This month, a few things to mention.<\/p>\n
Firstly, I’m pleased to have sold a short story follow up to ‘Of Hearts and Monkeys<\/em>‘ called ‘The Girl who Called the World<\/em>‘ to the Crossed Genres’<\/strong>\u00a0anthology “Fierce Family<\/em>“: \u00a0http:\/\/crossedgenres.com\/submissions\/fierce-family\/<\/a>\u00a0 This anthology will in all likelihood be out in 2014.<\/p>\n In addition, it looks likely Tade Thompson<\/strong> and my joint novella ‘The Last Pantheon<\/em>‘ may well be appearing next year, although we have yet to receive final confirmation. South African super-hero against Nigerian Super-Villain…!? Really? Yes, really!<\/p>\n Africa in Words have interviews with Lauren Beukes<\/strong> http:\/\/africainwords.com\/2013\/08\/29\/jamessmithlaurenbeukes\/<\/a><\/span> and Henrietta Rose-Innes<\/strong> http:\/\/africainwords.com\/2013\/08\/23\/qa-henrietta-rose-innes-new-voices-from-south-africa-at-the-edinburgh-international-book-festival\/<\/a><\/span> who were at the Edinburgh Book Festival in late August 2013.<\/p>\n Talking of book festivals, Cape Town’s<\/em> starts soon and includes Sally\u00a0Partridge<\/strong>, Cat Hellisen<\/strong> and Sarah Lotz<\/strong> on writing YA fiction, along with spooky readings atop a Rocky Horror stage set I believe, sponsored by Fox and Raven<\/strong> (of which, see more below):\u00a0http:\/\/openbookfestival.co.za\/programme\/fox-raven-readings-from-the-dark-side\/<\/a>\u00a0 Also there will be Charlie Human <\/strong>and his ‘Apocalypse Now Now<\/em>‘:\u00a0http:\/\/openbookfestival.co.za\/authors\/charlie-human\/<\/a><\/p>\n Speaking of Lauren Beukes,<\/strong> she will be there in Cape Town too and this year, she is also judging the General section of the Nova<\/em> short story award (Science Fiction and Fantasy South Africa’s<\/em> competition), due to end to submissions the last day of this month, i.e. 30th September. Arthur Goldstuck<\/strong> will be judging the South African section, so please get your story subs in soon and have a look at the SFFSA site too, which has download links to its quarterly magazine Probe.\u00a0http:\/\/www.sfsa.org.za\/Nova.html<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Congrats to Dave-Brendon De Burgh<\/strong> for selling his novel ‘Betrayals Shadow<\/em>‘ to Cape Town publisher Fox and Raven<\/strong> http:\/\/www.foxandraven.co.za\/portfolio\/announcement-betrayals-shadow-by-dave-brendon-de-burgh\/<\/a><\/span> Mia Arderne<\/strong> also has ‘Pigs in Golfs<\/em>‘ out with Fox and Raven<\/strong>, a local publisher worth watching: http:\/\/www.foxandraven.co.za\/2013\/09\/02\/interview-mia-arderne\/<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Books of interest I hope to comment on eventually – Carole McDonnell’s<\/strong> ‘The Constant Tower<\/em>‘; Nerine Dorman’s<\/strong> ‘Inkarna<\/strong>‘ and The Future Fire’s<\/strong> ‘We See a Different Frontier<\/em>‘\u00a0http:\/\/djibrilalayad.blogspot.co.uk\/2013\/01\/we-see-different-frontier-toc.html<\/a><\/p>\n The literary losses keep happening; most recently the wonderful poet Seamus Heaney<\/strong> and the SF writer, Fred Pohl<\/strong>. To the passing of the old…and to the emergence of new voices too.<\/p>\n