Karina M Szczurek has written a moving essay in which she reflects on the experience of having her late husband André Brink‘s love letters to Ingrid Jonker published and scrutinised by the entire world.

These intimate writings have now been published in Afrikaans (Vlam in die sneeu: Die liefdesbriewe van André P Brink en Ingrid Jonker) and English (Flame in the Snow: The Love Letters of André Brink and Ingrid Jonker), translated by Leon de Kock and Karin Schimke, and edited by Francis Galloway.

In the piece, titled “The heart has spaces”, Szczurek shares more about her marriage to Brink and her knowing, from the start, of the “life-defining relationship of his youth with Ingrid Jonker”.

“Coming to live with André in the South African spring of 2005, I very quickly realised that in order to know him – truly know him – I had to understand what had happened between him and Ingrid 40 years earlier. We both had to. No other woman in André’s life had left as indelible a mark on him as Ingrid. No other haunted me as much in the beginning of our relationship,” the Invisible Others author writes.

Remembering the time she first read the love letters – which happened during their engagement, two years after she met Brink while he was working on the translation of Jonker’s poems for Black Butterflies – Szczurek writes: “The title for the collection followed from a suggestion I’d made. Being included felt like a form of exorcism.”

Read the article for more about the enormous literary project that is Flame in the Snow and how Szczurek, the last woman to love Brink, was involved in his famous love affair with Jonker:

In the beginning there were the women of his past, a ghost among them. André Brink had never been afraid to love. After the life-defining relationship of his youth with Ingrid Jonker, her suicide, and four divorces, at the age of 69 he had the guts to say yes to a delicate possibility.

When we met in Austria towards the end of 2004 I was terribly young, on the verge of a divorce, broken by betrayals, and almost paralysed by mistrust. Continents and cultures apart, 42 years between us, the odds staked against us could not have been higher. Yet we somehow mustered enough courage to dare the impossible and turn it into reality. For ten years, the first thing we did every morning after waking up next to each other was to smile. No matter what. Of course it hadn’t been easy. Nothing worthwhile ever is. And coming to terms with our respective pasts was our greatest challenge.

• Complete article: LitNet

Related links:

• Karin Schimke Talks About Translating Ingrid Jonker’s Love Letters for Flame in the Snow

• Watch a Moving Interview with Andre Brink and Ingrid Jonker’s Loved Ones, Talking About Flame in the Snow

• Ingrid Jonker – die mite, die mens: Elkarien Fourie besin oor die bekende digter

• Lees uittreksels uit Vlam in die sneeu, André P Brink en Ingrid Jonker se versamelde liefdesbriewe

• Die hartstog van André P Brink en Ingrid Jonker – “Dit is aangrypende leesstof”

• Andre Brink and Ingrid Jonker’s Love Letters to be Published in November

Book details

• Flame in the Snow: The Love Letters of André Brink and Ingrid Jonker translated by Leon de Kock and Karin Schimke, edited by Francis Galloway
  Book homepage
  EAN: 9781415208786
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• Vlam in die sneeu: Die liefdesbriewe van André P Brink en Ingrid Jonker edited by Francis Galloway
  Book homepage
  EAN: 9781415208816
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

 
In November verskyn ‘n baie belangrike stuk Afrikaanse literêre geskiedenis by Umuzi:

Die briewe wat die ontslape skrywer André P Brink en die digter Ingrid Jonker aan mekaar geskryf het toe hulle in die vroeë sestigerjare ’n liefdesverhouding gehad het.

Met Vlam in die sneeu, en Flame in the Snow in Engels, kry lesers ‘n intieme blik op een van die mees bekende en onstuimige liefdesverhoudings in die Suid-Afrikaanse skrywersgeskiedenis. Die briewe onthul nie net hul troetelname en die dinge waaroor hul gedroom en gestry het nie, maar ook hul onderskeie gemoedstoestande tydens hul verhouding wat drie maande voor Jonker se selfmoord tot ‘n einde gekom het.

