booktown richmond june - post the jm coetzee literary festival

8/6/2019 Booktown Richmond June - Post the JM Coetzee Literary Festival

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Don’t Frack With Our KarooBooktown Richmond’s 5

thAnniversary

BookBedonnerd IV October 27-29, 2011.

J.M.COETZEE LITERARY FESTIVAL REPORT BACK

June 10, 2011.

Good Morning Karoosters,

Was it not Shakespeare who spoke of the darling buds of May ? Well, I think it is an apt

metaphor for our inaugural JM Coetzee Festival held in Booktown Richmond over the

last weekend in May. We certainly were not in full bloom, being in the dead of winter;

but the gathering of kindred souls with high spirits...some with high spirits thanks to a

few stiff Bells on ice at 11am, were all the same as wonderful and eclectic bunch of

people to have ever assembled in the wee Karoo dorp.

Of course, some of those „shrinking violets‟ from the Cape just could not stand the

Karoo winter, but as Peter Baker likes to say: THE KAROO IS NOT FOR SISSIES.

Next year we‟ll provide mohair rugs for all!

We would like to thank all the speakers for braving the cold and making their way to

Richmond. By all accounts, the talks were of the highest order, and I think that it can

be safely said that everyone learned something about Coetzee and the other Laureateson offer. Many of you were so impressed that you have already booked for



BookBedonnerd! Maybe in time, the world will see that we are JM Coetzee – Beonnerd!

We started Booktown Richmond with a similar sized festival, and look how it has grown

in 5 short years.

As you saw for yourself, there is nothing quite like Booktown Richmond. We are theonly festival that allows a Doberman to attend all the talks! We are one of the few

towns where dogs can eat with their masters in restaurants. And we are probably the

only festival where the organisers can play „one-arm bandit‟ with the programme and

get away with it.

So to John Kannemeyer, Mike Marais; Gareth Cornwell; Michiel Heyns; Mike Nicol;

Beverley Roos Muller; Ampie Muller; MJ from „die sentrale‟ in Richmond; Peet Venter;

Ian Perrin; Ronald Suresh Roberts; James Clelland; Darrel Conolly – we thank you. You

will go down as pioneers of the JM Coetzee & SA Nobel Laureates Literary Festival.

And we have not forgotten – as soon as John Kannemeyer‟s biography of John Maxwell

Coetzee comes off the printing line, we will have it off to you.

Enjoy the trip down memory lane!

Professor John Kannemeyer



Darrel Conolly Richmond‟s resident historian and writer

James Clelland ...new boy on the block



RS Roberts always provocative....

MJ Swart the Operator Man



Michiel Heyns....clearly his Master‟s voice

Mike Marais ..wonderful Disgrace insights



Prof Ampie Muller..lovely tales of the Arch



Beverley Roos Muller on the Younger Mandela

Mike Nicol...one of SA‟s most versatile writers..who with little notice filled in a blank

spot as well as an entertaing talk on Mandela‟s keepers



Gareth Cornwell.....we thank for “Disgraceland”

No we did not peg every one down with matters cerebral the whole weekend

And to those who didn‟t make the trek to Richmond Town this May, we have a spotreserved for you in ‟12.

Until next time.....and remember to look after your Karoo!

Darryl David & Peter Baker

booktown richmond june - post the jm coetzee literary festival

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