Get to know us through the books we read! Every first Friday of the month we’re sharing an interview with one of the Language Centre’s staff members on a favourite or memorable book.
This month we’re chatting to Alta van Rensburg, a deputy director at the Language Centre. Alta loves reading and travelling, and if these two loves can be combined, so much the better.
What is the title of the book you’d like to share with us?
Something I recently enjoyed was Lucinda Riley’s Seven Sisters series, currently consisting of seven books. It is based on the star cluster Pleiades, which is described in various cultures. The series starts with the death of the father of seven adopted daughters, and the letters he wrote to each of them with clues about where they had come from, should they wish to trace their biological families. By the end of the seventh book, it becomes obvious that there will have to be an eighth book about the father. The author recently passed away, and readers are still not certain whether that last book has indeed been written and whether it will be published still. The uncertainty reminds me somewhat of Game of Thrones…
Why is this book memorable to you?
Four main reasons: First, the reader travels to various parts of the world with each sister (like Brazil, Scotland, Scotland, Kenia and Ireland), with two captivating story lines: the one in the present and the other in the past, after which these two story lines are combined. Second, it is about strong female characters whose lives are suddenly thrown into disarray, and the reader experiences with each sister her internal journey in her search for her identity and purpose in life. Third, the eldest sister is a translator, as I am. And, finally, I studied music in my undergraduate years, and the second sister is related to Edvard Grieg, the Norwegian composer, so I was unable to resist the rest of the series after those first books!
Who is your favourite author? Also tell us why?
I love fantasy, especially Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. And I burst out laughing time and again when reading Nataniël’s columns.
What are you reading at the moment?
The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron, which has already given me useful ideas about how to rediscover and develop my creativity.
Do you have a preference: reading physical books with paper pages or on a Kindle or other electronic platform? Why do you say so?
There is no option – I definitely want to feel the pages of the printed book in my hands.
What book have you re-read? Also tell us why?
Elders by Erns Grundling, where he describes his pilgrimage on the Camino (the French route). It inspired me to walk the Portuguese Coastal Route with a group from the magazine Weg in October 2019. I am extremely grateful that I didn’t postpone that journey until later. Buen Camino!
Who is your favourite literary character?
The cat Maurice in Terry Pratchett’s The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents. Maurice is a street cat and a swindler who, assisted by of a couple of clever rats, tricks gullible people out of their money. This book is great fun!
Have you perhaps learnt a life lesson from a book or character that you would like to share with us?
The recent death of a dear colleague reminded me of a book I read as a child: Michael Ende’s fairytale novel Momo that was translated into Afrikaans from German. It is a timeless tale about the “grey gentlemen” who steal people’s time. The little girl Momo is the only one who notices what’s happening. She is scared, but brave enough to go and look for the stolen time and give it back to the people. Unfortunately, we cannot recover lost time, which is why I try hard to live every moment to the full in the here and now, and to make memories with my loved ones.
What other books would you recommend?
Tracy Chevalier: She combines historical facts with imagination in Girl with a Pearl Earring to weave a background story about the famous painting by the Dutch artist, Jan Vermeer. Her other books are also very readable. Anything by Marita van der Vyver – including her books about food. And then, especially: Anything that makes you laugh out loud!
