Kirjahaku

- FAROUK ASVAT is the winner of the Vita Literary Award for his anthology, "A Celebration of Flames". THIS MASQUERADE by FAROUK ASVAT contents: The Barrier Forgiveness Piet Bahia Kaaperi This Masquerade Sunday Morning Haircut From A Corner A Life Come True Set in Johannesburg and Cape Town in the heydays of apartheid, these stories act as a compendium to Farouk Asvat's novels and poems. These short stories are in addition to the stories in: ● The Gathering Of The Storm &● The Paanies Are Coming- Farouk Asvat is a novelist, poet, translator & medical doctor, banned by the apartheid regime. He was awarded the VITA Literary Award fo his anthology, "A Celebration Of Flames". He was an Amnesty International "Prisoner of Conscience"; awarded the Fulbright Scholarship to the University of California at Berkeley; the EOC Scholarship to the Vrije Universiteit in the Netherlands; the University of Cape Town Health Care Trust Scholarship; and the Kwanzaa Honors Certificate by the Africa Network. He qualified as a medical doctor at the University of the Witwatersrand, and worked at various community clinics and hospitals. His poems, short stories and essays have been published in the United States, Canada, Brazil, Turkey, Switzerland, Netherlands, France, Germany, England and South Africa. His poems have been translated into French, German, Dutch, Portuguese, and Turkish. He has read his poems at numerous community venues in South Africa and abroad. He has freelanced as a journalist, columnist and art critic for various newspapers. - all his books are now available on amazon: in paperback & kindle @ https: //www.amazon.com/author/faroukasvat

THE TIME OF OUR LIVES is the historically important anthology whose poems played such a pivotal role in the struggle against the height of oppression in South Africa. This completely revised edition includes several poems that were not in the original collection, and the organisation of the poems into a more coherent order. The Time Of Our Lives accurately portrays what it was like to live and fight, love and die under the discrimination and tyranny of apartheid. "It bears testimony to the resilience and courage of the oppressed in South Africa ... His poetry is devastatingly forthright and hard-hitting."Tyrone August, The Star"Asvat's imagery is stark ... his poems taut encapsulations of the injustices wreaked on Black people."Asha Rambally, The Graphic"Asvat's poem ('Possibilities for a Man Hunted by SBs') is a clear and simple statement of the true state of affairs ... reducible to mathematical terms."Mbulelo Mzamane, Perspectives On South African English Literature"Asvat's poems ... with many depths, clever twists and juxtapositions, are exciting, true, and thought-provoking."Wendy Vogt & Alan James, Upstream"... an almost palpable tenderness for a country whom the poet alludes to as if she were a lover."Neela Alvarez-Pereyre, Commonwealth Essays & Studies "The Time of Our Lives reveals a writer who enjoys words: he has a sense of rhythm close to TS Eliot and an eye for the modern image."Brian Rose, Rand Daily Mail"Like hesitating snowflakes ... his words are fascinating in their capricious wilfulness ... like unexpected strokes of a whip."Susanne Baackmann, University Of Albuquerque, USA"Farouk Asvat ... writes about love and suffering, about individualism, snobbishness, pretence and pride, about human and environmental beauty and about opposing oppression, and who deploys metaphysical, lyrical and colloquial language, slang and standard diction, all with equal strength and ease."Cosmo Pieterse, Culture In Another South Africa"Since he has been in the line of fire as both a victim of Apartheid and as a political voice in the struggle for liberation, his evocation of the contemporary South African battlefield and his testimony of the humiliation, isolation, deprivation, degradation and murder, the collective weapons of Apartheid, are chillingly authentic."Herbert Steyn, English Olympiad, King Edward VII School."Asvat uses witty, humorous, sarcastic and satiric language to expose the contradictions, emotional terrains and tensions in both Apartheid and post-Apartheid South Africa. He uses the lingo, voice and logic of the man and woman in the street to expose the absurdity of political repression and social control and the mediocrity and hypocrisy of political and religious dogmatism. The tenacity and resilience of people in the face of repression and suppression is exhibited by their ability to see the humorous side of every situation, laughing at the short-sightedness of their oppressors as well as having a good laugh at themselves. This playfulness and wittiness of slang language comes in handy, especially where Asvat uses narrative, monologue, dialogue/dramatic techniques ..." Mphutlane Wa Bofelo, Bluesology And Bofelosophy "His love poetry soars with an intense sensitivity, it celebrates lyrically the joys of a most exquisite sensuousness."Marcia Leveson, University of the Witwatersrand, The Indicator"... you almost catch your breath at some of the stanzas ... you can re-read it several times and be struck by new ideas, metaphors, elegiac surprises, and the heartfelt poignancy ..."Aggrey Klaaste, editor Sowetan" ... carries conviction and conveys a mounting tension which can be glancingly lyrical and simultaneously politically authoritative."Peter Wilhelm, Financial Mail"Asvat's distrust of rhetorical formulas produces a language that is capable of interrogating the dreams and slogans of the revolution."Julia Martin, Upstream

