Blog
Seeding the Future
I’ve just been sent this wonderful short film on a community seed banking project in Cape Town by my friends at Seed. It’s an inspiring story of how the art of seed saving and sharing can transform lives. Please share, and visit www.seed.org.za to see the other wonderful work that they do.
Look what they’ve done to my song, ma…
Spotted at OR Tambo International Airport, in very good company! In case you recognised the song title, it’s not a random heading: Melanie’s song features in the story, along with a lot of other great tunes. You’ll find a playlist on our blog, along with a some other background info and trivia about the book and […]
There’s a good reason Elizabeth Bishop’s poetry is a talisman for Maddy
One Art By Elizabeth Bishop The art of losing isn’t hard to master; so many things seem filled with the intent to be lost that their loss is no disaster, Lose something every day. Accept the fluster of lost door keys, the hour badly spent. The art of losing isn’t hard to master. Then practice […]
Cape Town launch at The Book Lounge tonight
Looking forward to a deep, lush and layered conversation with Henrietta Rose-Innes tonight!
Rescue plans for seeds in a war zone
Svalbard Global Seed Vault drafts plans for first ‘return-to-sender’ mission for crop varieties at risk in war-torn Syria http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-24/seed-crop-varieties-svalbard-vault-genebank/6720522
How a blood bank saved some seeds
I’m hoping that this story will have a happy update, because this statistic dates from 2010. But according to Kew, there were only nine Gladiolus aureus plants left in the wild. Nine. They are hanging on for dear life in the wind-blown part of Cape Town’s south peninsula, near where I live. Luckily these beauties […]
Book Launches – The Seed Thief
In August, The Seed Thief enjoyed three launches – at Kalk Bay books in Cape Town’s south peninsula, at Love Books in Melville, Johannesburg, and at The Book Lounge in Cape Town city centre. All three were packed with friends old and new. My thanks to everyone who came and engaged with me and my […]
Jozi launch
On Thursday 20 August we’ll be launching at Love Books In Melville. I am thrilled and honoured to be in conversation with Michele Magwood, who was a mentor to me in my early days in magazine jounrnalism and is a veritable doyenne of South African books.
Upcoming launches in Kalk Bay, Jozi and Cape Town …
First up is the Kalk Bay launch for people of the deep south. On Tuesday 11 August, 6 for 6:30 pm. I’ll be in conversation with the inimitable Justin Fox…