Brink het kort voor sy sterfte die briewe aan Umuzi voorgelê vir publikasie. Die projek is onlangs hervat deur sy letterkundige weduwee Karina M Szczurek met hulp van Leon de Kock, Karin Schimke en Francis Galloway.

Netwerk24 het ‘n uittreksel uit Vlam in die sneeu gedeel. Lees twee van Brink se briewe aan sy “Liefling-Kokon”, die man wie sy “so verskriklik nodig, té nodig” gehad het; en een van Jonker waarin sy vir haar “liefste André” vra, “Liewe skat, ons moet regtig meer lag”:

My liefste André

Dankie vir jou brief wat net nou so skattig in my deur gesteek het toe ek tuiskom belaai met pakkies, dis baie sonnig op straat en gemaak vir daardie dag in die veld of die duine. As die wit volksie hier was, sou ons kon uitry na Stellenbosch of Paarl, of Houtbaai?

Het jy my mismoedige brief van Donderdag gekry? Jou brief van vanoggend is baie duidelik en ek verstaan volkome hoe jy voel, my skatkind. En tog …

Ek het jou oor die telefoon en in my brief vertel van Jack ­[Cope] se besoek, en wat ek aan hom gesê het, dat jy my wil kom sien, en sy reaksie. Sedertdien het ek hom nie weer gesien nie, en toe ek gister vriendskaplik bel, vra hy: “How are the matrimonial plans going?” Dis ook gevolg. En die gevolge word al meer en meer, en die gevolge in ons sodat jy later miskien hoegenaamd niks daar op Grahamstad sal kan red nie. As dit vir ons albei net ’n avontuur was (want dis óók ’n avontuur) sou alles natuurlik minder ingewikkeld gewees het. Maar ik zal bij jouw [je] blijven. Omdat ek moet en omdat ek wil en omdat dit nie anders kan nie en omdat jy my kosbare ontdekte skat is en omdat jy my liefhet. “The moment you are influenced you are corrupt[ed].” Dis wat Tolstoi sê, en dáárom waak ek soos ’n leeu oor haar kleintjies, oor jou in my. En daarom miskien spot Jan [Rabie] my gisteraand, “Liewe hemel, Ingrid, as ek André Brink se naam noem, verander jou uitdrukking!”

• Lees verder: Netwerk24

• Die hartstog van André P Brink en Ingrid Jonker – “Dit is aangrypende leesstof”

• Versamelde liefdesbriewe van André P Brink en Ingrid Jonker in November beskikbaar

• Andre Brink and Ingrid Jonker’s Love Letters to be Published in November

Boekbesonderhede

• Flame in the Snow: The Love Letters of André Brink & Ingrid Jonker
  EAN: 9781415208786
  Spoor hierdie boek met BOOK Finder op!

In November vanjaar publiseer Umuzi die briewe wat die ontslape skrywer André P Brink en die digter Ingrid Jonker aan mekaar geskryf het toe hulle in die vroeë sestigerjare ’n liefdesverhouding gehad het.

Brink, wat voor sy dood aan ’n roman met die titel Goudstof gewerk het, het die korrespondensie tussen hom en Jonker drie maande voor sy dood vir publikasie aangebied.

Jonker se oorspronklike briewe, saam met afskrifte van Brink se briewe aan haar, is vir meer as vyftig jaar in bruin koeverte in die skrywer se studeerkamer bewaar. Die versameling dokumente sluit onder meer telegramme en weergawes van Jonker se gedigte in en sal in die toekoms aan navorsers beskikbaar gestel word.

Karina Brink, letterkundige en weduwee van Brink, het die briewe in chronologiese volgorde gerangskik en geskandeer, waarna dit deur ’n huisvriend en voormalige student van Brink, Erika Viljoen, oorgetik is.

Die boekhistorikus en redakteur van die joernaal LitNet Akademies se Geesteswetenskappe-afdeling, Francis Galloway, het die oorgetikte tekste teen die oorspronklike dokumente geproeflees en kontekstuele leiding vir die Umuzi-publikasie verskaf.

Die briewe is nie geredigeer en van verklarende aantekeninge voorsien nie.

