MindMapSA Issue 9

podcasts, and documentary filmson selected writers as well a researchsection for anyone interestedin finding out more aboutliterature from the province.The initiative has worked on manytrails and with numerous South Africanwriters. “We develop writers’trails and at present are busy withour 8th trail which will look at theNorth Coast area. Writers linked tothat part of the world include AlbertLuthuli and his friend Alan Patonwhom he met at Groutville, writersaround Shaka like John Dube,the founder of the ANC and authorof uJeqe, bodyservant of KingShaka, and curiously, Rider Haggardwho met Dube and who wrotea trilogy about the fall of the houseof Senzanagakona”, said Stiebel.The UKZN Literary Tourism initiativehas also worked with presentdaywriters such as Aziz Hassim,whose book, Revenge of Kali, is setpartially in the Natal canefields andDianne Stewart, author of Durban ina Word. Speaking about what it isimportant to feature contempoaraywriters Stiebel noted that it allowesreaders to identify immediatelywith the places and things that areinfluencing writers here and now.“Our job is to link up these writersby constructing a trail that willlead literary tourists from place toplace, stopping to see, for example, where Luthulilived at Groutville, where Shaka is buried, wherethe first sugar milling equipment still stands – andat each place link what the writers had to say aboutKZN Literary Tourismstarted off as aresearch projectfunded by theNational ResearchFoundation for a 5year period from 2002-2007.During that timethe project supportedstudents throughbursaries, developedan electronicliterary map of KZNthis. We are, therefore, adding toculture and heritage ventures inour province,” explained Stiebel.Some of the popular trail destinationswhich people can visit are theGrey Street Writers’ trail which isa 3 hour walking tour around theGrey Street area in Durban’s innercity. “It starts at the Nicol SquareParkade which is on the formerRed Square where political rallieswere held. The walk takes peoplethrough Madressa Arcade whichAziz Hassim writes about in TheLotus People, to Emmanuel Cathedral,to the market which is inImraan Coovadia’s The Wedding,past where Phyllis Naidoo hadher offices with Archie Gumedewhich she records in Footprints inGrey Street, Juma Mosque whichmany writers describe and then asnack at Little Gujarat, food beingmentioned by all writers! Wedrive past the old Avalon cinemarembered by Ravi Govender inDown Memory Lane, and the fictitious‘corner café’ in MariamAkabor’s Flat 9.” Other populartrails are the Cato Manor Writers’trail and the Midlands Writers trail.Looking ahead, the initiative hopesto develop a writers trail from theNorth Coast since it has great tourismpotential in Shaka HeritageRoute around Ballito, Shaka’s Rockand kwaDukuza. Also in the pipelineis the compilation of a guide book A Companion toKZN Literary Tourism which will have all the trails,route maps, author outlines and lots of photographsof places linked to writers to visit in our province.35