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Zakes Mda: I feel like 'a dancing monkey' at literary festivals in Europe Zakes Mda: I feel like a dancing monkey at European literary festivals
(35 minutes later)
A leading South African author has said he boycotts literary festivals in Europe because he is made to feel like “a dancing monkey” in front of white audiences.A leading South African author has said he boycotts literary festivals in Europe because he is made to feel like “a dancing monkey” in front of white audiences.
Zakes Mda, an award-winning novelist and playwright, was lending support to fellow black author Thando Mgqolozana, who said he believed that audiences come to watch him perform at books festivals such as the one in wealthy Franschhoek near Cape Town.Zakes Mda, an award-winning novelist and playwright, was lending support to fellow black author Thando Mgqolozana, who said he believed that audiences come to watch him perform at books festivals such as the one in wealthy Franschhoek near Cape Town.
“I share his experience to a very large extent,” Mda told South Africa’s City Press newspaper. “It is the same thing that one gets in Europe when you attend these literary festivals – which I no longer do, by the way, not for a few years now. Oh no, no. If you see me in Europe, it’s not at a literary festival. It’s at the launch of my own book or my own book tour.”“I share his experience to a very large extent,” Mda told South Africa’s City Press newspaper. “It is the same thing that one gets in Europe when you attend these literary festivals – which I no longer do, by the way, not for a few years now. Oh no, no. If you see me in Europe, it’s not at a literary festival. It’s at the launch of my own book or my own book tour.”
Mda, a creative writing professor at Ohio University in the US, backed Mgqolozana’s claim that black writers are treated as anthropological subjects. “You feel like you’re a dancing monkey … You are some figure that is being scrutinised and studied. Some amazing animal. ‘Oh look, they can write too.’ And even the questions they ask you are very patronising … A place like Franschhoek replicates that kind of situation and I can understand how he felt.”Mda, a creative writing professor at Ohio University in the US, backed Mgqolozana’s claim that black writers are treated as anthropological subjects. “You feel like you’re a dancing monkey … You are some figure that is being scrutinised and studied. Some amazing animal. ‘Oh look, they can write too.’ And even the questions they ask you are very patronising … A place like Franschhoek replicates that kind of situation and I can understand how he felt.”
Mgqolozana’s stand has a triggered a debate that puts South Africa’s own white-dominated literary establishment under unprecedented scrutiny. More than 21 years after the end of racial apartheid, there is frustration among black writers who cannot get published or whose works are not available in their own communities. They point to the expense of books and a continued lack of diversity in bookshops, publishing houses, awards committees, and among event organisers and audiences. Some have called for a boycott of literary festivals.Mgqolozana’s stand has a triggered a debate that puts South Africa’s own white-dominated literary establishment under unprecedented scrutiny. More than 21 years after the end of racial apartheid, there is frustration among black writers who cannot get published or whose works are not available in their own communities. They point to the expense of books and a continued lack of diversity in bookshops, publishing houses, awards committees, and among event organisers and audiences. Some have called for a boycott of literary festivals.
The faultlines were exposed this week during a panel discussion at Wits University in Johannesburg. Corina van der Spoel, an Afrikaner who organises literary festivals, prompted anger and accusations of racism from the audience by questioning whether black parents provide books to their children.The faultlines were exposed this week during a panel discussion at Wits University in Johannesburg. Corina van der Spoel, an Afrikaner who organises literary festivals, prompted anger and accusations of racism from the audience by questioning whether black parents provide books to their children.
“Everything is not all right, as Thando [Mgqolozana] says: the society is still in the making,” said Van der Spoel, whose independent bookshop went out of business. “But I also think Thando’s decision to opt out of South African literary festivals and his lashing out at the so-called white literary system is racialising the debate and polarising people in ways that they never were before.“Everything is not all right, as Thando [Mgqolozana] says: the society is still in the making,” said Van der Spoel, whose independent bookshop went out of business. “But I also think Thando’s decision to opt out of South African literary festivals and his lashing out at the so-called white literary system is racialising the debate and polarising people in ways that they never were before.
