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A Home on Vorster Street: A Memoir by Razina Theba caught my eye for some reason – I can’t remember how I discovered it but with mention of memoir, Fordsburg and Oriental Plaza, it became a ‘must read’.
It took a flight from Johannesburg to London via Nairobi and Amsterdam to read – although it was finished before touchdown in Amsterdam. So, a fairly quick read.
A collection of recollections of growing up in South Africa under apartheid and the impact on family and community life for someone of Indian heritage. This had been inspired by Razina’s son asking ‘who will remember me?’ Coming from a different South African population group, and of a similar age to Razina, it was a journey of discovery into another side of familiar places and experiences. A significant chunk of my early working career occurred in and near Fordsburg and one of my favourite sensory experiences was visiting the Oriental Plaza – not the crowds and noise, but the smells, tastes (of the very samoosas Razina disparages), colours and vibrancy – it was a world removed from the clinical towns and cities we moved around: The equivalent of Razina’s family visiting Johannesburg central business district.
This is a book written from the heart. While school experiences, juggling wider family expectations and religious diversity resonate across the cultural divide, it’s the detail that separates us. And at the end of the day, we all have the desire to be remembered.
As for the title, it’s the central home where grandparents resided keeping the family together – the space many of our oldest memories turn to, when we were young. 7a 6th Street and ‘the Plot’ being my equivalents: refuges and places of encounter and discovery. Home is where identity is formed and where we return to for comfort – at least those of us who were priviledged enough to grow up in loving and caring families. This comes through in Razina’s recollections.
For other experiences of home, the following TSL books might be of interest:
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Leslie Tate is to be thanked for this post as his interview with Kate Innes caught my eye…
It was the mention of Zimbabwe that drew me in, only to discover that Kate has South African links too. Although not explicitly discussed in connection with Kate’s books, she does mention the influence her experiences in Africa have had on her. It is a continent that draws one in and teaches much – if you care to listen.
Africa has had a huge influence on TSL too, with a number of our authors either living on the continent, or from there – writing a mix of local and global stories: novels, short stories and poetry, non-fiction…all come ‘out of Africa’.
Take a peak and see what grabs your interest… (and please, try and buy from the author direct or a little shop).
Peter Sternberg was born in Germany during the time of Hitler, however, the family was lucky enough to emigrate to Zimbabwe when Peter was four. He lived most of his life in Gatooma (Kadoma) before moving with his wife to Harare and then Cape Town, South Africa. Peter died in London in January 2017 before his books were published. He was an active member of Jewish communities as recorded by the South African Jewish Report.
Bhupendra (1952-2019) grew up in Kenya, East Africa, moving to the United Kingdom during the 1970s. He lived in Pinner, Middlesex and was a member of Harrow Writers’ Circle until it closedin 2019.
Bhupendra wrote for pleasure and pastime, sense of achievement, noting that doing something creative such as writing fiction takes one to another world which can be quite enjoyable.
His advice to aspiring authors is to maybe start with a short story – it can be difficult – but one could refer to personal experiences. Books are important for researching non-fiction and an inspiration for fiction.
Favourite authors include: PG Wodehouse for the humour, AJ Cronin for the poignant storytelling (though often tragic endings), Indian author RK NARAYAN who wrote one of his favourites made into a successful Indian film The Guide, Joseph Conrad’s Lord Jim.
His best other reads are Uncle Dynamite by PG Wodehouse, Crusaders Tomb and the Citadel by Cronin.
Of Kenya Days, Moonlit Nights Bhupendra says his favourite bits include the jungle safari chapter, the real Africa, and some of the poetry and song which hopefully will be appreciated by readers.
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