It all adds up for Durban North author
The book is set in the town of Vivo, where the only cemetery is run by old Mateus and his dog, God.
SVEN Axelrad of Durban North has forgotten about numbers for while and prioritised his writing talent. An accountant by profession – who also loves dogs, swimming, coffee, music and travelling, he recently finished his first book, Buried Treasure, which is available online and at most major bookstores. Axelrad chatted to Northglen News journalist Candyce Pillay about his latest achievement ahead of his book launch next week.
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About the book: Mateus’s eyes aren’t so good these days, which is why he has been burying bodies in the wrong graves, and also why, while out walking with God [his dog], he trips over a young homeless girl, Novo, whom Mateus decides to appoint as his apprentice.
CP: Tell us a bit about yourself.
SA: Where to start? I was born in New Zealand about 41 years ago to a South African mother and French father but moved to Durban when I was seven, quickly lost the accent and started the very fun/very complicated business of becoming a South African.
CP: How and when did your love for writing start?
SA: My first love was always music. The switch came when I was about twenty years old. I went to visit my dad in France and ended up, as one does, milling around a bookstore in an airport.
CP: Where did you get the idea for your book from?
SA: This idea came to me while on honeymoon. I woke up early one morning and scribbled a scene in my notebook – something along the lines of: Imagine the trouble it would cause if you needed Home Affairs to issue you an ID to get to Heaven? I have always enjoyed magical thinking… In my book, people are being buried in the wrong graves and as such, are stuck in an administrative backlog, unable to move on to the afterlife without knowing who they are.
CP: Who are the characters, and what are their personalities, and where do you draw inspiration for them from?
SA: There is a wide cast of interesting characters, but the first ones readers will meet are God, Mateus and Novo. Inspiration is everywhere. I read a lot and love watching all types of movies and series. I get a lot of inspiration from music. Besides that, I try to listen carefully when people speak. If you listen carefully, everyone has an interesting story to tell.
CP: Will there be more books?
SA: I have already written a sequel to Buried Treasure and another story I really like about South Africa, so the question is: Will they be published? The short answer is, I hope so.
Buried Treasure can be found at all Exclusive Books, Wordsworth Books and some Bargain Books stores. Online, you can grab a copy from Takealot, Loot or Wordsworth, and if you have renounced paper, you can get the Kindle version from Amazon. The book launch takes place on Friday, April 21 at the Barn Owl, 368 Florida Road, Morningside at 17:30. RSVP at rsvp@penguinrandomhouse.co.za
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