The Hidden Lives of Writers

Zakes Mda is one of South Africa's best known and most awarded writers. He is a novelist, playwright, short story writer, and painter. A Professor Emeritus of English at Ohio University, Zakes now lives and works in Johannesburg.

He joins Fiona Snyckers and Gail Schimmel to talk about how his earliest inspirations were Casper the Friendly Ghost and Xhosa mythology.

He explains why he often uses the first person plural as a narrative voice and why he is currently digging into the archives of Durban's iconic rickshaws.

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Nadia Davids is an award-winning playwright, novelist, and short story writer. She won the Caine Prize in 2024 for her short story 'Bridling'. Her latest novel CAPE FEVER has been released to great acclaim, published by Simon & Schuster.

Nadia joins Fiona Snyckers and Gail Schimmel to talk about how postcolonial fiction does not have to be bleak or hopeless and why she chose the Gothic form for her most recent novel.

She talks about the special relationship she has always had with Cape Town and why CAPE FEVER could not have been set anywhere else.

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Fiona and Gail would love to hear from you. Please join the conversation here:

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Instagram: @thehiddenlivesofwriterspod

Twitter: @hiddenwriterpod

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Threads: @thehiddenlivesofwriters

Facebook discussion group: The Hidden Lives of Writers Follow us on Instagram · Chat with us on Twitter · Join our Facebook group · Subscribe to us on YouTube · Join our newsletter · Ask your writing-related questions here

Damon Galgut is one of South Africa's most distinguished writers. He won the Booker Prize in 2021 for The Promise, which was his third novel to be shortlisted for the award.

Damon joins Fiona Snyckers and Gail Schimmel to talk about how writing seems to become more difficult as the years go by, and how strenuously he wrestles with a first draft.

He tells us that plot has become increasingly less important to him and that he chooses not to repeat the same themes and techniques in his writing.

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Fiona and Gail would love to hear from you. Please join the conversation here:

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Facebook discussion group: The Hidden Lives of Writers Follow us on Instagram · Chat with us on Twitter · Join our Facebook group · Subscribe to us on YouTube · Join our newsletter · Ask your writing-related questions here

Marguerite Poland is one of South Africa's most decorated authors, having won the Percy Fitzpatrick Award numerous times, as well as the Order of Ikamang for lifetime achievement. Her career spans many decades and includes books for children, works of non-fiction, and several critically acclaimed novels for adults.

Marguerite joins Fiona Snyckers and Gail Schimmel to talk about her earliest love for storytelling and what she would say now to a young mother who wants to write while struggling with the challenges of domestic life.

For more details about the books, movies, series, and podcasts that are discussed on the show, sign up here for our weekly newsletter:

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Fiona and Gail would love to hear from you. Please join the conversation here:

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @thehiddenlivesofwriterspod

Twitter: @hiddenwriterpod

YouTube: The Hidden Lives of Writers

Threads: @thehiddenlivesofwriters

Facebook discussion group: The Hidden Lives of Writers Follow us on Instagram · Chat with us on Twitter · Join our Facebook group · Subscribe to us on YouTube · Join our newsletter · Ask your writing-related questions here

David Cornwell is the author of the critically acclaimed novel HELL OF A COUNTRY, which has been making waves since its release date.

David joins Fiona Snyckers and Gail Schimmel to talk about the challenges of writing a fictional reimagining of real-life events and how he made his creative choices.

We also discuss his first novel LIKE IT MATTERS and the literary antecedents behind it.

For more details about the books, movies, series, and podcasts that are discussed on the show, sign up here for our weekly newsletter:

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Ask your writing-related questions here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc8i1_vFmUwsd7E_nvPgQOtqEscvZIircT0imdHm_qYJK5eXA/viewform

Fiona and Gail would love to hear from you. Please join the conversation here:

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @thehiddenlivesofwriterspod

Twitter: @hiddenwriterpod

YouTube: The Hidden Lives of Writers

Threads: @thehiddenlivesofwriters

Facebook discussion group: The Hidden Lives of Writers Follow us on Instagram · Chat with us on Twitter · Join our Facebook group · Subscribe to us on YouTube · Join our newsletter · Ask your writing-related questions here