SA author gets overseas deal
INTERNATIONAL publishing houses seem to be more interested in local books and their authors than those closer to home.
That is the lesson that Durban author ZP Dala learnt while looking for a South African publishing house for her latest novel The Architecture of Loss, which was eventually picked up by a New York publisher.
The Tongaat-born writer spoke to The Mercury ahead of a discussion about the book held at #HashtagBooks in Reservoir Hills on Wednesday night.
She describes the novel as one of forgiveness and reconciliation that shines the light on the dark underbelly of South Africa’s fight for freedom and democracy.
“Estranged at the age of six from her mother, who sent her away from her hometown of Brighton in rural Zululand, architect Afroze Bhana has carved out an impressive life for herself in Cape Town. But when she receives word that her ageing mother is desperately ill, she finds herself compelled to return to her place of birth to find answers about her painful childhood.”
Dala said she had been contractually bound to the publisher of her debut novel What about Meera but they rejected her latest book.
“They questioned the authenticity of the narrative. They said it was too long and convoluted. They also took issue with the language – typical of that used by Indians and those from Cape Town – I used.”
Some scenes – like those depicting traditional Hindu religious observances like Amman prayers and Kavady – were even doubted as being legitimate.
These same scenes – when included in readings overseas – were met with curiosity overseas, she said. She said she was given other reasons – which she did not wish to discuss – that sent her into a “deep depression”. After approaching other South African publishers without success, Dala’s agent eventually convinced her to seek international publishers.
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Within a week of listing it, Dala received offers from four different publishing houses.
Dala, a therapist by profession, said the story, while fictional, had strong roots in reality.
She said she had treated an elderly woman, who had been an anti-apartheid activist, who struggled to come to terms with her difficult past.
“It made me wonder how she ended up in such a condition, which pushed me to research and ask questions.”
She began the process of what she described as “kneading” the content for the book as early as 2014, and before her first novel.
Women, she found, faced far more in the way of “personal losses” when they entered the Struggle for liberation.
“Their relationships, particularly those with their children, suffered.”
And these themes, as her publisher Pegasus Books agreed, were still universal for women now.
“To a certain extent, women have to lose their femininity to succeed.”
While the book will not be available in South Africa because the publishing house does not operate within the country, it can be found at online book stores.