Full-blooded Launch for Roger Smith’s Mixed Blood

by Rene on March 26th, 2009

It was a goodly crowd that filled the Book Lounge for the launch of Roger Smith’s Mixed Blood – replete with full-blooded laughter in response to the witty rapport established between guest speaker Kader Asmal and the debut novelist.

Asmal, in his matchless fashion, cut to the quick, asking Smith a range of questions that were as outrageous as they were funny.

“So what’s your book about?” he asked the author, who responded with “It’s about 320 pages long, but I’ll keep it brief tonight!”

Asmal, who received a proof copy some weeks ago, noted that the version he’d received was entitled, Mixed Blood – a novel, but when he received the final printed version, it had been edited to read Mixed Blood – a thriller. “What is this?” he asked. “It’s as if it’s a little embarrassing to be writing crime fiction. Somehow it’s not part of the consciousness of ‘higher writing’?”

Smith summarised literary fiction as the genre that wins awards and makes “great reputations” and crime fiction as “commercial entertainment” that drives the reader with page-turning plots that lead to nerve-wracking ends. “My mission is not to create a polemic or to enlighten, but to entertain.” To his way of thinking Smith believes that for crime writing to stay edgy, it must eschew the mantle of “respectability”.

On a number of occasions, the former MP and cabinet minister came dangerously close to giving away the surprises contained within the book and the author felt obliged to issue a series of “Spoiler Alerts”.

Their dialogue left no stone unturned and explored such diverse topics as literary preciousness about crime writing, the sorry state of South African book reviewing, future titles from the author and the value of publications like Die Son, which, of course, only encourage literacy with their eye-popping headlines (Try “Raped by an Alien” on for size.)

Asmal prodded booksellers and publishers alike, chivvying those who are reluctant to enter the so-called “townships” to sell books. “There are 83 South African townships, but only one – Soweto – has a single bookshop.”

Crime writers and readers