OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

Friday, but not the end of the working week. I met with Catrina, Karavan Press’s literary agent, for coffee this morning, and we discussed future plans and possibilities.

Some admin, many emails, eBook formatting and a short chat with Mom and Krystian followed. In the late afternoon, it was time for the Opening Bash of the 2022 Open Book Festival!

The Fugard Theatre is no more and so much else belongs to a distant, pre-pandemic past, but – somehow, against all the odds – here we are, having another Open Book Festival. Although almost everything about it feels different this time, I am sure that it will be as thought-provoking and inspiring as always. It is simply miraculous to see it back on Cape Town’s events calendar. And I love the new venue: Bertha House. Only five minutes away from home :)

In the evening, my love and I had dinner with his family at The Hoghouse. Delicious as ever!

Beauty sleep, here I come!

Be kind. Wear a mask. Support local. Get vaccinated, please. Live.

“Physical distancing remains one of the key strategies to curb this pandemic.”

— NICD

OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

A month since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Every day, I read the reports and look at the images and I still cannot grasp how this has become reality, how millions of people have to go through hell because of the insane visions of a psychopath. It makes me realise, not for the first time, that we need to learn how to prevent these people from accessing that kind of power. We need to learn from history, we also need to learn from our personal experiences. The one will follow from the other – the connection is obvious. I am writing about it.

We launched An Island at EB Cavendish tonight. I had the pleasure of interviewing Karen at the event. A wonderful evening of celebration.

Quite a few of Karavan Press titles were on display and it was a joy to see, to know that we made these beauties happen.

I delivered the author copies of our latest – The Other Me by Joy Watson – to Joy in the afternoon. Always a magical moment.

Karavan’s next stop: Open Book Festival :)

Be kind. Wear a mask. Support local. Get vaccinated, please. Live.

“Physical distancing remains one of the key strategies to curb this pandemic.”

— NICD

OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

I might be back home, but in my head, I am walking with Felix and Thobile around Oudrif. The return home has not been easy – there is just so much happening. Nothing gigantic, but all the small tasks and responsibilities and deadlines that channel into a sense of restlessness. I saw my counsellor yesterday and that helped. Lester was in town for a workshop and we could chat briefly and have a quick bite beforehand. Also good for the soul, and in the evening, I cooked dinner for dear friends – which was absolutely wonderful. But I might have had a bit too much wine :)

One of Topolino’s warning signs came on yesterday when I was turning into the garage and I dread to find out what it means. Especially since the water in our area has been switched off yesterday without any warning and my ancient washing machine could not cope with the sudden challenge in the middle of a cycle. I wasn’t home to save it in time and now it is broken. These things always happen simultaneously. And to cope with one at a time is already difficult enough. I still haven’t managed to replace my damaged desktop computer …

New Covid-19 regulations are in place and the state of disaster should be coming to an end soon. Even though it is allowed now, I still could not walk without my mask outside yesterday. By now, I understand that the risks are minimal or non-existent in this context, but there is something about the habit of having your mask on when you are among strangers that makes me feel safe(r).

I am sorry that even with a vaccination mandate, theatres and other indoor venues cannot be filled to capacity. The arts industry is surviving on a prayer.

I wish surviving would transform into thriving …

Good literary news: I am picking up the latest Karavan Press title from the printers today. And tonight, we are celebrating Karen Jennings and her An Island at EB Cavendish. I can’t wait.

Be kind. Wear a mask. Support local. Get vaccinated, please. Live.

“Physical distancing remains one of the key strategies to curb this pandemic.”

— NICD

OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

I love it at sunrise and sunset, also at moonrise, day and night, in any weather, even in the heat; when it is dry, like last weekend, or when the flowers have just come out after the rains. Always. Apart from my own home, this is the place I always want to return to: Oudrif.

