1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,040 Speaker 1: All right, We're going to move away from AI for 2 00:00:02,160 --> 00:00:04,960 Speaker 1: now and go back to good old fashioned reading and 3 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:07,840 Speaker 1: hopefully reading books that smell and taste and feel like 4 00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:10,040 Speaker 1: a book in your hand. Some of it might be 5 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:13,920 Speaker 1: on a kendle. But AI is not yet replacing the 6 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:16,480 Speaker 1: masterpieces we love to read. I know it can generate 7 00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:19,119 Speaker 1: entire books if you will prompt it to But Daryl, David, 8 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:20,920 Speaker 1: I'm sure is going to agree that there is nothing 9 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:23,480 Speaker 1: yet to replace the skill of an author who has 10 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:25,880 Speaker 1: put time and care and thought into the creation of 11 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 1: their masterpiece. Darryl is one of the organizers of this 12 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:32,520 Speaker 1: week's Books on the Bay Literary Festival taking place in Simonstown, 13 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 1: the fourth edition of that event, and it's always a 14 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:37,360 Speaker 1: pleasure to catch up with you, Daryl and find out 15 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:39,479 Speaker 1: who is talking about what. Nice to have you back 16 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:39,920 Speaker 1: on the show. 17 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:43,160 Speaker 2: Hi, Papa, thank you so much for having us back 18 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:46,239 Speaker 2: on the show. Always good to talk books with you. 19 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 1: Thank you. Before we talk about the books and the 20 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 1: authors of this event, let me ask you, Daryl, are 21 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:53,720 Speaker 1: there any AI authors taking part in the Books on 22 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 1: the Bay event, or are any of the panels talking 23 00:00:56,280 --> 00:00:58,400 Speaker 1: about the issue of AI and creativity. 24 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:07,000 Speaker 2: One of the organizers was pushing for AI. I think 25 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:10,200 Speaker 2: as an academic, we're quite tired of the arguments, and 26 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 2: so we outvoted her. And you know, I don't really 27 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:23,280 Speaker 2: bother myself too much with debates around AI. I think 28 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:26,160 Speaker 2: ten years ago they said that books as we know 29 00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:28,880 Speaker 2: it would be dead, and I stood up and I said, 30 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:31,840 Speaker 2: it will never happen. And true enough, books have made 31 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 2: an even stronger comeback, and hearing the last conversation before 32 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 2: I joined, I'm convinced that the world will go back 33 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:41,440 Speaker 2: to being how it was. 34 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:45,199 Speaker 1: Thank you for that, Darryl, And I'm absolutely one hundred 35 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:47,360 Speaker 1: percent with you. I don't think anything is ever going 36 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:50,600 Speaker 1: to replace the role of a good book to escape 37 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 1: into or to make you think about something from a 38 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:56,600 Speaker 1: different perspective. So I'm here here to that. Now, let's 39 00:01:56,640 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 1: talk about the actual authors who are there in person 40 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 1: this weekend. I believe you've got me thirty of them 41 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 1: taking part this year, and let's talk a little bit 42 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:08,040 Speaker 1: firstly about how you populate the festival and the talking points, 43 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:10,360 Speaker 1: because I mean the discussions will range from everything about 44 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 1: traveling South Africa with your dogs as you are going 45 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:17,799 Speaker 1: to do two very deep political conversations to talks about mortality, 46 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 1: which is so topical right now in the light of 47 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 1: Infantemenity's death so much and such diverse topics. Do you 48 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:25,639 Speaker 1: say to an author, we want you to be part 49 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:27,880 Speaker 1: of the festival, tell us what you want to talk about. 