“It’s a pernicious kind of racism. It’s a blame culture which shifts responsibility and shouting that detracts from the real issues in South Africa, namely that our education system is failing both black and white learners. It also detracts from questions such as: ‘Are black parents buying books for their children?’”“It’s a pernicious kind of racism. It’s a blame culture which shifts responsibility and shouting that detracts from the real issues in South Africa, namely that our education system is failing both black and white learners. It also detracts from questions such as: ‘Are black parents buying books for their children?’”
One audience member responded sharply: “Here we all sit thinking, ‘That was so racist,’ right? I think part of the reason why [Van der Spoel] has to do what she’s doing is kind of propping up the establishment she defends, because it needs to be an establishment that protects white hegemonic culture, so that she can continue to purport that black people aren’t readers and therefore not good producers of literature.”One audience member responded sharply: “Here we all sit thinking, ‘That was so racist,’ right? I think part of the reason why [Van der Spoel] has to do what she’s doing is kind of propping up the establishment she defends, because it needs to be an establishment that protects white hegemonic culture, so that she can continue to purport that black people aren’t readers and therefore not good producers of literature.”
She added: “Everything that we hear from that lady is indicative of what is in the colonial subconscience of this country, which is blacks don’t read, black parents don’t do a good job of making readers out of their children, and if you kick out white people then literature is not literature.”She added: “Everything that we hear from that lady is indicative of what is in the colonial subconscience of this country, which is blacks don’t read, black parents don’t do a good job of making readers out of their children, and if you kick out white people then literature is not literature.”
Mngqolozana, also taking part in the panel discussion, declined to trade insults with Van der Spoel. “We need an alternative to the existing literary system,” he said. “And I believe the system will be changed by readers, and in South Africa that’s black readers and black book buyers.Mngqolozana, also taking part in the panel discussion, declined to trade insults with Van der Spoel. “We need an alternative to the existing literary system,” he said. “And I believe the system will be changed by readers, and in South Africa that’s black readers and black book buyers.
“There’s a distinction between black people who buy books and those who read them. Black households have the phenomenon of the travelling book. A book will be read until it has lost all its pages. Which is why it is nonsensical to say black people don’t read.”“There’s a distinction between black people who buy books and those who read them. Black households have the phenomenon of the travelling book. A book will be read until it has lost all its pages. Which is why it is nonsensical to say black people don’t read.”
He added: “I feel horrible that for the last seven years or so I have been begging to be integrated into this system in a more comfortable way. What the fuck was that about? I’m horrified!”He added: “I feel horrible that for the last seven years or so I have been begging to be integrated into this system in a more comfortable way. What the fuck was that about? I’m horrified!”
Fellow author Siphiwo Mahala told the audience: “My rejection of the white literary system does not mean I will embrace black mediocrity.Fellow author Siphiwo Mahala told the audience: “My rejection of the white literary system does not mean I will embrace black mediocrity.
“Franschhoek is the embodiment of all that is white. It is a private initiative. They created that festival for themselves. And after they created it, they thought, ‘Ha, so we will also need maybe some black monkeys to come and entertain us.’ And then they extend invites to us. So it was on those grounds that I declined the invite in 2011. But the circus will not stop because of the absence of one monkey.”“Franschhoek is the embodiment of all that is white. It is a private initiative. They created that festival for themselves. And after they created it, they thought, ‘Ha, so we will also need maybe some black monkeys to come and entertain us.’ And then they extend invites to us. So it was on those grounds that I declined the invite in 2011. But the circus will not stop because of the absence of one monkey.”
American-born Ben Williams, books editor at South Africa’s Sunday Times newspaper, noted that the country’s book sales are dominated by international fiction, Afrikaans fiction, local cookbooks, sports biographies and Christian titles. Among the bestselling 88 books in the country, he said, only one is by a black writer – in 87th place. And as far as he was aware, there is only one formal trade publisher with a black editor.American-born Ben Williams, books editor at South Africa’s Sunday Times newspaper, noted that the country’s book sales are dominated by international fiction, Afrikaans fiction, local cookbooks, sports biographies and Christian titles. Among the bestselling 88 books in the country, he said, only one is by a black writer – in 87th place. And as far as he was aware, there is only one formal trade publisher with a black editor.
But Williams added: “In 1976 the worm turned on apartheid. In 2015 I feel like the worm may have started to turn on the white literary system.”But Williams added: “In 1976 the worm turned on apartheid. In 2015 I feel like the worm may have started to turn on the white literary system.”