It was my love’s birthday weekend. And Oudrif was the treat, chocolate cake from The Hoghouse and all. On the way there, we found out that the loveliest of people were also coming, so our weekend could not have been more perfect than it was. Maybe a little bit cooler (but only for my love, who does not do as well as I do in the heat).

I stayed in or close to the river. The water was very muddy this time around, and a crab pinched me in the thigh (I am certain it wasn’t a fish nibbling, as I was sitting on the river’s floor, only my head sticking out at the time, and the pinch was a pinch, not a nibble), and the river lilies were in full bloom, their scent intoxicating.

Where the river bed was dry, I walked on the hot stones and my bare feet loved the heat sinking in through the soles.

And we walked in the veld, listening to Bill’s stories and ancient stones and their magnificent colours; and Felix, The Cat, walked with us this time (a first for me, and I loved it, too).

And I read at sunrise, and in a hammock near the river, and I watched the light yawn and stretch in between.

The food was delicious as always. Jeanine and Bill are the best cooks of veggies – of most things, really – I know.

The company was the best of all. Not only human …

And I saw my moon shadow and marvelled at the Earth, how it must also rise and set, all glowing and mesmerising, if one is watching from another planet.

I came home restored to myself. But now, one day into ordinary life, my cheeks are sore and my heart full of longing for the calm and wonder of Oudrif. Thank all goddesses that we will be returning next month already. With such a prospect ahead, I can face anything!

Be kind. Wear a mask. Support local. Get vaccinated, please. Live.

“Physical distancing remains one of the key strategies to curb this pandemic.”

— NICD

OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

One of those wonderful mornings when, even though there was a lot of computer work to be done, it could be done in bed, Salieri catsissting :) We got up only at lunchtime. Then the afternoon became less relaxed, but richly rewarding: meetings, deliveries, last-minute arrangements for a trip, a visit at Digital Action to pick up the printer’s proof of The Other Me by Joy Watson, and the highlight of the afternoon: showing it to Joy – she was so clearly moved, my heart burst into double delight. This moment never loses its wonder, no matter in what part of the publishing process you are involved. You work and work and work on something quite ungraspable, and then, one day, you are holding it in your hands, and it is a book. A real art object in the world. And when it has your name on the cover, it is pure magic.

I stopped running a few minutes after six and then could just sit quietly for a little while before my love returned from work and we went out to dinner. Our friends prepared a feast of note in their beautiful home, where two felines rule the house and they all have the most remarkable view of the city. I wish I could have recorded the conversation and the laughter to save for a rainy day, because I haven’t laughed so much in a long time. It was wonderful. And I had seconds and thirds and … then I lost count. The food was so delicious.

The day ended with a trip to the airport to pick up my lovely houseguest who abandoned us for a few days in favour of Joburg. I still planned to watch the Nadal / Kyrgios match, but did not last even ten minutes … Rafa won, though, so all is good. I wish I could watch his next encounter – with the super-exciting newcomer Carlos Alcaraz Garfia – but that will also not be possible, because …

… it is my love’s birthday weekend and we are heading to Oudrif. Oudrif. Oudrif! :)

Be kind. Wear a mask. Support local. Get vaccinated, please. Live.

“Physical distancing remains one of the key strategies to curb this pandemic.”

— NICD

OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

Autumn is in the air – unmistakable and wonderful, my favourite time of the year. And this morning was so gorgeous that I decided to walk to my appointment with my counsellor, and my love accompanied me and then walked back home. It is always good to see my counsellor, and then walking back myself, I reflected on what we’d spoken about and felt hopeful for the future (despite everything that is going on).

A day of mostly work and household duties – some maintenance that has been waiting for a looooong time. I also had a good meeting with a writer, who brought fresh garlic from his garden, and then a lovely drink with my temporary neighbour (a dear friend is housesitting in my street). Dinner with my love.

Still no side-effects, so I think I am boosted and in the clear. A great feeling!

