10 Questions for Bridget McNulty
- What place (in SA) do you call home, and why?
I live in
Cape Town, in the City Bowl, and have for the last two years… But I still (secretly) call
Durban home. I grew up there, and my family is still there, so I go home often. I think it takes a long time to get under a city’s skin, to really know it inside out, and I still feel like I’m getting to know Cape Town, we’re still dating! I’ve been married to Durban for quite some time now, and it’s a happy marriage.
- Favourite place to have breakfast where you live?
The Daily Deli, in
Tamboerskloof. It’s a little pavement café with fresh-baked pastries, really friendly waiters, and the best health breakfast in town. And you can linger over your meal as long as you like, and feel the
city waking up around you.
- What inspires you to do what you do? Name as many as you wish.
I think my main inspiration to write is that if I didn’t my head would be constantly spinning! Writing makes sense of the world around me. And I use it to figure things out… I am endlessly fascinated by why people act the way they do, the reasons behind their actions. And I also really want to communicate with people, and writing is a wonderful tool to do that. I’m always hugely inspired by the vibrancy of South Africa – we live in such a colourful, crazy country, if I’m ever feeling low on inspiration I just need to go for a walk and I’m all filled up again.
- Who is your South African hero, and why?
I really admire
Gcina Mhlophe, the storyteller. She has carved a role for herself out of doing exactly what she loves, and she’s
spreading the love with her literacy program. I think anyone who is devoting their life to a greater cause is a hero, and we have so many of them here in South Africa.
- Tell us, briefly, about your best ever South African holiday or travelling experience.
I would have to say the first time I went up the
West Coast of South Africa. I’d never seen anything like it – rugged, wild expanses of fynbos and beach, endless ocean, and some of the most incredible sunsets in the world. I think the
West Coast is quite magical, every time I travel there it feels like my soul is being filled up.
- When you’re away from SA, what do you miss the most?
The accent! I studied in America for three years, and it was so exhausting constantly being misunderstood. I had to explain my word choices, repeat things in a fake American accent, and translate half the things I was trying to say. I think being able to communicate is so powerful, there’s nothing like a shared history and vocabulary to make you feel at home.
- What is your #1 favourite local food?
Biltong. I could never get tired of eating biltong. And there’s no substitute for it – South Africans know how to make the best ‘dried meat’ in the world! It’s also
great padkos* food, my man and I make sure we have some every time we go on a trip.
- What SA music do you enjoy? (genre, specific group / artist whatever)
There’s so much
great SA music at the moment, this is easy to answer. I suppose my favourite bands are the
Dirty Skirts, the Parlotones and aKing. But 2009 Grammy Award winners
Ladysmith Black Mambazo will always hold a special place in my heart – I took their CD with me when I went to the States, and it felt like
a slice of home.
- Did you vote in the 2009 elections and are you glad you did / do you wish you had?
Absolutely! There was no way I was going to miss out on voting in such an
essential election. And there was such a great atmosphere at the polls.
- Do you read local news in newspapers? Online? What do you find to be the best source of SA news?
I’m actually not such a fan of the news, it always seems to focus on the most desperate side of things and
rarely reports any of the good news that’s happening. So my favourite source of current affairs updates is the
satirical news website, Hayibo.com. It is hilarious!
(Ed: I agree - great read, great laughs!)
*padkos - Afrikaans for 'food for the journey' - literally 'road food'.
About Bridget:
Bridget McNulty is a passionate writer inspired by why people act the way they do. Her first novel, Strange Nervous Laughter, was published in South Africa in 2007 and in the USA this year. Find out more, read her blog, download podcasts from the book and watch the book trailer at www.bridgetmcnulty.com