Some years ago I had the honour to be part of a panel discussion for word-artists.
The gathering was held in the pristine settlement of Groot Marico, on the slopes of the Dwarsberge.
During proceedings I wondered out loud my fears of thoughts bubbling through a creative mind, but failing to find a perfect place on the written page.
More often than not we word-artists have certain beautiful ideas going through our minds, but then how easy or difficult it becomes to capture these on the written page.
An academic who chaired the session cautioned me that if I had fears as a word-artist, then I should vacate that space completely. Really?
In recent weeks my attempts at creative writing have taken what I can describe as a pleasant surprise.
In Cape Town the publishers of my novel’s marketing division have emailed me the new cover and text to be explored to re-invent the fifth edition of the novel, with emphasis on the overarching
theme of modernity versus tradition.
They further observed that the latter was a strong theme and driving force in the novel, and also illustrated through music.
The back cover sleeve is also to be re-invented, borrowing an excerpt from the narrative, from which the main character – a teenage boy – used a sickle to cut and chip his way around a
riverside reed, to carve himself a flute.
The boy blew a tune from the flute, against the backdrop of the chirping of one of the birds of the veld, and the forlorn clanking of a cowbell.
The marketing division personnel say the latter imagery is what they had in mind when choosing the re-invented front and back cover.
Stevlyn Vermeulen, one of the editors at the publishing house, says the study guide for the novel likewise explores the theme of jazz and marabi music.
All these developments were spiced up by news that a column I write for our sister newspaper, Die Pos/The Post, is on the shortlist for the Forum for Community Journalists annual excellence
awards.
Hoping all this should be a source of inspiration to fellow word-artists from across the rolling slopes of the Waterberg.
— The BEAT