State of disaster has been extended, as has our lockdown, the oldest in the world. Soon it will be two years that I have been writing this diary. I cannot believe how much has happened in this time. No wonder that most of us feel permanently dazed.

Be kind. Wear a mask. Support local. Get vaccinated, please. Live.

“Physical distancing remains one of the key strategies to curb this pandemic.”

— NICD

OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

Has the state of disaster been extended? Are we still in lockdown? I think we are, at least judging from the Covid-19 protocols at the Baxter tonight, but I am not sure. I need to catch up on today’s news. Apart from a Zoom meeting with a future Karavan Press poet and a coffee with an amazing woman at the Vineyard, I spent the day trying to deal with my inbox and the admin backlog. I am almost up-to-date. Almost …

Got my Open Book Festival tickets today! :)

Apart from a sore arm, no side-effects after the booster. None! I just feel that I am safer from contracting a severe case of Covid-19 than ever before, and it feels great!

In the evening, we watched Lara Foot’s adaptation of J.M. Coetzee’s The Life and Times of Michael K. I found the puppets, the dance elements, the sound and light, the background cinematography and the set mesmerising, but I did wonder about the narrative bits performed by a few of the actors in-between and was not entirely convinced that they worked for me. I couldn’t help wondering whether the scene-linking content could have been somehow incorporated into dialogue and film. Still, this is my second-favourite Coetzee story (after Waiting for the Barbarians) and it was wonderful to return to it in this form. And to be in a theatre! Ah, always a treat!

Now: bed.

Good night.

Be kind. Wear a mask. Support local. Get vaccinated, please. Live.

“Physical distancing remains one of the key strategies to curb this pandemic.”

— NICD

OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

To say that the week after our return home had been busy would be a bit of an understatement. Despite an overwhelming inbox (still not sorted), impossible deadlines, loadshedding, a book that needed to be sent to the printers and a funding application, I somehow managed to survive.

On Saturday, I even managed to finish reading a book, visit a dear friend for lunch and enjoy the magnificent ‘Meditative Guided Evening with Site-specific Readings, Dance and Music’ at the Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden (a marvel in itself). Kirstin Wilson, John Maytham, Walter van Dyk and Anthony Marwood performed in the garden and it was soul-restoring, all the arts – nature, landscaping, sculpture, dance, literature and music – coming together to enchant the audience. Simply wonderful!

Sunday was household day: I continued with the excavations and cleaned parts of the house that needed it urgently. I am now sharing my home with two people (my lovely house guest and my love) until the end of March/beginning of April, so we need to keep some order to make sure that everyone is comfortable and happy. In the evening, I braaied for my love and a friend.

Today, I continued with the writing. Our writing group has multiplied. We started with two and now we are four. It’s fantastic. My manuscript is growing and every week I feel more and more confident about it, although it is not without its challenges – the ancient question of whose story is it and which parts of it am I allowed to tell … I don’t have answers, but I have enough experience to know what to do in order to safeguard myself against the pitfalls of writing such a story. I hope.

I was allowed my booster after the 23rd of February, when we were already travelling, so I could only attend to it after our return, i.e. today effectively, because last week had been insanely packed with commitments of all sorts. But this afternoon, I went to a pharmacy nearby and they were great about the whole thing. Did not see the needle, nor feel any pain, and now, a few hours afterwards, I feel perfectly normal. No side-effects whatsoever. Yet? Let’s see.

I am happy to be home. Super-happy to have had the booster shot of Pfizer.

Be kind. Wear a mask. Support local. Get vaccinated, please. Live.

“Physical distancing remains one of the key strategies to curb this pandemic.”

