Crime Beat: Crime at Franschhoek

That much anticipated and hugely enjoyable Franschhoek Literary Festival happens again at the end of this week and crime fiction gets a good outing once more. The full programme can be downloaded here but for those only interested in the sexy krimi world, here are the sessions. There are also a number of true crime sessions but as I’m a purist you’ll have to track those down on the programme. The Afrikaans session on Sunday may or may not be about crime, the rubric is ambivalent.

Friday 11
13h00 – 14h00

Crime sistas (Hospice Hall)
Joanne Hichens (Divine Justice) holds a magnifying glass to the craft, aided by fellow crime writers Shamini Flint from Singapore, author of the Inspector Singh series, and Hawa Golakai, Liberian author of The Lazarus Effect, the first of a new series set in Cape Town.

16h00-17h00
Brotherhood of crime (School Hall)
Book broadcaster Karabo Kgoleng takes on three masters of crime fiction: Deon Meyer (Trackers), Andrew Brown (Solace) and Peter Church (Bitter Pill).

Saturday 12
11h30 – 12h30
Crime: East meets West (Hospice Hall)
Capetonian Margie Orford (Gallows Hill) banters with Shamini Flint (Inspector Singh Investigates) from Singapore.

14h30-15h30
Is crime fiction the new political novel? (Church Hall)
Lynda Gilfillan threw down the gauntlet in a debate about genre snobs on Stellenbosch University’s SLiPnet site, and chairs the next round of jousting with Margie Orford, Leon de Kock and Imraan Coovadia.

19h30
Sunday Times dinner at Reuben’s
The Sunday Times and Exclusive Books host a crime fiction evening – Crimes and Misdemeanours with Michele Magwood interrogating Hawa Golakai, Mike Nicol, and Margie Orford – at Reuben’s Restaurant and Bar. The dinner is sold out.

Sunday 13
10h00 – 11h00
Crime ace (Congregational Church)
Jenny Crwys-Williams in conversation with Deon Meyer

11h30 – 12h30
So sien ek dit (Church Hall)
Helen Naude gesels met Deon Meyer (7 Dae), Dana Snyman (Hiervandaan) en Kerneels Breytenbach (Piekniek by Hangklip).

14h30 – 15h30
Two to tango (Hospice Hall)
Andrew Brown talks to husband-and-wife team Lisa Lazarus and Greg Fried about their co-authored psychological thriller When in Broad Daylight I Open my Eyes (by ‘Greg Lazarus’).

Crime Beat: Francois Bloemhof talks about compiling Donker Plekke

A week or two back a new anthology of crime fiction stories appeared in Afrikaans from Lapa Uitgewers. It’s called Donker Plekke and it’s edited by Francois Bloemhof who has a huge reputation as a crime and thriller writer in Afrikaans. As this collection adds considerably to the growing interest in the local krimi, we put Francois in the hot seat and asked a few questions: (more…)

Crime Beat: Stray doppies

Towards the end of next week, Liz Fletcher will be doing a piece on Joanne Hichens’s first krimi, Divine Justice. With a bit of luck we’ll also have an interview with Francois Bloemhof, the editor of a collection of Afrikaans crime fiction, Donker Plekke, that has just appeared from Lapa.

Some upcoming stuff: Margie Orford’s in Johannesburg on Wednesday 2 November to do lunch with Jenny & Co. And then she is back in Cape Town for a launch at Kalk Bay Books on Thursday 3 November at 6pm for 6.30pm.

And Deon Meyer is appearing at the Boekbedonnerd Book Festival in Richmond this weekend. Next year’s Boekbedonnerd will include a programme on genre fiction: krimis, horror, sci-fic, chick lit, and romance. Dates will be announced soon.

Jonathan Amid has written a fascinating piece on Diale Tlholwe and H J Golakai on SLiP. Seems he really doesn’t like the hardboiled style of either my books or those of Roger Smith. And here I was thinking the style was social commentary. Ah, well, back to the drawing board. ‘Predictable!’ Ouch.

Do keep an eye on the Crime Beat Facebook page as we’ll be posting shorter stuff there as well as photographs and the music that’s featured in SA krimis.

Crime Beat: The krimi happenings: Woordfees & Tess Gerritsen

Lots of crime coming up at Woordfees. So if you’re in Stellenbosch for the weekend go meet Francois Bloemhof, Chanette Paul, Karin Brynard, Piet Steyn, Harry Kalmer, and Chris Marnewick. Here’s the full programme.

