Writers 2000 come out of lockdown

When the lockdown was declared, the Writers 2000 group moved its meetings online.

With the help of their January and February speakers, the writing interest group could again hold face-to-face meetings.

In January, critically acclaimed South African author Evadeen Brickwood invited members to join her in her cottage to hear about her work. Brickwood authored the youth novel Children of the Moon, published and well-received in South Africa in 2005 and 2007. She also writes the Charlie Proudfoot mysteries.

Brickwood’s fascination for prehistory and lost civilisations is tangible on every page. She draws on her extensive research and rich imagination to make her works superbly exciting, captivating and believable.

She has been likened to JK Rowling in terms of quality and style, as well as the sheer enjoyment her books bring readers of all ages. Her background is in cultural sciences and she is a skilled linguist. Brickwood is creative, multi-talented, and a passion for exploring foreign places and cultures led her to travel extensively in her teens and 20s.

Brickwood worked in Botswana for development agencies before relocating to South Africa, where she studied to become an IT consultant. She served as an active member on various business committees before embarking on her successful writing career.

She is now a member of PEN, a well-known international association for published authors.

The February meeting focused on publishing and was addressed by Richard Edwards, author and self-publisher.

He invited members to join him in his Edenvale bookshop, Inner Journeys, where he shared about his writing and publishing journey.

“I passionately believe the old saying – that everyone has a book inside them – is true. No matter what your background, what you do for a living, where you are from or where you live, the desire to tell stories is deeply rooted within the human character. The process can seem daunting for some, while other people can sit and write for hours. I know I do,” said Edwards.

“Our goal is to use our experience to assist authors with the seamless self-publishing of their books.”
Having walked that road, his team decided to offer a full service to others. They do that through their self-publishing company, Beyond the Vale.

Richard has offered his shop as a venue for other meetings and the March meeting will be held there at 14:00 on March 12. The address is Inner Journeys, Shop 9, Edenglen Shopping Centre, 52 Harris Road, Edenvale. Children’s authors Kim Schreuder Horn and Tracey-Lee Easthorpe will launch their books at this meeting.

Kim Schreuder Horn is the author of the Mole series books. Our Mole finds himself in several interesting situations. Find out how he negotiates them with a little thought and some help from his friends. There are currently three books in the series, illustrated by Josie Versfeld.

Kim will also be the speaker at the meeting. Members and visitors are welcome to attend.

Tracey-Lee Easthorpe is the author of Obnoxious Naledi. The Poppysmic Fairy is a magical creature that visits Naledi to teach her a lesson about her rudeness. It is illustrated by Marcus Moshapalo.

The videos of both these talks can be viewed on the Writers 2000 Facebook page.

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