Two years ago I came across a small hardback book in my local library - the cover with the name had been ripped off and it was a greenish colour. I have been trying to locate that book ever since but to no avail- I know the guy who wrote it won an award for it, but with the multitude of awards thats really no help.
Here is the plot synopsis:
It opens in an african jail, an age during which writers and journalists are locked up and censorship rampant. The guy it opens on is a poet. It describes how he loves to write. There are some poems in the body of the text too. I remember liking them. Then it tells you about him previous - and poeple he knew.
Part two (at least i think it was part two) opens on “I knew this was this last day of my life” or words to that effect and the guy can see Ismail, the angel of death. That afternoon - he/someone he knows - dies.
Annother guy is also there, he sees this from the outside, his relation goes missing
He has an affair with this woman, and he has to stop seeing her eventually - he gets tied up in jounalism and eventually with the politics of the situation. He goes to a riot/etc by accident and is arrested by the police or somthing.
ARGH. please if any of this sounds familiar tellme who wrote it. twas confusing in parts - but captured frailty of everything with such delicasy (sp) as much as I remember.
I was reminded of thisby watching Red Dust last night.
