The launch of The Fall by Hans Pienaar

Hans Piennar in conversation with Toast Coetzer about his latest poetry collection, The Fall, published by Dye Hard Press.

Launch of The Fall by Hans Pienaar

The Fall by Hans Pienaar is published by Dye Hard Press.

The Fall by Hans Pienaar is still available

 

Dedalus decides to flee South Africa but his plane crashes somewhere else on the continent. He miraculously survives but is taken captive by a militia whom he believes wants to kill him. Making promises to use his skills to help them, he gets involved in the politics and religious complexities of the local community. They allow him to design a series of gods to meet the needs they appear to have.

Hans Pienaar’s first collection of poems in English tends towards a novel in verse, or a draft for a Netflix series in poems, if you will. Told in many styles and voices, it is an attempt to distill his experiences while travelling in the rest of Africa as foreign correspondent for a newspaper group. There is a lot of humour, but also deadly earnest in the meeting of Greek mythology and a people run down by colonialism and modernity, and of course, things do not go according to plan. Whether it ends on a pessimistic or optimistic note probably depends on the reader.

Pienaar is an award-winning writer of mainly Afrikaans novels, plays and poetry who lives in the Western Cape. His latest poetry collection, Seisoene op Parool (Seasons on Parole) was published by Protea Books in January 2021, and it will also release his latest novel, Kaap, in February 2022.

The Fall can be ordered from the author at mwhanspi@gmail.com for R350, postage included (by South African post office), or you can order an e-book version for free. If you want the book couriered to you, speak to the author.

140 pages.

ISBN: 978-0-9947231-1-6 print

ISBN: 978-0-9947231-2-3 e-book

Copies of The Fall by Hans Pienaar have arrived!

 

Dedalus decides to flee South Africa but his plane crashes somewhere else on the continent. He miraculously survives but is taken captive by a militia whom he believes wants to kill him. Making promises to use his skills to help them, he gets involved in the politics and religious complexities of the local community. They allow him to design a series of gods to meet the needs they appear to have.

Hans Pienaar’s first collection of poems in English tends towards a novel in verse, or a draft for a Netflix series in poems, if you will. Told in many styles and voices, it is an attempt to distill his experiences while travelling in the rest of Africa as foreign correspondent for a newspaper group. There is a lot of humour, but also deadly earnest in the meeting of Greek mythology and a people run down by colonialism and modernity, and of course, things do not go according to plan. Whether it ends on a pessimistic or optimistic note probably depends on the reader.

Pienaar is an award-winning writer of mainly Afrikaans novels, plays and poetry who lives in the Western Cape. His latest poetry collection, Seisoene op Parool (Seasons on Parole) was published by Protea Books in January 2021, and it will also release his latest novel, Kaap, in February 2022.

The Fall can be ordered from the author at mwhanspi@gmail.com for R350, postage included (by South African post office), or you can order an e-book version for free. If you want the book couriered to you, speak to the author.

140 pages.

ISBN: 978-0-9947231-1-6 print

ISBN: 978-0-9947231-2-3 e-book

 

Newly published by altoviolet and Dye Hard Press: The Fall by Hans Pienaar

Dedalus decides to flee South Africa but his plane crashes somewhere else on the continent. He miraculously survives but is taken captive by a militia whom he believes wants to kill him. Making promises to use his skills to help them, he gets involved in the politics and religious complexities of the local community. They allow him to design a series of gods to meet the needs they appear to have.

Hans Pienaar’s first collection of poems in English tends towards a novel in verse, or a draft for a Netflix series in poems, if you will. Told in many styles and voices, it is an attempt to distill his experiences while travelling in the rest of Africa as foreign correspondent for a newspaper group. There is a lot of humour, but also deadly earnest in the meeting of Greek mythology and a people run down by colonialism and modernity, and of course, things do not go according to plan. Whether it ends on a pessimistic or optimistic note probably depends on the reader.

Pienaar is an award-winning writer of mainly Afrikaans novels, plays and poetry who lives in the Western Cape. His latest poetry collection, Seisoene op Parool (Seasons on Parole) was published by Protea Books in January 2021, and it will also release his latest novel, Kaap, in February 2022.

The Fall can be ordered from the author at mwhanspi@gmail.com for R350, postage included (by South African post office), or you can order an e-book version for free. If you want the book couriered to you, speak to the author.

140 pages.

ISBN: 978-0-9947231-1-6 print

ISBN: 978-0-9947231-2-3 e-book

 

Photos from the launch of Graeme Feltham's With the Safety Off

Hans Pienaar, co-publisher and MC for the launch.

Artist James de Villiers, who was a friend of Graeme Feltham and who wrote an introduction for the book.

Nick Hauser, friend of Graeme Feltham.

Luke Feltham, son of Graeme Feltham.

Gary Cummiskey, main publisher of the book.

James de Villiers, Hans Pienaar and Gary Cummiskey

Invite to the launch of With the Safety Off by Graeme Feltham

Opening up Soweto and Chatsworth with stories: a glowing review of Chatsworth in Business Day

Pravasan Pillay writes about another township, Chatsworth, in Durban. Seldom have I come across similar writing in which I can hardly wait for the next sentence. His collection could yet be remembered as the harbinger of a major authorship, up there with the very best in short SA fiction: Ivan Vladislavic, Nadine Gordimer and Hennie Aucamp. Read more.

