WOMAN ZONE STORIES

Twenty-one years ago, Karen Lazar, academic and language lecturer suffered a stroke that left her paralyzed down one side and disabled. It doesn't define her, but has impacted her life dramatically. A champion of gender and disability, in her books Hemisphere - Inside a stroke and Echoes an anthology she describes how. ( Intro song, Beautiful Woman is by Tina Schouw)

We start this special series of Woman Zone podcasts for the Women's Humanity Arts Festival 2022 with Artscape CEO, Dr Marlene le Roux who shares her personal messages of care, concern and Covid. 

First time novelist, but well practiced feminist researcher, Joy Watson's The Other Me ( Karavan Press ) is an eye-opening book with a damaged but fascinating central character. Writer, editor, publisher Karina Szczurek digs deeper to get the back story...

Natasha is one of ten women home food gardeners whose stories feature in a book celebrating 10 years of Woman Zone and 20 of Soil for Life . Beginner gardener turned passionate trainer, Natasha shares how learning and working with Soil for Life has changed her whole outlook. 

Writing her latest novel, The Man Who Loved Crocodile Tamers (Kwela) , brought author and poet Finuala Dowling to tears on occasion. It's the story of her father, Paddy Dowling, but laced with fiction, creative licence and a lot of love and experience, it makes for a memorable read, that may well bring a reader to tears too. 

A featured chef at the Plant Powered Show in Cape Town, life-long foodie and author of Veggielicious Mokgadi Itsweng shared her journey as committed plant-based food evangelist. 

In her debut novel, Lightness of Air (Texture) Angela Miller-Rothbart weaves the real life reminiscences of a holocaust survivor into a piece of art.

Kenyan born Rose Ssali tells the remarkable tale of how she traded her attorneys gown for the writers pen and publishers passion - across the world. 

Co-authors of the Imbokodo trilogy of books Athambile and Xolisa have showcased 10 Inspiring Singers, Writers & Artists; 10 Extraordinary Leaders, Activists & Pioneers and 10 Curious Inventors, Healers & Educators (Jacana) . In Woman Zone's 10th year, we where thrilled to host them at our first Book Club meeting of the year back at Artscape .

Adolphine Misekabu's flight from then Zaire (DRC) to South Africa back in 1996 was long, horrendous and terrifying. Like that of so many refugees. Many years later she shared the journey with writer Estelle Neethling, the result is a book called Escape from Lumbumbashi (Unisa Press). It was an emotional experience, for both of them, as Estelle explains.  

Thrown Among the Bones: My Life in Fiction is an extraordinary work by writer, poet, publisher Patricia Schonstein . It's the story of her own life and  how people and events within it have impacted and appeared in her novels and poems. Textured doesn't describe! Published by African Sun Press.

This Might Sting a Bit is an eye-opening but seriously entertaining story of one woman's addiction and her dysfunctional family set in crisis-ridden Zimbabwe in the early 2000's. We spoke to Claire Adlam at the first ever mobile WZ Book Club at the Beach Blanc open air cafe in Milnerton.

In her heartbreakingly moving book Waterboy, award-winning journalist Glynis Horning tries to make sense of her son's suicide. 

Co-founders of The Mothertongue Project, arts-activists Sara Matchett and Rehane Abrahams talk about the origins of the project as well as Collaborative Conversations , the book they put together to celebrate their twenty-first anniversary.

Singer, songwriter, composer Nicky Schrire shares the story behind her spell-binding musical fusion of strings with the poetry of Ingrid Jonker. Scheduled for performance at The String Quarter Biennale in Amsterdam February 2022.

The Woman Zone Book Club guest author this month is FUTHI NTSHINGILA, writer, researcher, journalist. Here she talks about her third book, written during lockdown, called They Got To You Too (Pan Macmillan).

The Peace Garden in Bonteheuwel on the Cape Flats is a symbol of what can be done – by one woman, by a group of women, by a community. But whilst it symbolizes peace and the fight against violence in general, gender based-violence in particular,  it also inspires environmental awareness and a togetherness, a unity, which in these conflicted, confusing times, is exactly what we need. On the ga...

This month's Woman Zone Book Club author is one-of-a-kind Lynn Joffe whose book The Gospel According to Wanda B Lazarus (Modjaji) is a roller-coaster of note. Listen as she explains the genesis to Dominique Malherbe.

CHRISTINE WEIR is a multi-layered singer-songwriter with a colourful background and a phenomenal range. Despite the recent setbacks life has dealt her, she remains upbeat on a crystal clear and inspirational note. 

The authors of this month's Woman Zone Book Club book have produced a title that's a must for everyone's shelf. FLOW - The Book about Menstruation (Kwela) one way or another affects every person on this planet - for some its a 'curse' for others it's lifegiving. Listen here as Candice and Karen explain their motivation and the message. 

The Woman Zone Book Club is pleased to bring you a chat with communications guru LEAH SEFOR. With a background in the self-help biz since childhood, a quick mind and attentive counsellors ear, she was well placed to write That's Not What I Meant: The smart savvy guide to real communication (Tafelberg). Enjoy and learn!

The 5th and final episode in this special series honouring Artscape's 50th anniversary, Woman Zone speaks to NADINE MCKENZIE, co-founder of the Unmute Dance Company. The intro song, 'Beautiful Woman', is written and performed by Tina Schouw

WZBC Introduces you to award-winning journalist, writer and publisher ZUBEIDA JAFFER on her book Beauty of the Heart – the life and time of Charlotte Mannya Maxeke (No 10 Publishers). Charlotte is the icon, activist, academic, educationalist and inspiration behind Artscape’s Women’s Humanity Art Festival 2021

Number 4 in this special series honouring Artscape's 50th anniversary, Woman Zone speaks to AVERIL BARRY-HUGHES, Managing Director of Jazzart Dance Theatre. The intro song, 'Beautiful Woman', is written and performed by Tina Schouw

In number 3 of this special series honouring Artscape's 50th anniversary, Woman Zone speaks to DEBBIE TURNER, CEO of Cape Town City Ballet.  The intro song, 'Beautiful Woman', is written and performed by Tina Schouw