Colleen van Niekerk
Author Interview - Colleen van Niekerk
Author of A Conspiracy of Mothers
It is apartheid South Africa in 1972. A young white surfer, Stefan, paddling at a beach near Cape Town one afternoon, ventures beyond the boundaries that segregate racial groups. He has a chance encounter with a young woman of colour, Yolanda, a visual artist. A passionate love affair blooms, but it is illegal: interracial relations between whites and other races are outlawed by the government. That single relationship leads to a series of events two decades later that unfold on the eve of South Africa’s first democratic election in April 1994. Yolanda, having lived in exile abroad since the mid-seventies returns to South Africa to find their child, a child who was born in secrecy and shame. This leads to a reckoning for all affected by that long-ago romance.
Author Interview - Colleen van Niekerk
Author I draw inspiration from: This is a tie between lots of authors: Louis de Bernières and Gabriel Garcia Marquez (for their schooling on magic realism), Salman Rushdie and Toni Morrison (for the depth and breadth of their work, and outlining what can be done with the written word), Annie Proulx (for the strong sense of place her novels relay) and Zakes Mda (for his way of approaching South African society in his novels).
Author Interview - Colleen van Niekerk | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book: On the sofa with tea.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with: Precious Ramotswe from the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith - because she would figure out how to get us out.
Author Interview - Colleen van Niekerk | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author: I don't think there was an a-ha moment, I've been writing since I was little, the stories just became longer and more complex. I remember vividly a science-fiction story I wrote when I was 13; I was convinced I'd be published by 14. It took a bit longer than that.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook: Hardback, paperback in a pinch. I'm old school, I prefer books I can touch.
The last book I read: Saving Ruby King by Catherine Adel West
Author Interview - Colleen van Niekerk | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer: Definitely pen & paper for those early wild drafts. Computer when it's time to map things out and give them form.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with: Lissie from Alice Walker's "The Temple of my Familiar" lingers in my head, but also several characters from Tom Robbins' novels who I feel I could sit at a bar with and have a drink.
Author Interview - Colleen van Niekerk | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a: Climbing guide
Favorite decade in fashion history: The sixties - for the 'anything goes' flamboyance
Place I’d most like to travel: Patagonia
My signature drink: Anything with either mezcal or tequila. Frozen margheritas are my go to.
Favorite artist: Prince. I don't listen to his music as often as I used to, but his songs always have that quality of making me feel like I'm coming home.
Number one on my bucket list: Another tie ! Trekking in Tierra del Fuego or backpacking the long distance Rim of Africa trail in South Africa
Find more from the author:
(Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/colleenauthor/
(Twitter): https://twitter.com/colleenwriter
(Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/colleenwriter/
Author Bio: Originally from Cape Town, South Africa, Colleen lives in Vancouver Canada - she likes cities by the sea with big mountains in the middle.
