The bushveld is part of our heritage and habitat. Use the African bush as a setting or a source of inspiration in your memoir.
THE JUXTAPOSITION OF BEAUTY AND DANGER
British-Rhodesian writer Alexandra Fuller’s book Don’t let’s go to the dogs tonight is the story of a family in Africa, living through civil war. She is one of my favourite writers as her style is evocative and her sense of humour irresistible.
“How you see a country depends on whether you are driving through it or live in it. How you see a country depends on whether or not you can leave it, if you have to,” says Fuller.
“As the daughter of white settlers in war-torn 1970s Rhodesia, Alexandra Fuller remembers a time when a schoolgirl was as likely to carry a shotgun as a satchel. This is her story – of a civil war, of a quixotic battle with nature and loss, and of a family’s unbreakable bond with the continent that came to define, scar, and heal them.”
Her debut is described as follows:
“Shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award, Alexandra Fuller’s classic memoir of an African childhood is suffused with laughter and warmth even amid disaster. Unsentimental and unflinching, but always enchanting, Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight is the story of an extraordinary family in an extraordinary time.”
DOES THE BUSH GIVE YOU A THREAD TO PURSUE IN YOUR MEMOIR?
In South Africa we have many magazines focusing on nature and outdoor life. We enjoy venturing into the bush to rest and rejuvenate, and to reconnect with nature. How does this coincide with your own experiences in the bush? Does it shape and shade your history? Does the bush give you a thread to pursue in your memoir?
SCIENCE AND THE POSITIVE BENEFITS OF NATURE
Several scientific studies emphasize the importance of reconnecting and spending time in nature, with specific reference to bushveld. Consider, if possible, to take an extended break and write somewhere in nature:
To immerse yourself in the bush could have unexpected and healing benefits.
“A prolonged exposure to nature, as a result, improves our direct-attention abilities in the same way as how improving our nutrition and reducing the number of choices increase our levels of mental willpower to problem-solve. The additional benefits of immersing oneself in nature include reduced levels of depression and anxiety, increased resilience, increased engagement in learning, improved self-esteem, increased physical health, and increased capacity to engage socially.”
MEMORIES OF THE PAST – JOCK OF THE BUSHVELD
Jock of the Bushveld is an example of a life story by South African author Sir James Percy Fitzpatrick. The 1907 book tells of Fitzpatrick’s travels with his dog, Jock, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross, during the 1880s, when he worked as a storeman, prospector’s assistant, journalist and ox-wagon transport-rider in the Bushveld region of the Transvaal (then the South African Republic). Fitzpatrick came across a man who was in the process of drowning a puppy, the runt of the litter. He saved the dog, and the story of his faithful and loving companion was born.
THE FLOWER BIBLE OF THE BAVIAANSKLOOF
For twenty years Magriet Kruger devoted her time to studying and observing the diverse plant life of the Baviaanskloof in the Eastern Cape. The result was Plants of the Baviaanskloof, co-authored with Douglas Euston-Brown. The book is a must-have for all lovers of plants. Afrikaans radio station RSG broadcasted the story of this remarkable woman.
Magriet passed away earlier this year – but what a legacy she has left!
THE AFRICAN BUSH AS A SETTING OR A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION IN YOUR MEMOIR
Nature is a conducive space to immerse yourself in when you want to start writing seriously. Free from distractions, your connection to the veld around you will inspire you and uplift the process. Contact me, as an author coach, to discuss your process and progress.