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The Literary Cafe
Launched in 2009 the Literary
Café
at the House of Coffees in Hartbeespoort is a monthly forum for booklovers to
meet and discuss books and all things bookish!
It isn't a book club; it's an informal gathering of folks who simply love books and reading, and there is no compulsory element to it like there is in book clubs. We usually host a guest author every month and there is a nominal charge for the event. Food and bevvies are laid on by the House of Coffees and it's a great place to meet your favourite authors and other people who love all things literary.
For more information on the Literary Café you may email Bree or contact the House of Coffees by email or by phoning 012-2591474. Alternatively check back here to find details of forthcoming Café speakers, including authors Jassy McKenzie, David Chislett, Chris Cocks, AJ Brooks, Anton Krueger and heaps more...
What's happening at the Literary Cafe in April & May
The Literary Café will be
celebrating Shakespeare’s birthday on 25 April in partnership
with Exclusive Books. And lovers of a good whodunit should also
mark their diaries for 5 May, when one of
Details will be posted on this website soon. Or join the Literary Café mailing list by emailing:
See who's visited the Literary Café:
Gary Albyn: 3 March
 |
Author, poet, gifted raconteur
and avowed ‘elephant whisperer’, Gary Albyn, joined us for a talk
and reading from his extraordinary book, Manzovo-Place of the Elephants, on
Wednesday, 3 March. |
Natasha Sutherland: 3 February
|
Natasha Sutherland visited the Literary Café on Wednesday, 3 February, to talk about her inspirational book, Bittersweet, in which she writes about her experiences and her thoughts on life and its myriad facets.Hers is not a conventional autobiography, however; these are the tales of transformation of a freshly single woman moving forward on her soul’s journey. Deeply moving and inspirational!
Bittersweet is published by Carpe Diem and is available in English and Afrikaans. EAN: 9781770311367 RRP: R160 |
Kevin Woods
In November we hosted
Kevin Woods to an over-capacity crowd. Kevin's book,
The Kevin Woods Story, is a poignant and often
harrowing account of the author's twenty-year incarceration in prison in
The audience, many of whom were
former Zimbabweans, listened spellbound as Woods relayed his emotional and
traumatic journey from double-agent while he was Mugabe’s confidant in his inner
circle, to the desolation and isolation of his life as a death-row prisoner and,
finally, to his joy at reuniting with his daughters for the first time in twenty
years upon his release.
The Kevin Woods Story
was shortlisted for the Sunday Times Alan Paton award in 2008, just two years
after his release.
If you would like to book Kevin
to talk at your event please click here.
Marida Fitzpatrick
In October the Literary Café
hosted Marida Fitzpatrick, a
features journalist with the Beeld, whose second novel, Iemand vir
'n Scoop, is the first ever chic-lit novel to be written in
Afrikaans!
An absolute crowd-pleaser, Marida had the audience in stitches as she
read excerpts from her novel, which is ever-so-loosely based on her own life as
a journalist within a busy publication.
Morne Malan
In
September Morné
Malan was our first guest author at the launch of the
Literary Café.
Morné, who was awarded his doctorate in English Literature in December 2009, spoke about his novel, Suiderkruis, which won the Sanlam/Insig prize in 2007 and also spoke about the novel-writing process, giving the many aspiring authors present that evening invaluable hints and tips on how to maximise their potential in what is often a cut-throat industry.