50 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:29,160 Speaker 1: How does it work or is it the other way 51 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:31,720 Speaker 1: around that you say, we want a conversation on X, 52 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 1: and we think this author is the best person to 53 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:34,000 Speaker 1: host it. 54 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:40,880 Speaker 2: Well, you know, we're not very a topic driven. I 55 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:44,040 Speaker 2: think that we sort of book driven. We we know 56 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:48,919 Speaker 2: what we like in our books, and so we tend 57 00:02:48,480 --> 00:02:53,680 Speaker 2: to go for the books that we think are pretty unique. Naturally, 58 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:57,880 Speaker 2: you cannot be fully unique in an environment such as 59 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:01,080 Speaker 2: South Africa's with so many book festivals. But I do 60 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 2: think that, you know, the kind of authors that we 61 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:08,400 Speaker 2: do have on the program is a vast array on 62 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 2: varying topics, and we think that we've got something for everyone. 63 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:18,919 Speaker 2: And definitely no AI involved. It's just three old, quite 64 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:23,840 Speaker 2: old minds putting our brains together and each one arm 65 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:27,520 Speaker 2: wrestling the other to see whose author makes it onto 66 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:29,400 Speaker 2: the program. It's as simple as that. 67 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:33,359 Speaker 1: Okay, it's very, as I said, very varied program and 68 00:03:33,639 --> 00:03:36,440 Speaker 1: I mean the authors, many of them have been on 69 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:38,720 Speaker 1: the show talking about these books, so I can vouch 70 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 1: for the fact that it is incredibly diverse in terms 71 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:43,680 Speaker 1: of the kind of ground that is going to be covered. 72 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:45,960 Speaker 1: And I always hate picking out sort of one or 73 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 1: two because I know it's so unfair to a very 74 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:52,440 Speaker 1: diverse and rich list of nearly thirty different contributors. But 75 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:55,800 Speaker 1: having said that, Daryl, maybe you could tell us which 76 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:58,120 Speaker 1: of the panels have already sold out, or if there 77 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 1: are any particular authors where they are to available that 78 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:01,840 Speaker 1: you'd like to give a bit of a pun and 79 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 1: let people know about the fact that they're going to 80 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:04,960 Speaker 1: be there. 81 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:08,920 Speaker 2: Well, I do think that you know because most of 82 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 2: our sessions are in the churches. I think churches were 83 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:16,160 Speaker 2: built at a time in Simon's Town when congregations were large, 84 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:19,080 Speaker 2: and so I think that we've got quite a bit 85 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 2: of place still left. But I did hear that Peter 86 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:27,279 Speaker 2: Godwin h is close to being sold out, the Judge 87 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:31,920 Speaker 2: Edwin Cameron is close to being sold out. But I 88 00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:36,560 Speaker 2: think that there's enough place still for people uh to 89 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:39,800 Speaker 2: make to make their way to Simon's Town and Books 90 00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:42,680 Speaker 2: on the Bay, and and and you know you were 91 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:47,160 Speaker 2: talking about, you know what, what books you know are 92 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:49,960 Speaker 2: on the program and can I pick many out? And 93 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:53,760 Speaker 2: I thought to make it easier for the audience, I 94 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:57,160 Speaker 2: sort of grouped it and and I was quite shocked 95 00:04:57,160 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 2: that memoirs came out quite tie on the list of books. 96 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:06,840 Speaker 2: So we've got Peppina Commander talking about the Smallest Ones, 97 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:12,760 Speaker 2: her horrendous journey from Democratic Republic of Congo to South Africa. 