● A CELEBRATION OF FLAMES by FAROUK ASVAT ♦ WINNER OF THE VITA AWARD " ''A Celebration Of Flames'' is a powerful, impassioned call. The sanity and courage of this collection arises from the poet's unique experiential perceptions of his milieu, making him one of the few who can write about these traumatic times with such lucidity and lyricism. The strength of Farouk Asvat's poetry lies in the way he intertwines the complex elements of social and political conflicts with intense personal relationships. The wide tonal range extends from sensual and delicate insights into the nature of passion to the satiric and humorous use of slang."● VITA AWARD citation by ● Lionel Abrahams, editor, Purple Renoster & Sesame "Like hesitating snowflakes his words are fascinating in their capricious wilfulness- like unexpected strokes of a whip."● Susanne Baackmann, University Of Albuquerque, USA "The legend of poet extraordinaire Farouk Asvat: - like vintage wine, proper poetry matures with time, and like vintage art the voice and wisdom of a poet worth the name is timeless."● Mphutlane wa Bofelo, kagablog "His love poetry soars with an intense sensitivity, it celebrates lyrically the joys of a most exquisite sensuousness."● Marcia Leveson, University of the Witwatersrand, The Indicator "Farouk Asvat writes about love and suffering, about individualism, snobbishness, pretence and pride, about human and environmental beauty and about opposing oppression, and who deploys metaphysical, lyrical and colloquial language, slang and standard diction, all with equal strength and ease."● Cosmo Pieterse, Culture In Another South Africa "you almost catch your breath at some of the stanzas - you can re-read it several times and be struck by new ideas, metaphors, elegiac surprises, and the heartfelt poignancy"● Aggrey Klaaste, editor Sowetan "Farouk Asvat's award-winning collection of poems crackles with a passionate consuming pace"● Z B Molefe, arts editor City Press "Out of an angry silence, a polished poet is born."● Anton Harber, editor Weekly Mail "Here is the poetry which in its very contradictions explores accurately the emotional terrain and tensions of life in the townships today."● Kelwyn Sole, University Of Cape Town, Staffrider " ''A Celebration of Flames'' is so near to the bone, so full of despair and sanity. There is such gentleness and sadness in the love poetry ..."● Debbie Arends, University Of Witwatersrand ♦ Books by Farouk Asvat: ● Sadness In The House Of Love (novel)● The Gathering Of The Storm (novel)● I Dream In Long Sentences (poetry)● The Wind Still Sings Sad Songs (poetry)● A Celebration Of Flames (poetry): winner of the vita award● The Time Of Our Lives (poetry)● This Masquerade (short stories)● Bra Frooks (poetry)● The Paanies Are Coming (short stories)● In The House Of Love (novel)● Weapons Of Words (literary criticism) ♦ FAROUK ASVAT is a novelist, poet, translator & medical doctor, banned by the South African #apartheid regime. ♦ Farouk Asvat was● awarded the VITA Award for his anthology, "A Celebration Of Flames".● nominated an Amnesty International "Prisoner of Conscience";● awarded the Fulbright Scholarship to the University of California at Berkeley;● the EOC Scholarship to the Vrije Universiteit in the Netherlands;● the University of Cape Town Health Care Trust Scholarship;●

