Alert! Here’s a fact that has slipped underneath BOOK SA’s radar until now: JM Coetzee does book launches!
And we’ve proof: in July 2009, Coetzee appeared at the South Australian Writers’ Centre – web address “sawriters.on.net“, how eerie is that? – in Adelaide to provide the introductory speech at the launch of Patrick Allington’s novel, Figurehead. The speech was recorded and has now appeared online.
“Who’s novel what?” I can hear you saying. Allington is a young Aussie writer who was mentored by Coetzee, according to this article. His book does not appear to be available in the greater Commonwealth – not even on Amazon.co.uk – but his start as a writer could hardly have gotten a bigger boost.
For those who might have been concerned about any angels of identity that Coetzee wrestled with after moving Down Under, rest assured they’ve had plenty of time to recover after being soundly bested. “We – we Australians – are at war in Afghanistan. It’s not a big war by historical standards, but it is a real one: real people are getting killed, including real Australians,” begins Coetzee rather patriotically, in what can only be described as a typically riveting public appearance. (Seriously.)
The title of his speech is given as “On fundamentalism, curiosity and Patrick Allington’s Figurehead“. Watch:
Video: JM Coetzee introduces Patrick Allington’s Figurehead
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January 18th, 2010 @07:54 #
Oh goodie. I must book him for mine.
January 18th, 2010 @11:43 #
Ja, Maire - I think he's in the Adelaide telephone directory, so should be a piece of cake.
January 18th, 2010 @15:12 #
Not that many Cloetes in SA then?
January 18th, 2010 @15:14 #
OOOPs That would be Coetzees ... I'm rapidly approaching Autumntime
January 18th, 2010 @17:15 #
His accent is hilarious. Part Aussie, part Seffrican, and part public school Pom. The longer he speaks, the more the Aussie goes into hiding, and the Cape Town intellectual comes to the fore. After the first few minutes the Aussie is completely gone, leaving not a wrack behind.
The "We Australians" bit is simply staggering. He has lived there since 2002 - precisely eight years. Is he really that anxious to disclaim all ties with South Africa as to permit those 8 years to obscure the 62 that preceded it?
January 18th, 2010 @18:21 #
And yet, don't you find that he pierces our very South African hearts? (Ok, I'm an American. But practically in name only at this point.) The "We - we Australians" bit is breathtakingly risible stuff, as Fiona points out. Despite astonished laughter, however, I was riveted by the speech. What a conundrum this dude Coetzee presents us with.
January 19th, 2010 @07:47 #
Yes, it was a riveting speech. Once he'd dropped the Aussie accent, I listened to it with great pleasure and even a strange kind of pride.