Modjaji Books 

Summery

A man, Volker, is travelling from Germany to Namibia, along the way he spends time in Charles de Gaulle airport. This is the story of his experiences there, the people he meets along the way and how life, and people, do not contain merely one story but are  made up of many stories. And so these stories enter your life  and then quickly move out of it.

The First Few Pages

Volker walks slowly, and sometimes he walks fast, across the airport concourse, his speed, and the way he moves, depends upon the speed of the other people who also walk there, some walk fast, they almost run, as if they have somewhere to be, others meander, wander, as if they have no purpose, no reason, do we all have no reason, I am born and I die and the reason for being in this airport is that I am alive, I am alive so I may as well be in this airport, walking. Volker has just arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport after a short flight, the journey from Frankfurt to Paris takes one hour and fifteen minutes. Now he walks, sometimes as if he has a purpose, other times as if he does not. He remembers. (continue reading…)

A Thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (English Studies)

University of Kwa-Zulu Natal

Jean Rossman (2006)

Rossmann_Jean_2006

THE STORY OF SYLVESTRE 

“To remember is to allow the past to move into the future and to shape its course”

Elie Wiessel

PROLOGUE

My name is Sylveste.

I am thirty eight years old.

I am a Rwandan. (continue reading…)

A thesis submitted for the degree Masters of Arts, 2018

University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg.

Y Yen – MA dissertation

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up”

Pablo Picasso

This book is not a catalogue: it is a book of stories, a book in which one man tells of the experiences in his long life, it is a book which captures his dreams in his words.

This is the story of Monty Mahobe – artist, musician, and man.

Monty Mahobe walks into the Artists Proof Studio at 12h20; our meeting is scheduled for 12h15.

I hate to be late, so I am sorry for this.

But it is only five minutes late, there is no problem. Anyway I was about to pour the coffee, would you like some?

No, I will have tea, with milk and sugar, yes, I prefer tea to coffee.

Did you get here from Rockville by taxi?

No, I caught the Rea Vaya, it is much better than the taxis. I never know where they drop me off, I don’t know the routes or the ranks, sometimes they drop me at a rank which is too far from here, so the Rea Via is much better, they just go to the same place and I know which way to walk.

The man who speaks is Monty Mahobe. (continue reading…)