 |
In November 2011 Van Schaik Bookstore launched its first short story contest using the MXit platform. The competition was launched to encourage young writers to participate in a literary activity that would culminate in some interesting reads over the holidays. Twenty-four year old Emile Coetzee, Master Degree student in History at UJ, is the winner for his story called Ruined Fortunes. “Emile's story was chosen as the winner of this first crop of entries because, it is a gripping short story with elements of various genre's from historical fiction, adventure, travel, romance and mystery. The pace is that of a thriller and the re-telling is in clear contemporary language that is easy to understand for even non-Native English Speakers (people with English as a second language) who also should be able to manage reading it. It is a taut fantasy that captures ethnic tensions and ends with a surprising twist in the tale,” says Melvin Kaabwe, Digital Manager at Van Schaik. “I knew the legend of the "Lost City in the Kalahari" and about the stories connected with the unfortunate explorers who wanted to see if there was an El Dorado somewhere beneath the sands of the Kalahari. Then linking this legend with the knowledge I retrieved from my lectures about the Diamond Mines in the late 19th century, where fortune hunters were abundant, the connection was so easy to make. It is easy to believe that Kimberley was a melting pot of different ethnic groups and it is not hard to fathom that a Dutch speaker from the neighbouring Transvaal and a higher-class dropout from England, who is trying to make his own fortune, could team up in those harsh conditions at the diamond mines to make their fortunes,” says Coetzee. “Young minds nowadays have so many different options for entertainment, news and research that reading becomes second nature. It is therefore our privilege as Southern Africa's leading Academic retailer to ensure that we provide content to readers that can also entertain,” Kaabwe continues MXit is an ideal platform because many people do not have access to libraries where they live or are fortunate enough to have reading materials as part of their homes. Also, it is a primarily text-based content provider and can be accessed on older phones that may not be smart-phones. Access Ruined Fortunes on MXit via Tradepost>Mxit Reach>mobiBooks>Van Schaik Bookstore>Ruined Fortunes |
