The Reality of Being a Queer Writer in South Africa | Alistair Mackay Reveals All

Описание: Welcome to the final episode of Season 2 of Bookmarked Conversations, where we uncover the story behind the stories. In today’s episode, we sit down with acclaimed South African author Alistair Mackay to dive deep into his life as a writer, his thoughts on queerness and fiction in South Africa, and the powerful themes woven through his books.

Alistair shares how his writing journey began, what inspired him to keep going when publishing felt impossible, and how his upbringing shaped his voice as an author. We explore the differences between the South African and American reading and writing scenes, the writers who shaped him, and his insights on short stories versus novels, what each form offers, and why short stories are a powerful art in themselves.

He opens up about:
How he develops characters for short stories to make readers connect deeply, even in just a few pages.
The techniques he uses to create vivid imagery in his writing.
How long it took him to write The Lucky Ones and his honest experience with writer’s block.
Why he is intentional about portraying queerness as ordinary, and the responsibility he feels (or doesn’t feel) to represent queerness in a particular way.
The many intertwined themes in Fever Tree, from race to identity to environmental crises, and how he balanced them without being heavy-handed.
The dynamics of interracial relationships in his short story South Africans Don’t Read Fiction, and why empathy plays such an important role in that narrative.
Why he believes South Africans don’t read fiction, how fiction as a genre is overlooked here, and what this means for writers like him.

He ends with powerful reflections on what he hopes readers take away from his stories, advice he wishes he had received when starting out, especially for emerging queer or South African writers, and how he hopes to be remembered 100 years from now.

⏱️ Timestamps
00:00:00 Intro
0:54 Welcome to Bookmarked Conversations
2:12 Welcome Alistair
4:36 How did Alistair start his writing journey
7:54 Alistair’s journey into becoming a published author
12:04 How is the South African reading and writing scene in comparison to the American scene
13:57 Who are the writers or books that have helped shape Alistair as an author
19:13 What do short stories offer that novels can’t? Is there freedom or a challenge in telling a complete world in a few pages?
25:27 How does Alistair develop his characters for short stories to make readers quickly attached to them?
28:50 Does Alistair consciously use a certain technique in his writing to help readers imagine each scene more vividly?
31:21 How long did it take Alistair to write The Lucky Ones?
32:31 Did Alistair experience writer’s block, and how does he overcome it?
34:16 How intentional is Alistair about portraying queerness as part of the ordinary? Does he feel pressure to represent queerness in a certain way?
37:56 How did Alistair manage to weave so many themes into Fever Tree without it feeling heavy-handed?
40:47 In South Africans Don’t Read Fiction, Alistair explores interracial dynamics within the queer space. Does he think Thapelo struggles with having empathy towards Greg?
42:56 Why does Alistair think South Africans don’t read fiction, and why is fiction as a genre overlooked here?
49:54 What does Alistair hope readers walk away with after reading his stories?
51:03 What’s one thing Alistair wishes someone told him when he was starting his writing journey that he would say to emerging writers, particularly queer or South African writers?
56:08 In 100 years’ time, how would Alistair like to be remembered?

✨ If you’re a reader, writer, or lover of authentic storytelling, this episode is for you.

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