98 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:18,160 Speaker 2: Graham Lucy with this beautiful book building a house in 99 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:21,560 Speaker 2: the mountain. It sounds like such a simple idea, but 100 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:26,520 Speaker 2: so beautifully written. My book, which is sort of the 101 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:30,599 Speaker 2: first in South Africa, a memoir of traveling with dogs. 102 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:33,200 Speaker 2: And you know, I'm not talking about having a Bucky 103 00:05:33,279 --> 00:05:35,479 Speaker 2: and putting a dog in the back. I'm talking a 104 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:40,680 Speaker 2: normal car to Saint Bernard's. I think, I think it's 105 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:43,760 Speaker 2: it's an extraordinary life, and I think a book needed 106 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:49,200 Speaker 2: to be written about it. Someone like Paul Weinberg, who 107 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:54,560 Speaker 2: has come out with a retrospective of his career as 108 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:59,080 Speaker 2: one of the foremost journalists in South Africa. Anwar McKay 109 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:04,680 Speaker 2: talking about you know, being invisible, feeling invisible as a 110 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:10,040 Speaker 2: young boy growing up, you know, with the sexual identity 111 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:13,919 Speaker 2: of being gay and the trauma that comes with that 112 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 2: as well. So there's a lot on the memoir side. 113 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:20,320 Speaker 2: And then the other main theme that seemed to be 114 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:23,800 Speaker 2: coming out is architecture. And I think what bit a 115 00:06:23,880 --> 00:06:27,680 Speaker 2: place to talk about architecture than in Simon's Stout. And 116 00:06:27,839 --> 00:06:30,719 Speaker 2: you know I did mention Graham Lucy about building a 117 00:06:30,760 --> 00:06:34,760 Speaker 2: real house in the mountains. Dylan Lewis and his sculpture garden. 118 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:38,440 Speaker 2: I think, you know it's well known Dylan Lewis as 119 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:42,280 Speaker 2: the sculptor, but I think the surprise package is none 120 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:46,479 Speaker 2: other than the book person herself, Michelle Magwood, who has 121 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:50,880 Speaker 2: shown herself to be a lover of gardens and architecture. 122 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:53,720 Speaker 2: She's come out with a book on Brahman Hills in 123 00:06:53,760 --> 00:06:56,479 Speaker 2: my part of the world in Nottingham Road, and I 124 00:06:56,560 --> 00:07:01,240 Speaker 2: must say, if you haven't seen that book, and if 125 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:04,400 Speaker 2: you haven't visited the place, it is a place of 126 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:08,680 Speaker 2: immense beauty. I can't believe that the case it in 127 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:16,880 Speaker 2: Midlands has you know, a destination as profound as this 128 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:20,280 Speaker 2: one to win. I think it was the best garden 129 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:23,679 Speaker 2: in the world. It tells you, it tells you something 130 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:27,240 Speaker 2: you know and so those are sort of two of 131 00:07:26,640 --> 00:07:31,920 Speaker 2: the major teams that emerge from the festival. And of 132 00:07:31,960 --> 00:07:34,760 Speaker 2: course I forgot about my Coat. You know what an 133 00:07:34,880 --> 00:07:40,440 Speaker 2: unbelievable book about is Life and Legacy as a jewelry maker. 134 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:44,080 Speaker 2: Now you know, I've done book festivals for nearly twenty years, 135 00:07:44,320 --> 00:07:46,280 Speaker 2: and I can tell you I've never seen a book 136 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:51,640 Speaker 2: on a subject like this, So you know, I think 137 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:57,200 Speaker 2: there's enough for people of all persuasions to be excited 138 00:07:57,640 --> 00:07:58,880 Speaker 2: about the program. 139 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:02,120 Speaker 1: And the program can be found on the website books 140 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:04,680 Speaker 1: on theebay, dot co dot sid. Hey, Darryl, you've kept 141 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:07,760 Speaker 1: the tickets that are very accessible eighty rand ahead on 142 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 1: web tickets. Booking is advised. As you've said their church venues. 143 00:08:12,200 --> 00:08:14,560 Speaker 1: They are generally nice and spacious with room for lots 144 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:16,960 Speaker 1: of people, but having listened to what you've just said 145 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:20,080 Speaker 1: about some of them already being close to sell out again, 146 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:22,840 Speaker 1: my advice to listeners is please rather book in advance 147 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:25,440 Speaker 1: and don't be disappointed. Make sure you get the opportunity 148 00:08:25,800 --> 00:08:28,960 Speaker 1: to hear your favorite writer at chatting. Also, just to 149 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:31,239 Speaker 1: mention for the fact that I know there is wonderful 150 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:33,839 Speaker 1: work happening in parallel with the books on the Bay event, 151 00:08:34,120 --> 00:08:36,800 Speaker 1: you've got a children's literature festival happening where you're taking 152 00:08:36,800 --> 00:08:38,600 Speaker 1: some of these writers into the local schools. 