratching one another’s eyes out.
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3.00 – 4.00: Do Not Cross
Unfortunately South Africa is a true crime writer’s paradise. More material by the day than you can ever get to grips with. So are Chris Marnewick, Antony Altbeker and Martin Welz having a hard time picking and choosing what to write about and how to write it? Are the conventions of crime fiction influencing how they write true crime? Find out as Peter Harris – himself no mean writer of suspense-filled non fiction – wields the sjambok to make them talk.
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Sunday 28 November 2010
10 – 11: The Forensics of Writing Crime Fiction (2)
If you think the writers were holding out on you yesterday by not revealing the secrets of their trade, here’s an opportunity to hear how Richard Kunzmann, Jassy Mackenzie, Margie Orford, Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip get low down and dirty.
11 – 12.30: CrimeWrite Drive-bys
Another series of the short sharp thirty minute quickies where (1) Chris Marnewick and Sarah Lotz get to grips with writing court room scenes, before (2) Margie Orford and Wessel Ebersohn come to blows over whether the female is deadlier than the male only to be elbowed aside by (3) Sifizo Mzobe and Chris Marnewick and the bad company they keep in their novels before Richard Kunzmann and Mike Nicol confess they’ve heard of James McClure. 
2.00 – 3.00: Coming back for more
The series character is a standard for many crime writers. Do they fall in love with their own characters? Why do readers want more of the same? Margie Orford’s going to crack the whip and get Sarah Lotz, Jassy Mackenzie, Richard Kunzmann and Stanley Trollip to talk about these intimate relationships.
3.00 – 4.00: Reading SA Crime Fiction
It’s a hot topic. There are those who don’t want to read SA crime fiction because real crime is daily in our faces? And they have a point. But isn’t crime fiction ultimately about a feel-good fantasy? Louis Greenberg asks crime fiction readers Mandla Langa, Edyth Bulbring, and Arja Salafranca what they think about our nascent genre.
4.10: The closing Skype interview with the statesman of SA crime fiction, Deon Meyer who will just have returned from an extensive book tour of Switzerland and Germany…