Leon de Kock – skrywer, akademikus en bekroonde vertaler – is verantwoordelik vir die vertaling van Brink se briewe in Engels, terwyl die joernalis en digter Karin Schimke Jonker se briewe vertaal.

Die publikasie bevat ’n inleiding deur Willie Burger, professor in letterkunde aan die Universiteit van Pretoria.

Oordrukreg vir materiaal wat deur kopiereg beskerm word, is onderskeidelik deur Karina Brink en Greg Marsh namens die Ingrid Jonker Trust toegestaan. Die skrywersaandeel van die publikasie sal gelykop tussen die bestorwe boedel van Brink en die Ingrid Jonker Trust verdeel word.

Beperkte oplae van ’n spesiale uitgawe, waarvan elke eksemplaar genommer is, word ook in Afrikaans en in Engels gepubliseer.

• Andre Brink and Ingrid Jonker’s Love Letters to be Published in November

Amanda van Blerk het onlangs in ‘n konvooi van ses voertuie na die noorde van Mosambiek gereis, of altans probeer reis, om dié deel van die kontinent te verken.

In ‘n artikel vir Weg skryf sy oor die avonture en misavonture van hierdie vakansie wat onverwags deur Moedernatuur in ander rigtings gestuur is. “Soos met elke toer, neem ons nuwe vriende en hulle addresse huis toe. Die nag is lank, maar nie so lank nie, en die son breek gou weer in die ooste. Mosambiek is mooi hier. En miskien sal ons altyd wonder hoe die Shingwedzi eko-roete regtig was,” skryf Van Blerk.

Vir meer oor Mosambiek raadpleeg gerus Travel Guide to Maputo and Southern Mozambique deur Bridget Hilton-Barber, ‘n Penguin-publikasie.

Die Shingwedzi-ekoroete is al talle kere aan my beskryf as een van die lekkerste eko-roetes in Suid-Afrika. Dit begin by die piekniekplek by Pafuri in die Krugerwildtuin, en gaan verby Crook’s Corner, uit by die Pafuri-grenspos na Mosambiek. Die Koorsboomwoud en Limpopovallei, asook Mosambiek-bier by Mapai en kamp by die Mambapan, is alles op die spyskaart.

Ons wou graag die noorde van Mosambiek gaan verken en het ons plek op die roete bespreek. Maar minder as ’n week voor ons vertrek word ons ingelig dat die grenspos by Pafuri verspoel het en ons nie die oorspronklike roete sou kon ry nie.

• Volledige artikel: Weg

Boekbesonderhede

• Travel Guide to Maputo and Southern Mozambique deur Bridget Hilton-Barber
  Boek se tuisblad
  EAN: 9780143528302
  Spoor hierdie boek met BOOK Finder op!

January and February is “divorce season” – when warring couples who have made it through the festive season decide to throw in the towel – family and divorce law specialist Bertus Preller looks into why.

In a post on Divorce Attorney, Preller, the author of Everyone’s Guide to Divorce and Separation, explains why so many divorces happen after Christmas, and warns of the impact that divorce can have on children.

Going through a divorce is a painful process for all concerned mainly when there are children involved. A question that remains very difficult for warring couples to answer is “do we stay together for the sake of our children and pretend that all is hunky-dory between us”; or “do we make the decision that we, as individuals, and our children will be better off without having to endure the daily incidents of watching us as parents behave like teenagers throwing cutlery across the table”?

• Complete article: Divorce Attorney

Book details

• Everyone’s Guide to Divorce and Separation by Bertus Preller
  Book homepage
  EAN: 9781770225299
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Cayleigh Bright interviewed illustrator Alex Latimer about his quirky book From Aardvark to Zuma in which each letter of the alphabet is given a uniquely South Africa reference.

Latimer says that his favourite illustrations are the ones of Riaan Cruywagen and the Golfball letterbox. He also discusses the distinction between an illustrator and a cartoonist and the difference between creating a picture book for adults and illustrated children’s books.

How did the idea for From Aardvark to Zuma come about?

