Franschhoek Literary Festival will include a special tribute to Chris van Wyk … in His Own Words
The invitation reads “Join us for a reading that celebrates the life and work of Chris van Wyk, the much-loved author of Shirley, Goodness and Mercy“.
Chris van Wyk
Chris van Wyk (1957-2014) arrived on the literary scene at the age of 22 with It Is Time to Go Home, a startlingly accomplished collection in which tender love poetry formed a counterpoint to biting political comment. After a stint in educational publishing, he started his own literary magazine, the sharp-witted but shortlived Wietie. In the turbulent 80s, he edited Staffrider magazine, becoming a friend and mentor to countless young writers.
Chris became known for his children’s books, from the classic A Message in the Wind to delightful picturebooks like Petroleum and the Orphaned Ostrich. But it was his memoirs of life in Riverlea, Shirley, Goodness and Mercy and Eggs to Lay, Chickens to Hatch that brought him a wide readership.
In celebration of Chris’s life and work, actor Kurt Egelhof will read a selection of poems and passages from the memoirs, at two events at the Franschhoek Literary Festival in May: at 5.30pm on Friday 15 May [event 44], and 7pm on Saturday 16 May [event 94].
WHAT & WHEN: Franschhoek Literary Festival 2015 Programme 15, 16, 17 May 2015
BOOKINGS: for these events, and others, can be made at Webtickets. Tickets cost R70 each; proceeds go to the FLF Library Fund.
INFO: please contact Ann Donald at publicity@flf.co.za
