Chris Prentice's blog
Dr Chris Prentice, Chair of the South East
Asia and SouthPacific region and member of the
2008pan-Commonwealthpanel
Dr Christine Prentice is a senior Lecturer at the Department of English, University of Otago, New Zealand. She was previously a member of the regional judging panel for the Prize in 2005. She specialises in New Zealand and Pacific literatures, postcolonial literatures and theory, critical and cultural theory and comparative indigenous literatures. She joined the Editorial Board of New Literatures Review in 2004, the Board of Studies, Master of Indigenous Studies, University of Dr Otago in 2003 and the Maori and Pacific Islands Advisory Board in 2004.
- Otago, New Zealand, 09 May 2008
It’s great to have this space to share experiences, events and impressions, and to negotiate the particular roles I have here as regional convenor and member of the judging panel, but also reader and teacher of literatures from around the Commonwealth, first-time visitor to South Africa, and first-time blogger. There’s a wonderful programme of activities lined up, and no doubt like last year’s judging in Jamaica, some great people coming together to make the celebration of writing, and announcement of winners, a rich experience.- Johannesburg- 13 May 2008
- Johannesburg airport, 14 May
- Cape Town, 15 May
- Franchhoek- May 17
Look, Ma – I’m in South Africa! This has been a dream for so long, and I couldn’t think of a more enjoyable way than with the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. This is my second year as regional convenor (South East Asia and South Pacific region), and as a member of the pan-Commonwealth judging panel. Although I was treated to numerous warnings about the need for safety and security measures, everything has gone very smoothly, and on arrival in Jo’burg it was great to find that our plane from Dubai arrived pretty much at the same time as Nicholas Hasluck’s from Perth. Nicholas chairs the pan-Commonwealth Panel, and is here again with his wife, Sally-Anne, so from the start it was a case of renewing connections I’d made last year. Just as heart-warming was stepping into the arrivals area and immediately seeing Lisa, our airport pick-up and driver, with a sign bearing our names. If you’ve seen the state of Jo’burg airport during its refurbishments, the throngs of people in all directions, you’ll know what it feels like after over 24 hours on planes, to see things fall into place so well. During and after arriving, it’s always fun to try to spot the writer, or spot the judge – people from around the world, most of whom haven’t met each other before. It is unusual, as Andrew Firmin of the Commonwealth Foundation has said, that writers and judges would be brought together for the judging and announcement process like this, but it’s actually inspiring to meet the writers, to get to know and like them as individuals – even if we have the task of selecting one winner in each category. Now the programme is underway, and it’s going to be a whirlwind of activity, and travel to other parts of the country. After the briefing meeting, we went to Xarra bookstore in town, where there was a reception and the writers all read brief excerpts from their books to an excellent turnout of local literary enthusiasts. They’ll be doing a lot of this at the various activities they have scheduled. We judges will be sequestered with the serious and difficult business of judging between eight very worthy contenders for Best Book and Best First Book. Although I’m approaching this with trepidation – knowing how hard it’s going to be – it’s also going to be very stimulating, if a panel and general discussion at the dinner last night is anything to go by. Lots of strong, passionate and different views about literature! At least this shows it still matters. There’s so much to look forward to this week, and I’ll check in regularly as the week continues to gain momentum
Here I am at the Jo’burg airport internet shop, and this is the second attempt to get my blog sent, after losing the whole thing I’d just finished. So, we’ve had a day of judging, very intense, and we have more judging today, but are waiting for a flight to Cape Town for the next part of our programme. The writers had a good first day, by the sounds of it,with more readings and enjoying the sunshine (judges didn’t know it was sunny from our meeting room in the depths of the Sunnyside Hotel). Our social side of things began in the evening with a trip to Exclusive Books,a chain store, where there was a wine and finger food reception and the writers read again from their work. It’s so good to hear their printed words in their own voices. They read very well, bringing the prose to life, and engaging the audiences effectively. Q and A was slower than the first night -- but it looked to be a different kind of audience, and perhaps not surprising. Then we went to the amazing Gramadoelas Restaurant, beside the famous Market Theatre -- at least I got to photograph it, but it would have been so good to see a play there -- for an evening hosted by the Department of Arts and Culture. There were throngs of people, looked to be hundreds, local writers, journalists, arts administrators and others, and we from the Commonwealth Writers' Prize sat among them and talked about the local scene. The evening kicked off with remarkable poetry readings, then addresses by Mark Collins of the Commonwealth Foundation, who announced Foundation financial support for a mobile library, and then by the Minister of Arts and Culture, who spoke about the inspiring burgeoning of South African literature and arts, and the important efforts to raise literacy rates in the country more generally. They were really pleased to be among the Commonwealth Prize writers, and we all had a chance to have loud and animated discussions. One thing I’m really enjoying is the informal conversations betweenwriters and judges, writers and writers, and among the judges, discussing writing, books, and other things. As an academic, it’s easy to get focused on a narrow kind of literary discussion, and the chance to mingle with writers and with other skilled readers is a privilege.