Copies of The Edge of Things still available

Dye Hard Press has unearthed FIVE copies of The Edge of Things, the short fiction anthology edited by Arja Salafranca, which was published a few years back and received much critical acclaim. The Edge of Things contains 24 short stories by Jayne Bauling, Arja Salafranca, Liesl Jobson, Gillian Schutte, Karina Magdalena Szczurek, Jenna Mervis, Jennifer Lean, Fred de Vries, Margie Orford, Aryan Kaganof, Bernard Levinson, Hamilton Wende, Pravasan Pillay, Beatrice Lakwana, Hans Pienaar, Rosemund Handler, Tiah Beautement, Angelina N Sithebe, Jeanne Hromnik, David wa Maahlamela, Perd Booysen, Gail Dendy, Silke Heiss and Dan Wylie. 

The cost is R180 per copy, including postage, for South Africa. For overseas the cost is R230, including postage. 

Send an email to dyehardpress@iafrica.com to order.

In the lead up to the Melville Poetry Festival

Back row: Eleanor Koning, Hans Pienaar, Nicky Naude, Khulile Nxumalo. Front row: Arja Salafranca, Gary Cummiskey, Allan Kolski Horwitz. From Melville-Northcliff Times. 

100 000 Poets Come To Johannesburg

September 29 marks the second anniversary of 100 000 Poets for Change, a global event initiated by US poets Michael Rothenberg and Terri Carrion last year, which draws poets, artists and musicians together on a single day to simultaneously call for environmental, cultural, social and political change.

This year there will be about 700 events throughout the world, including in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Bloemfontein.

The Johannesburg event is being held under the auspices of the Melville Poetry Festival at Picobella restaurant, Melville. The excellent line-up of poets comprises Gary Cummiskey, Arja Salafranca, Michelle McGrane, Gerard Rudolf, Hans Pienaar, Corné Coetzee, Rene Bohnen, Phillippa Yaa de Villiers, David Chislett, Alan Finlay and Khulile Nxumalo.

Pienaar’s new Afrikaans novel, Chaos, of Op Soek Na Superman (Chaos, or in search of Superman) will also be launched at the event.

By using readings, concerts and workshops, communities throughout the world can address issues such as censorship, abuse of power, social inequality, racism and poverty, according to Rothenberg. 

“With 100 000 Poets for Change we aim to seize and redirect the political and social dialogue of the day and turn the narrative of civilization towards peace and sustainability,” he says.

Pienaar, who is the chairman of the Melville Poetry Festival which will run from 12 – 14 October, says a consensus is fast developing across the world that things cannot continue as they are, no matter what one’s ideological orientation might be. And while the call for change may be vague, this is probably fitting since part of the problem is that world leaders and experts are at a loss what to do about the world’s ills.

What poetry can do is also not clear, except that it is the art form that serves one best when you tread out into an unknown world, or one without any clear answers or signposts. In South Africa recent events have perhaps finally shown that the “New South Africa” is over, and that the rainbow nation is a myth, and that we need to relook and re-examine most aspects of our society. 

Certain themes from 100 000 Poets For Change will be carried over to the Melville Poetry Festival, where some of the events will focus on the need for resistance, while others will celebrate the fact that simply to produce good poetry is already an act of bringing change to the world.

A micro-blog to promote and celebrate the Johannesburg event is being developed on the 100 000 Poets for Change site here

100 000 Poets for Change – Johannesburg will be held at Picobella restaurant, No 66, 4^th Avenue, Melville, on September 29, from 4pm to 7pm. Pienaar’s new book, as well as titles by the various poets, will be on sale.   

The Melville Poetry Festival October 2011

Gail Dendy and Selwyn Klass at the launch of Closer Than That

Marie-Lais Emond and Eleanor Di Pasquale (back to camera) in the doorway of the launch venue

From inside the launch venue, looking out on the street

Gail Dendy talking at the launch of Closer Than That

Gail Dendy talking at the launch of Closer Than That

Gail Dendy reading at the launch of Closer Than That

The marching brass band for the festival 

The brass band's banner announcing the festival

Crowd watches the brass band playing; Allan Kolski Horwitz and Siphiwe ka Nywenga at extreme left

Bernat Kruger

Bernat Kruger 

Bernat Kruger

Kobus Moolman 

Kobus Moolman 

Khulile Nxumalo 

Khulile Nxumalo

Khulile Nxumalo 

Alan Finlay 

Alan Finlay 

Alan Finlay 

Arja Salafranca 

Arja Salafranca

Robert Berold talks at the launch of Rosamund Stanford's The Hurricurrent and Mxolisi Nyezwa's Malikhanye

Mxolisi Nyezwa

Rosamund Stanford

Mxolisi Nyezwa

Gary Cummiskey

Gary Cummiskey

Books for sale at the festival

Books for sale at the festival

Books for sale at the festival

Gary Cummiskey talks at the panel discussion 'The Ghost of Wopko Jensma'

Gary Cummiskey talks at the panel discussion 'The Ghost of Wopko Jensma'

Hans Pienaar introduces the panel discussion 'The Ghost of Wopko Jensma'