Marita van der Vyver holds a Master’s degree in journalism from the University of Stellenbosch. She published three novels for adolescents before her first adult novel, Griet Skryf ‘n Sprokie, became a best-seller, winning the M-Net, Eugene Marais and ATKV prizes in 1992. She has produced nine novels, starting with Griet Skryf ’n Sprokie, a collection of humorous essays, a collection of short stories, two picture books for young children and numerous stories included in anthologies. Summer Food in Provence(Tafelberg) is a food book filled with pictures, culinary stories, recipes and ideas, a medley of imagination, gastronomic treats and common sense. Her travels are reflected in her books, for instance research in Portugal and Provence.Her latest novel is Forget-me-not Blues(Tafelberg).
I’ve just finished reading Patti Smith’s memoir, Just Kids, an entertaining and moving account of the couple she formed with Robert Mapplethorpe in the bohemian New York of the early ’70s.
The famous Chelsea Hotel, Andy Warhol’s crowd, Lou Reed, everybody and everything is in there.
This must have put me in a rock ’n’ roll frame of mind, because now I’ve started Keith Richard’s Life, which quite a few friends have been recommending.
But one of the best books I’ve read this year, in a completely different vein, is Jose Saramago’s The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis, about the ghost of the great Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa roaming the streets of Lisbon.
I actually read it while I was visiting Lisbon to do research for my latest novel, which also has a Portuguese angle, and found it better than any official guide book to help me understand the soul of the Portuguese capital.