The Writers Write Interview – Pamela Jooste

Pamela Jooste is a South African novelist. Her first novel, Dance with a Poor Man’s Daughter, won the 1998 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, best first book, Africa, and the Sanlam Prize for Fiction.

Author: Pamela Jooste
Date: 28 February 2007
Where: The Polo Lounge at The Westcliffe Hotel
The Book: Star of the Morning (Doubleday)

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1.   Who is your favourite hero of fiction?

Atticus Finch.

2.   What is your most treasured possession?

My photographs.

3.   Which living person do you most dislike?

No-one. It takes up too much negative energy. Life is short, no point wasting it in this way.

4.   What is your greatest fear?

That I wake up one morning to find that I have transmogrified into George W Bush… one hears of horror but that would be too much…

5.   Who or what has been the greatest love of your life?

Crabtree and Evelyn – my two dogs.

6.   What is your greatest regret?

All those things I haven’t been brave enough to do.

7.   If you could choose to be a character in a book, who would it be?

The Little Red Engine That Could

8.   Which book have you read the most in your lifetime?

The Catcher in the Rye

9.   What is your favourite journey?

Saint-Paul-de-Vence in Nice.

10.  Cats or Dogs? Which do you prefer?

Cats

11.  What quality do you most admire in a woman?

The ability to keep secrets.

12.  Which book that `you’ve written is your favourite?

Dance With A Poor Man’s Daughter 

13.  What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Persevere.

14.  What are your favourite names?

Carnation, Lily, Lily Rose, John, Singer, Sergeant.

15.  What do you do as a hobby?

I cook – French and Italian.

16.  What are your top three books?

1. Catcher In The Rye by J D Salinger
2. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee and
3. The Ballad Of The Sad Cafe by Carson McCullers

17.  Where do you get your greatest ideas for writing?

From watching people.

Interviewer: Amanda Patterson

28 February 2007

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