153 00:08:39,880 --> 00:08:44,920 Speaker 2: Yes, And you know, the remarkable thing is, you know 154 00:08:44,960 --> 00:08:49,480 Speaker 2: what people don't realize about this festival is it is 155 00:08:49,840 --> 00:08:55,280 Speaker 2: such a wonderful festival to organize because you discover that literally, 156 00:08:56,640 --> 00:09:01,280 Speaker 2: you know, most of the creative names associated with South 157 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:04,560 Speaker 2: African literature, they live in these parts of the world. 158 00:09:04,559 --> 00:09:07,480 Speaker 2: You don't see them, but they hear and and when 159 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:11,240 Speaker 2: we decided, you know, to do children's authors, it was 160 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:16,000 Speaker 2: absolutely amazing that we literally within the space of a day, 161 00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:20,760 Speaker 2: we found five children's books authors around here. And we've 162 00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:24,440 Speaker 2: always wanted to go to schools, you know, we in 163 00:09:24,520 --> 00:09:28,240 Speaker 2: the past, we've we've donated books, but but I felt that, 164 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:31,120 Speaker 2: you know, the greater impact is to be had by 165 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:34,880 Speaker 2: going to schools. And so we're going to to Masipumalaya 166 00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:40,000 Speaker 2: and in Simon's town itself, and we're going actually to 167 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:44,439 Speaker 2: a school that Vince Vanderbail, who's on the program, is 168 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:51,760 Speaker 2: intimately involved in uh in promoting cricket amongst disadvantage disadvantaged youth. 169 00:09:52,360 --> 00:09:56,439 Speaker 2: So it's all coming together and and and you know day, 170 00:09:56,520 --> 00:10:00,840 Speaker 2: I not forget that the famous Fred Komalo is going 171 00:10:00,880 --> 00:10:03,640 Speaker 2: to open the festival. And you know, for people who 172 00:10:03,640 --> 00:10:06,559 Speaker 2: don't know Fred Kumalo, he's one of the great characters 173 00:10:06,920 --> 00:10:10,440 Speaker 2: in South African literature. When he launched his last book, 174 00:10:10,480 --> 00:10:16,400 Speaker 2: The Longest March, he literally ran or walked from Johannesburg 175 00:10:16,880 --> 00:10:21,480 Speaker 2: all the way to case it In. Now, in my mind, 176 00:10:21,559 --> 00:10:24,679 Speaker 2: that is the greatest book launch that I've ever seen. 177 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:27,360 Speaker 2: And you know, I missed a trick. I should have 178 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:30,520 Speaker 2: got him to swim from maybe Pringle Bay across the 179 00:10:30,559 --> 00:10:34,599 Speaker 2: bay and come out in his speedo and just be 180 00:10:34,760 --> 00:10:37,560 Speaker 2: here in time for Friday nine o'clock. But he's going 181 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:41,080 Speaker 2: to be speaking on his book Dancing the Death Straw, 182 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:44,440 Speaker 2: which was on the s S. Mandy. Yes, And you know, 183 00:10:44,520 --> 00:10:48,040 Speaker 2: for people who don't know Simon's town, even our naval background, 184 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:51,880 Speaker 2: there's a monument to the S S. Mandy in Jubilee 185 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:54,120 Speaker 2: Square and that's one of the places that I'll take 186 00:10:54,160 --> 00:10:57,080 Speaker 2: Fred to as soon as he's finished his talk, because 187 00:10:57,440 --> 00:10:59,920 Speaker 2: we've got to get a photograph of the man himself 188 00:11:00,920 --> 00:11:03,320 Speaker 2: who brought this book to life. 189 00:11:03,559 --> 00:11:05,559 Speaker 1: We have to leave it there. Darryl David, It always 190 00:11:05,559 --> 00:11:08,120 Speaker 1: a pleasure to chat to you and excited to know 191 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:10,920 Speaker 1: that the festival is back, bigger and better than ever. 192 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:14,600 Speaker 1: It's this coming weekend in Simon's town, kicking off on 193 00:11:14,679 --> 00:11:17,640 Speaker 1: Friday already, and the website to visit for information on 194 00:11:17,679 --> 00:11:20,120 Speaker 1: the program and who is speaking, where and when is 195 00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:24,080 Speaker 1: Books Onthebay dot co dotzed. Your booking platform is web 196 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:27,600 Speaker 1: tickets and the pricing a very reasonable eight rand per session, 197 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:30,920 Speaker 1: but starting point being at www dot Books on the 198 00:11:30,960 --> 00:11:32,080 Speaker 1: Bay dot co dotze. 199 00:11:32,280 --> 00:11:32,400 Speaker 2: Oh. 200 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:34,760 Speaker 1: Thanks and good wishes to one of the co organizers, 201 00:11:34,960 --> 00:11:35,600 Speaker 1: Darryl David