The historic port of Simon's Town, not far from the south-westerly-most point of the African continent, is soon to host its inaugural Literary Festival named Books on the Bay. It's an accolade that is long overdue because it turns out that there are many authors who have called Simon's Town home.
With a heritage that stretches from Dutch sailing ships to British warships to South African corvettes, Simon's Town has provided rich pickings for those of us who have chosen to set books in this enchanting spot. My second novel, The Girl from Simon's Bay, took place against the backdrop of World War 2 and the later events that defined the town.
Simon's Town started out as a winter anchorage for sailing ships at risk of being driven onshore by fierce north winds in Table Bay, present-day Cape Town. From those early beginnings, a strategically important naval base developed - the home of the Royal Navy's South Atlantic fleet for well over a century - and now the home of the SA Navy.
I have the honour of being first up in the program starting on Friday 10th March. I will be in discussion with broadcaster Nancy Richards about my novel, in the charming setting of the Dockyard Chapel on the shore of Simon's Bay. Here is the link if you'd like to look at the program and potentially buy tickets. There will also be tickets for sale on the door as well. https://booksonthebay.simonstown.com/
Peninsulas can be tricky, so if you're not sure about the geography of this part of the world, here's a hint from one of my characters, the indefatigable Solly in the book...
Keep going south, Solly would bellow, and say hello to Antarctica!
No comments:
Post a Comment