Rosamund Kendal

Izimvo has the great pleasure of introducing the author of The Angina Monologues; Rosamund Kendal.

After studying medicine for six years and then working as a doctor for another five, Rosamund Kendal decided that the creative side of her brain needed some stimulation and enrolled for the Masters degree in creative writing at UCT. She hasn’t been able to decide whether she prefers being a freelance writer or a general practitioner, so she’s come to a compromise and does both part-time.

Web: http://rosamundkendal.book.co.za
Excerpt from Rosie’s book, The Angina Monologues.
Location: Ballito

Rosie was kind enough to answer the following questions:

Personal

Q: The all important personal profile. How would a close friend introduce you at a social event? i.e. Name, age, company, interesting fact etc.

A: Hi, This is Rosie. We’ve known each other since birth so have been friends for thirty-two years. She works as a General Practitioner in Umhlanga but is also a novelist and has recently had her second book published.

Q: Tell us something that not many others know about you. This could be anything from a phobia to your favorite movie.

A: I’m completely addicted to Earl Grey tea. And, terribly embarrassing, my favourite movie is the original Grease.

Q: What do you enjoy doing when you want to get away from it all?

A: Depends how much time I have: if I have an hour, I love to spend it in a quiet yoga studio; if I have days, give me mountains. There is little that beats the incredible sense of connection with nature and wonder at the universe that being amidst the quiet solitude of a mountain brings.

Q: How would you describe your dream home and where in South Africa would you like it to be?

A: A dream home for me is far more than just a house in a certain location: it’s somewhere warm and open where guests feel free to pop in uninvited and stay for drinks and dinner; it’s somewhere close to nature, from where I can hear the sea and smell the rich scent of wet earth; it’s a place in which my children have the freedom to play and explore and in which my husband and I find space both to love passionately and meditate quietly; it’s a safe haven, a shelter from the storm of the world. And yes, I am lucky enough to live in my dream home.

This question was proudly sponsored by Private Property – Looking for the ultimate home? Look no further, this R42m Zimbali masterpiece is class personified.

Writing in South Africa

Q: As a medical doctor, successful author and a mother, what would you say is the key to your success and which of your milestones are you most proud of?

A: It’s difficult to define the key to my success. It’s probably a combination of a lot of hard work and perseverance, the love and support of my husband and family and a little bit of luck. The most important milestones in my life have been the births of my two sons. Nothing, no amount of success, comes close to carrying the emotion that I felt when I first laid eyes on my children. After that, probably the accomplishments I am most proud of are achieving my medical degree and publishing my two novels.

Q: What are your thoughts on the local publishing industry? Is an author able to make a decent living from writing for a local reader or is international exposure essential?

A: The money one makes as an author in SA is terrible! There are simply too few fiction readers in SA to make writing novels for a living viable so, unless one has international exposure, most authors would, I suspect, have other jobs. Luckily, because I also practise as a GP, I am able to write solely for the love of writing (obviously a lucrative publication deal with a foreign publisher wouldn’t go amiss though…).

Q: Can you give us an insight into the process that you follow when writing? For example, do you work according to a schedule?

A: I don’t follow a schedule when writing for two reasons. Firstly, I am too busy to follow a set schedule and so just write whenever I can possibly grab the chance to; secondly, I write for the love of writing, not to achieve something specific, and I am afraid that, were I to put pressure on myself to finish writing by a certain date, I would stop enjoying the writing. Unusually, I write in longhand initially and then edit as I transfer my story to computer. I usually have a ‘map’ of the story that I start off with and then, as I write, I find that the map changes. Often, by the end of the novel, there is almost no resemblance to the map I started with but having that initial structure gives me a basis from which to begin.

Q: Your book Karma Suture deals with the experiences you had as a doctor while working in Cape Town’s state hospitals. Looking back, what was the greatest lesson you took away from the experience?

A: That I could make a difference in my patients’ lives, even though the situations and circumstances in which I was working so often felt hopeless.

Q: What advice would you offer would-be authors?

A: Persevere. Unless you are exceptionally self-confident, get yourself a literary agent to sell your book for you.

Q: What can we look forward to from Rosamund Kendal in 2010 and beyond?

A: As soon as I’ve found the time to figure that out, I promise I’ll let you know…

Life in South Africa

Q: Have you or any of your immediate family been affected by crime? If yes, has it changed your perception of the country and the way you and your family live your lives?

A: Yes, I have been shot at before when I attempted to stop a mugging. It didn’t really change my perception of the country; we all know that crime is a problem and that it will affect us in some way at some stage. I also don’t really think it changed the way that I live my life. I will always live carefully but one cannot be so careful that one stops actually living.

Q: Where would you start if you were given an unlimited budget and the ambitious task of improving the South African health system?

A: How many pages have I got to answer this question? Firstly, I would get rid of all the administrators and put doctors and nursing sisters in their places. We need the decisions at top-level to be made by people who ‘have been there’, who have hands on experience and who know what they are talking about. Secondly, I would try to eradicate corruption (yes, yes, I know, but this is a hypothetical scenario…). So much money is wasted in the health system because of dubious tenders and questionable appointments. Thirdly, I would improve the working conditions of state health care providers so that they wouldn’t be tempted to run off to private practice or the UK as soon as possible. That would be a good start, I think.

Q: What are your thoughts on the current standards of medical training in South Africa? Do you feel we are able to produce doctors at a world standard?

A: Without a doubt. South African universities provide fantastic medical training, a wonderful combination of first and third world medicine that probably isn’t found anywhere else in the world.

Q: With less than 30 days to the first African Soccer World Cup, what advice would you offer to first-time visitors looking for the ultimate South African experience?

A: Just spend some time talking to a regter, egter South African. Our people are our greatest asset.

Life in Ballito

Q: What do you most enjoy about living in Ballito?

A: I love the proximity to the sea. I also find the people incredibly friendly, which makes it a fantastic place to live.

Q: Favorite local restaurant for a lazy Sunday lunch with friends and family?

A: Beach Bistro in Westbrook.

Q: If you were tasked with commissioning a Soccer World Cup poster depicting the beauty of Ballito and it’s people, which image would you select?

A: I would choose a picture of the beach at sunrise. Not only would it show the incredible natural beauty of the area but it would also depict the people: the surfers; the fishermen; the fitness fanatics running on the beach and the couples walking their dogs along the shorebreak; the children splashing in the tidal pools and the life-guards keeping an eye on everyone.

General

Q: If you could invite any three South African authors to a book club meeting, who would you invite and which book would you ask them to read?

A: Herman Charles Bosman, Olive Schriner and Etienne van Heerden. I’d get the authors to read from their own works because that is such a treat. Nobody gives quite the same interpretation to a story as it’s creator.

Q: What is your favorite medical show on TV and which character would you say bears the closest resemblance to you and your personality?

A: An obscure show called The Green Wing. It’s the only medical show that I’ve ever watched that hasn’t irritated me and I sincerely hope that I do not resemble any of the characters in any way as they are all a little whacked…!

Q: What advice would you give the 18-year-old you?

A: Enjoy every moment because it passes so quickly. Sleep a little less. Listen to those around you a little more. Wear shamefully short skirts and embarrassingly skimpy tops because in ten years’ time you will have cellulite and stretch marks and wont be able to.

Q: Who would you most like to read about on Izimvo and what would you like to ask them?

A: Helen Zille. What would be the first change you would make if you were made president of South Africa?

We’d like to thank Rosie for taking the time to answer our questions and wish her every success for the future.

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