Jacana

I was quite privileged to host a discussion about writing, medicine and the commonalities therof with Dr Rosamund Kendal (Karma Suture) and soon-to-be-Dr Kopano Matlwa at the CTBF this afternoon.

The two have varying degrees of experience in their dual roles: Matlwa, who’s still at med school, is the experienced author, while Kendal, whose novel is freshly-published, has clocked several years as a GP.

They largely agreed that the thread between writing and medicine was far from tenuous: observation, attention to detail, perseverance and narrative (patient histories; telling stories of trauma to heal; fiction) are all necessary for success in each.

To the cliche that writing a book is as painful as giving birth, Kendal, who’s a mother, was quite emphatic: giving birth was a special experience, but given a choice she’d rather write!

The two authors disagree to some extent when diagnosing the health of healthcare in SA: Kendal makes a point of highlighting the inadequacies in the system in Karma Suture, while Matlwa insists that SA healthcare comes of favourably when compared to many other countries’.

Quote of the hour: “Using the pen makes you use the scalpel better.”
- Kopano Matlwa

Additional reporting by Sophy Kohler follows:

After the panel, BOOK SA braved the queues at the Jacana Stand to get a glimpse of Matlwa and Kendal signing their debut novels.

Readers were engaging with Matlwa in shared experiences, telling her how her book had moved them. Some brought with them old battered copies of Coconut to be signed whilst others bought new ones on site in support of Jacana’s uber-hip stand.

The medical-duo could be seen engaging in a kind of medical conversation long afterwards.

Quote of the hour: “What do you guys do for Ben Williams?”
-Kopano Matlwa