Gonubie writer pens third spot in African literary awards

A GONUBIE writer recently returned from Durban where she shared a panel space with several critically acclaimed South African writers, including Zakes Mda, Fred Khumalo and Busisiwe Ntintile at the Time of the Writer Festival.

Megan Ross, 28, was also the second runnerup in the prestigious Short Story Day Africa Award, and her moving story Farang was recently published in an anthology of the competition’s top entrants, called Migrations: New Short Fiction from Africa.

Ross, who matriculated from Hudson Park High and studied journalism at Rhodes University, said her participation in the Time of the Writer Festival had been an extraordinary opportunity to “learn and grow as an African”.

“The entire week was centred on decolonising literary spaces and on African languages, as well as issues of translation and writing in mother tongues,” said Ross, who participated in panel discussions and visited schools during the festival.

Ross wrote Farang , the Thai word for “foreigner”, based on her experiences living in Bangkok after she worked as a features writer for Glamour magazine and freelanced for publications such as O, The Oprah magazine, GQ and Fair Lady.

The story is about a South African woman who falls pregnant in Thailand and delves into issues of women’s reproductive autonomy, travel and transience.

“I think the story resonated because it highlights universal experiences of women the world over.”

Ross was “elated” to have come second in the competition, which is open to writers from all over Africa, and to have her story published alongside those of Sibongile Fisher, Khumalo and Karen Jennings.

She was also shortlisted in the competition last year. It was won this year by Nigerian writer T J Benson.

Ross is a familiar sight at Shelley’s Coffee Shop at the Gonubie beachfront, where she creates poetry, works on her first novel, designs book covers and generally runs her creative consultant career.

“Since I am a working mother and have to work when inspiration strikes, I’m pretty much inseparable from my notebook and laptop. I think growing up in a small town has influenced the themes and subject matter of my writing.

“This still being a very conservative, patriarchal town, I have drawn inspiration from the hardworking women around me who are constantly hustling despite the challenges that stand in their way.

Ross said her poetry collection, as well as a short story collection called The Bangkok Swimming Club, were recently picked up by a publisher. — barbarah@