— NICD

OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

There is not enough of me. A week of coming and going. I have been trying to squeeze the work of three weeks into one (not very successfully) in order to co-organise a trip of a lifetime (much more successfully). And while this was all going on, important visitors kept arriving in South Africa and there was no way I was going to miss seeing them while they were here. I have a Lovely Houseguest and it is wonderful to share my home with her. And I have reconnected with dear Norwegian friends who used to be regulars in the Cape, but have been prevented from coming for over two years (you know why). Now, they are here, and their beautiful daughter, who was born in Cape Town and whom I first held in my arms when she was six hours old, is now as tall as I am and simply wonderful. It was amazing to see them. Writing has continued and by tomorrow I will have a quarter of a first draft of my next book ready – if I continue at this pace, there will be a book by the end of the year. Easily! Finally! We had a Karavan Press book launch, some great reviews, a new Karavan Press title is nearly ready for printing, and another Karavan Press author finished her next novel. Other work has been done. I am packed and ready for my PCR test. On Wednesday, I will be having dinner with the three most important people in my life: Mom, Krystian and My Love. And that’s enough for me. Guess who is the Happiest Woman In The Universe?

Be kind. Wear a mask. Support local. Get vaccinated, please. Live.

“Physical distancing remains one of the key strategies to curb this pandemic.”

— NICD

OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

Elgin Valley, my happy place. We spent the weekend in Elgin, indulging in the beauty of the valley, where the grapes and apples and pears are ripening at a different speed to other parts of the Cape because of the cooler climate of the area. Time feels different in the valley for people, too. It slows down. Everything is calmer and better when we are there. It’s the place and the locals, a closely-knit community that always makes us feel welcome. We stayed in one of the cosy Cheverells Farm cottages and dined nearly exclusively at the newly established Cheverells Farm Shed, the home of the Country Café & Gift Shop, a Wellness Studio and a gorgeous Glass Greenhouse nursery, which made me wish for green fingers.

We attended a food and wine pairing at the Shed on Friday evening. Everything was so tempting and delicious that I overindulged in white wine and paid the price the following morning. I have always known that I need to be careful with white wine and the evening reminded me exactly why (but it was all worth the next-day-suffering).

The Shed is one of the places in the area where you can buy Lester Walbrugh’s bread. It is absolutely delicious and I brought two of them home for myself and bought one for my lovely neighbours.

The Baker of Grabouw

On Saturday morning, Lester and I watched the film he co-produced and starred in, 2 Thirds of a Man. It is the coming-of-age story of Justin, a talented but guarded teenager who leaves his home in Beaufort West and returns to Cape Town where he was born to navigate the challenges of being a first-year student at Rocklands University. He moves in with his mom’s brother and meets G and Bronwyn who both change his life in remarkable ways. Together they explore the ups and downs of friendship, what it means to trust and to love someone.

I was moved by how a story that has been told many times became unique by confronting and escaping the pitfalls of stereotypes throughout the film. The mundane became special, the ordinary worth telling, and all of it was filled with a gentleness and tenderness that touched me.

The music – all original – was stunning. Towards the end, Justin goes on stage and sings – it is a powerful sequence and Mario Ogle shines in his role here. It felt as if the actor and the character were simultaneously coming into their own in that moment.

Already recognised with several nominations and awards at film festivals around the world, I hope this film will eventually reach wide audiences in South Africa and abroad.

No visit to the Elgin Valley can go without a stop – or a few stops – at Liberty Books. On Saturday evening, the bookshop hosted another remarkable event: John Maytham performing Finuala Dowling’s script, ‘Valentine’, an early Valentine’s Day treat that had us thinking about love in its many manifestations, tearing up and laughing, and going home feeling nourished by Finuala’s and John’s love of words.

On Sunday, my love and I returned to Cape Town to have lunch with dear friends at Blanko. Even though, I have been to the other restaurants at the Alphen Hotel many times, this was my first visit at Blanko and I cannot wait to return. Beautiful food, great service and the outside tables under the trees perfect for a summer’s day afternoon. We were celebrating a birthday and had the loveliest of times.

Be kind. Wear a mask. Support local. Get vaccinated, please. Live.

“Physical distancing remains one of the key strategies to curb this pandemic.”

— NICD