And on Saturday at 11 at the Protea Boekwinkel listen to Chanette Paul and Valiant Swart talk about Chanette’s new novel Meetsnoer.

Coming up later in the month US crime writer Tess Gerritsen will be doing discussions, talks and signings at bookshops and various venues in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Her Sunday Times Good Times dinner is one to book for. Get in on the act here.

Crime Beat: Karin Brynard praat met Chanette Paul oor haar nuwe spanningsroman, Meetsnoer

Crime Beat Afrikaans editor Chanette Paul has just published her new novel Meetsnoer . On Crime Beat’s behalf she was interviewed by Karin Brynard, author of the much acclaimed and prize-winning Plaasmoord.

Chanette Paul se vierde boek in haar Gys Niemand-reeks van romantiese spanningsverhale het pas die winkelrakke getref. Met hierdie gewilde reeks het sy ‘n nuwe sub-genre in die misdaad-genre losgeskryf – en haar groot lesersaanhang op behendige manier by die genre ingekatrol. Karin Brynard het met haar gesels oor haar nuwe boek, Meetsnoer. (Lapa Publishers) (more…)

Crime Beat: The Buzz

Congratulations are in order to Karin Brynard who took the MNet Film Award last weekend for her crime novel, Plaasmoord. And then on Wednesday she received the University of Johannesburg’s debut Afrikaans novel award.

Karin Brynard is up again on the shortlist for the 2010 ATKV Woordveertjie’s thriller fiction category. Crime Beat’s Chanette Paul is also listed for her novel Boheem as is Chris Karsten with his Seisoen van Sonde. The winner will be announced on Friday 10 September.

Roger Smith will be talking to me about his new krimi Wake Up Dead on Thursday 12 August at 5.30 at Wordsworth, V&A, Cape Town.

Margie Orford says check out this link from the Guardian about making crime fiction funny. The article’s by Colin Bateman who has been listed for a CWA prize: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2010/aug/03/comedy-crime-capers

From British spy and thriller writer Jeremy Duns comes a fascinating article detailing research he’s done (no pun intended) on the Ian Fleming – Geoffrey Jenkins connection: http://jeremyduns.blogspot.com/2010/03/james-bond-in-south-africa.html

Crime Beat: Deon Meyer talks about his Thirteen Hours

Deon Meyer’s Thirteen Hours has taken the crime fiction market by storm – not only here but in the UK, US and in the many other countries where Meyer is published. It is the sixth of his books and yet another narrative experiment by the man who never fails to surprise from book to book. I sat him down and turned up the heat.
Picture: A Henrietta Rose-Innes photo of Deon Meyer at the London Book Fair (more…)

Crime Beat: The meaning of prizes

How wonderful that Peter Temple’s extraordinary Truth should be awarded Australia’s prestigious Miles Franklin literary award. Temple is one of the great stylists of crime fiction and there was every reason for his novel to take a literary award, it is simply well written, but as he said, “I never expected to have a chance.” His achievement aside, equally important is the fact that the judges thought it worth considering – and honouring – a hardcore genre novel. I can’t see it happening here for many a year, just as Ian Rankin can’t see a crime thriller taking the Mann Booker. So there is much to celebrate in the Australian’s decision. (more…)

Crime Beat: A US take on African crime fiction

The current issue of Mystery Readers’ Journal is devoted to African crime fiction. Here’s the assessment of the scene by one of their correspondents, Toby Gottfried. The journal can be bought as a hard copy and is also available as a pdf for $5. Check out the website for the how-to-order stuff. (more…)

Crime Beat: Chanette Paul praat met Isa Konrad oor Die Ondenkbare

Ever been to Lüderitz where the mist is like cement; where the desert has been gnawing at buildings for over a century and shoebox houses see-saw on the rocks? Take yourself there with Isa Konrad’s delightful debut murder mystery, Die Ondenkbare, and be treated to an intriguing tale of murder, growing up and love.

Die beelding is vars en die humor verkwiklik. Die leser kry boonop twee moordverhale vir die prys van een. ʼn Heerlike boek om voor die kaggel te lees met ʼn glas rooiwyn en donkersjokolade byderhand. (more…)