Initially it was going to be a book to give tourists an insight into South African culture. But as I started working on it, I realised that there were loads of references in it that only South Africans would really understand. So it evolved into a celebration of South Africa’s mix of cultures.

• Complete interview: GQ

Book details

• From Aardvark to Zuma : The South African Alphabet by Alex Latimer
  Book homepage
  EAN: 9780143530367
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The Book Club blog interviewed Alex Latimer, author of From Aardvark to Zuma : The South African Alphabet, about what prompted him to create the book and what he read growing up. He also spills the beans on the worst book he’s ever read and his favourite illustrator:

1) What were your favourite books as a child?

My father (Dick Latimer) published a children’s book in 1983 called The Expedition to the Rainbow’s Heart – and that for me was a special book. Not only was it beautiful to look at, but it brought the world of publishing to my attention at a young age.

• Complete interview: The Book Club

Book details

• From Aardvark to Zuma : The South African Alphabet by Alex Latimer
  Book homepage
  EAN: 9780143530367
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100 Moments that Mattered features a selection of 100 events, and the personalities involved in them, that shaped the nature of South African society over the centuries.

It is a compendium of interesting stories offered in bite-size chunks that, taken as a whole, offers a coherent and colourful picture of the nation’s history.

Written in an accessible and informal style, and beautifully illustrated throughout, this book aims to tell a good tale, to entertain and to inform. The ‘moments’ have been chosen for these reasons, as well as, of course, for their importance.

From early landings and bloody wars, to dramatic political events and long-awaited freedoms, to innovative South Africans and sporting heroes, 100 Moments that Mattered will give the reader a fascinating glimpse into our country’s history.

About the author

Peter Joyce has produced some seventy titles ranging across the spectrum from travel and wildlife through biography to his specialist subject, history. Among his books are the bestselling South Africa in the 20th Century and The Making of a Nation. Before becoming a full-time writer, he held senior positions with publishing companies in Zimbabwe and with Reader’s Digest South Africa. He lives in Cape Town.

Book details

• 100 Moments that Mattered: Events that Built South Africa by Peter Joyce
  Book homepage
  EAN: 9781770224001
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Fifty Machines that Changed the Course of History identifies the most significant branded or one-off machines of the 19th and 20th centuries, placing them in their historical and technological contexts, and evaluating their impact on the development of human civilisation.

These include the first locomotive designed for passenger use during the First Industrial Revolution, the Berliner gramophone and Model T Ford at the turn of the 20th century, and the first TV set and air conditioner of the 1930s.

From steam engines to modern-day telescopes and cellphones, this book is a celebration of 50 iconic machines, and of mechanical technology in general.

About the author

Eric Chaline is a professional journalist and writer specialising in history, philosophy, and religion. A graduate of Cambridge University and The School of African and Oriental Studies, London, he lived in Tokyo for seven years where he was English-language editor for Kodansha Publishers. More recently, he has published titles on philosophy, including The Book of Zen and The Book of Gods, and on history, including Traveler’s Guide to the Ancient World: Ancient Greece, History’s Worst Inventions, History’s Greatest Deceptions, and History’s Worst Predictions. He now lives and works in London, where he is conducting doctoral research in sociology at South Bank University.

Book details

• Fifty Machines that Changed the Course of History by Eric Chaline
  Book homepage
  EAN: 9781770224476
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LitNet gee twee eksemplare van Die Afrikaanse skryfgids, saamgestel deur Riana Scheepers en Leti Kleyn, weg.

Om ‘n kans te staan om een van die boeke te wen, moet jy ‘n storie skryf waarin die woord “gids” voorkom. Jou storie moet teen 30 September 2012 saam met jou kontakbesonderhede aan webvoet@litnet.co.za gestuur word.

Sterkte!

• Kompetisiebesonderhede: LitNet

Boekbesonderhede

• Die Afrikaanse skryfgids saamgestel deur Riana Scheepers en Leti Kleyn
  Boek se tuisblad
  EAN: 9780143530152
  Spoor hierdie boek met BOOK Finder op!