FeedKZN Literary Tourism Year-End Party Sees the Launch of Chant of the Doves
The laid-back sounds of Vusi Mkhize’s guitar as he played traditional maskhanda music were an appropriately cool backdrop for the KZN Literary Tourism end-of-year party, held on a humid Friday evening last week at the Phansi Museum in Durban.
This museum, a double-storied Victorian house in Glenwood (one of the few domestic national historic monuments in the city), is home to valuable Southern African traditional artefacts.
Quaffing wine, courtesy of Leopard’s Leap, and nibbling on samoosas, Durban literati gathered on the spacious verandah to listen to Professor Lindy Stiebel, Project Leader of KZN Literary Tourism, who told us that the site gets 5 000 hits a month, and that it comes up first or second when one Googles the term “Literary Tourism”, no mean feat!
She thanked Niall McNulty, who helps run the project, and also Shiny Bright, an accredited guide, who helps particularly with a new KZN Literary Tourism venture, Literary Trails.
There are three trails so far. Firstly, the Cato Manor Writers Trail, which offers perspectives on the historic and cultural township of Cato Manor, situated about ten kilometres from Durban – following the footsteps of such literary luminaries as Lewis Nkosi and Ronnie Govender.
Other writers featured on the trail include Gladman Ngubo, Mi Hlatshwayo, Kenneth Benghu, Kessie Govender and Lauretta Ngcobo.
Secondly, the Rider Haggard Literary Trail, which offers a tour of KwaZulu-Natal, tracing the movements of Henry Rider Haggard, author of King Solomon’s Mines and She, amongst others. Lastly, the Alan Paton Literary Trail offers a literary tour of Alan Paton’s Pietermaritzburg.
After Stiebel’s speech, Sakhelene Ndimade, from the Durban Metro, took over, speaking of the importance of packaging the Cato Manor literary trail effectively. He emphasised the need to engage local community structures in order to protect tourists from crime.
After this, it was time to launch a new book, Chant of the Doves, poetry by Stephen Coan, Features Editor at The Witness. Established poet, Kobus Moolman, who edited Coan’s book, introduced him, saying the book (a cycle of poems inspired by his time meditating and teaching at the Buddhist Retreat Centre in Ixopo), was about reclaiming quietness.
Moolman described the poems, based on the Chinese poetic form, Haiku, as encompassing “moments of reflection shot through with tremendous delicate humour”. Stephen explained that his poems are connected by a sense of place, expressing a debt of gratitude to Louis van Loon, the founder of the Centre. He read from his book:
the hills, full-breasted after spring rains
‘how do you paint that green?’ he said.
how to write it?
Photo Gallery
Text and photos by Sarah Frost
Book Details
- Chant of the Doves by Stephen Coan
EAN: 9781920082031Note: Chant of the Doves is currently on sale at the Buddhist Retreat Centre, Ixopo, and in Pietermaritzburg at the Tatham Art Gallery and the Midlands Arts and Craft Centre. You can also purchase a copy at R70.00 each (inclusive of postage and packing) by sending a cheque to Stephen Coan, P O Box 21560, Mayor’s Walk, Pietermaritzburg, 3208. If you want any further information e-mail him at feature1@witness.co.za.
Aug
Please register or log in to comment