Local author to speak on crime fiction novel at book fair

LOCAL crime fiction and speculative fantasy author, Chanisse Kara, will speak about her book 13 Hours to Baghdad, based on real events in Durban, at the Durban Book Fair on Sunday, 2 February.

The book is about character Simon Underwood, a failing sales broker who lies and cons his way through life. For Simon, every interaction is akin to a sales call.

He teeters on the brink until a high court judge frees the conman who has robbed millions of South Africans, starting with the people he knew best, of their money. The target market for this book is adults and young adults who enjoy crime fiction.

Chanisse, who goes by the name CK Kara, said she was bitten by the writing bug right after she matriculated at the age of 17. She started writing her Chronicles Of Omen Swift series in 2005. She has written four books in the series, as well as this latest book 13 Hours to Baghdad.

“I have been a fan of reading since I was seven, like all people who take a liking to a certain craft I delved into the world of great fiction story telling. Although I love writing fantasy, suddenly things in the sales industry became something like what Jordan Belfort from the Wolf of Wall Street was living, and I decided to write about how these people were living in Durban, through events like taxi violence attacks, water shortages, unemployment and corruption,” she said.

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When asked what inspired her to write the book 13 Hours To Baghdad, she said it was the way people lived their lives.

“It’s the people I knew who gave me the idea for this book. Some of them have secret lives! Simon Underwood is very much similar to Jordan Belfort, in fact he’s probably worse. Everyone kept saying to me that I should write something about what real people go through, so this was an easy book to write as I just observed what was happening around me,” she said.

Among her other accolades, Kara has also written screen plays to a Christmas TV commercial and turned 13 Hours to Baghdad into a script. She is now working on two more books as well as another series.

13 Hours to Baghdad is available at Exclusive Books, Gateway Mall, King Shaka Airport and La Lucia Mall and at Bargain Books Westwood Mall.

She will be hosted at the Durban Book Fair at Mitchell Park at 1pm on Sunday.

Book fair programme

THERE will be a full line-up at the book fair on Sunday. The fair runs from 9am near Blue Zoo Restaurant at Mitchell Park.

Between 10.30am and 11.30am Kiru Naidoo will report back on the Jaipur Literary Festival. This will be followed by a book launch of Select Adjudication Orders by Byran Human until noon.

From noon to 12.30pm Cyril James will launch his book Give me shelter from the storms, and Devi Naidoo will follow with the launch of her book Not by blood, but by love.

CK Kara will be in conversation with Kiru Naidoo until 1.30pm, and then Phelelani Makhanya will launch his book My Father’s Blazer and read an excerpt between 1.30pm and 2pm.

Last on the programme is Keli Hariparsad who will speak on her book Durban 400 until 2.30pm.

Contact 083 778 1991.

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