Looking forward to Cape Town, which sounds very attractive, and hoping very much to get to Robben Island tomorrow. Then the Franschoek Literary Festival. I should say that one real pleasure has been to meet Jen Sobol at last. As a judge, I’ve emailed her so much over the last two years, it’s almost like knowing her, but not quite. This has been a chance to get to know her so much better. She’s really made this whole job possible, always ready with information, help, reassurance. I think I’ll miss the role, and the people involved, next year.Now the hard part is over, and the cultural activities can begin. Coming from an island nation, I feel so much more ‘at home’ in Cape Town, especially as our hotel is virtually on the waterfront of a very attractive harbour that overlooks Table Mountain. Of course, it’s also the first opportunity we’ve had to walk around independently, since this wasn’t possible in Jo’burg, both because of the busy schedule, but also I think, because it wasn’t considered safe. I’d really like to get a perspective on the things people said about Jo’burg. From the flight over and through our stay there, what I heard from locals amounted to warnings about potential dangers such as robbery and violence, and although I completely trust the advice of locals, I’m left wondering how it is that 6 million people live there – what is everyday life like in Jo’burg? Anyway, as I said, I feel much happier in a place near the water, and rather than being like Wellington (in New Zealand), to me it was more like the harbours I’d seen in Gothenburg and Copenhagen (and when we went for a walk last night, Makarand said it reminded him of Finland, so we had the same kind of thing in mind). Very touristy, but I guess that’s to be expected. I should mention the flight from Jo’burg to Cape Town. It was stunning to see such an expanse of flat land as far as the eye could see. The semi-desert plateau was unlike anything I’d seen before. The colours ranged between brown and red, depending on the soil type, apparently very rocky and arid, and very sparse settlement, almost no water – I saw one large river, no lakes. Again, this is so unfamiliar to a NZer. It’s not that I didn’t ‘know’ this, but somehow seeing it is a different way of knowing it.
We’re slowly gathering this morning for the trip to Robben Island. It’s a bit rainy, but not windy, so it’s all on, and this will be a real highlight of the trip, I’m sure. Hearing that many of the tour guides are ex-prisoners (again, something that is familiar from other examples of ‘prison tourism’) will add to the intensity of the experience. I just know it will be disturbing, to say the least. I feel quite emotional thinking about it. After that trip, we get on a bus to Franschhoek, for the literary festival, and this will be much more relaxing, though there’s a prison visit coming up later in that context as well – this will be even more disturbing, since it isn’t a tourist experience, but something much more raw. Five minutes until we’re due to head away so I’ll stop now.
We’ve been in Franschhoek for a couple of days now, a veryFrench-influenced village in the wine, lavender and olive (and orange)growing region, surrounded by mountains. The main street is HuguenotStreet, and many buildings and businesses have French names, though I’mnot sure whether the French influence goes deeper than that today. It’svery beautiful, and today is a day of clear blue sky. Being Saturday, itreally feels like there’s a literary festival on, with people milling andmingling along the village streets, everything in walking distance.Yesterday we went to Drakenstein Prison in the morning, to attend the(unofficial) launch of a book of poems by 15 young men, maximum securityinmates who had worked with a writing tutor and come up with remarkableand very moving poems that reflected on aspects of their own lives, and inparticular the forms of masculinity that had been important and formativefor them (up to now, in a pretty negative way) -- themselves as men, assons, as fathers, and their own fathers -- but that through the activityof writing and reflecting on their lives had given them hope andinspiration to find other possibilities. This was followed by a tour ofMandela’s house, where he had been held for the last part of his sentence,and from where he was finally released. It was so interesting that he hadhad a replica made of the house to live in when he was freed. The writers for the Commonwealth Prize have now done public readings aspart of the festival, and other than further festival events and panels,the big thing now is the announcement of the winners tomorrow.
Generallythe atmosphere is pretty relaxed though, no doubt aided by this lovelyenvironment of boutique hotels and stores, cafes and restaurants, sunshineand easy access to events. The audiences are very enthusiastic for thereadings and discussions, and it’s great to see the appreciation ofliterature spread into community settings. Andrew and Jen look morerelaxed now that group activities are over, but they do seem to beconstantly working hard.
I’m going back out into the sunshine now, and will look for the housewhere the writers have a kind of green room, with coffee, cake, wine, anda chance to chat quietly. Arthur is playing chess, but I think I’ll readand talk. Better remember to do some shopping, too!