"The legend of poet extraordinaire Farouk Asvat: ... like vintage wine, proper poetry matures with time, and like vintage art the voice and wisdom of a poet worth the name is timeless."Mphutlane wa Bofelo, kagablog " ... a guided tour of the souls of the South Africans he writes about and cares about. ... Hauntingly universal ..."Thomas Rome, New York "The Wind Still Sings Sad Songs ... is an important addition to any discerning reader's literary collection."Victor Metsoamere, Sowetan "Like hesitating snowflakes ... his words are fascinating in their capricious wilfulness ... like unexpected strokes of a whip."Susanne Baackmann, University Of Albuquerque, USA"Farouk Asvat ... writes about love and suffering, about individualism, snobbishness, pretence and pride, about human and environmental beauty and about opposing oppression, and who deploys metaphysical, lyrical and colloquial language, slang and standard diction, all with equal strength and ease."Cosmo Pieterse, Culture In Another South Africa"Since he has been in the line of fire as both a victim of Apartheid and as a political voice in the struggle for liberation, his evocation of the contemporary South African battlefield and his testimony of the humiliation, isolation, deprivation, degradation and murder, the collective weapons of Apartheid, are chillingly authentic."Herbert Steyn, English Olympiad, King Edward VII School."His love poetry soars with an intense sensitivity, it celebrates lyrically the joys of a most exquisite sensuousness."Marcia Leveson, University Of The Witwatersrand, The Indicator"... you almost catch your breath at some of the stanzas ... you can re-read it several times and be struck by new ideas, metaphors, elegiac surprises, and the heartfelt poignancy ..."Aggrey Klaaste, editor Sowetan"Out of an angry silence, a polished poet is born."Anton Harber, editor Weekly Mail"This anthology contains some of the finest political poems published in the past two decades ...."Heather Mackie, Business Day"... a love imagery entwined with pain, blood and violence ..."Josefa Salm n, Loyola University, USA"A common feature of the volume is the mingling of internal and external reality into internal psychological disturbance."Duncan Brown, English Academy Review"... Farouk Asvat regards the honed word as a means of interrogating the slogans and dreams of the revolution."Michael Chapman, Southern African Review" ... carries conviction and conveys a mounting tension which can be glancingly lyrical and simultaneously politically authoritative."Peter Wilhelm, Financial Mail"Asvat's distrust of rhetorical formulas produces a language that is capable of interrogating the dreams and slogans of the revolution."Julia Martin, Upstream"... ringing celebrations and criticisms of recent political events ... this collection is an important addition to South African poetry."Francis Faller, Johannesburg College of Education, Tribute"Poetry is not viewed primarily as an art form, but rather as the vital expression of a people struggling to voice its soul ..."Phyllis Bischof, University of California, Berkeley"He conveys a vivid sense of the country's agony, of the brutalization of all those involved in political conflict."Amrit Manga, New Nation"Here is the poetry which in its very contradictions explores accurately the emotional terrain and tensions of life in the townships today."Kelwyn Sole, University Of Cape Town, Staffrider"... one of the most prolific - and controversial - South African poets "Jon Qwelane, editor Sunday Star"A Celebration of Flames is so near to the bone, so full of despair and sanity. There is such gentleness and sadness in the love poetry ..."Debbie Arends, University Of Witwatersrand"Asvat ... explores ... the turbulence and fragility of life under apartheid and the sustaining power of love in these times."Andrew Martin, National English Literary Museum News

"In Bra Frooks ... Asvat uses witty, humorous, sarcastic and satiric language to expose the contradictions, emotional terrains and tensions in both Apartheid and post-Apartheid South Africa. He uses the lingo, voice and logic of the man and woman in the street to expose the absurdity of political repression and social control and the mediocrity and hypocrisy of political and religious dogmatism. The tenacity and resilience of people in the face of repression and suppression is exhibited by their ability to see the humorous side of every situation, laughing at the short-sightedness of their oppressors as well as having a good laugh at themselves. This playfulness and wittiness of slang language comes in handy, especially where Asvat uses narrative, monologue, dialogue/dramatic techniques ..." Mphutlane Wa Bofelo, Bluesology And Bofelosophy Yes, Farouk Asvat is back, with a brand new collection of old and new slang poems in broken afrikaans, tsotsi taal, kaapse skollie, and durbanite tunes. All the original poems in streetwise lingo, including some new ones, have now been collected into one anthology: Bra Frooks ...All Farouk Asvat's English poems, including translations of the slang and Afrikaans poems into English by the poet himself, are now available on amazon kindle in the following anthologies: The Time Of Our Lives A Celebration Of Flames The Wind Still Sings Sad Songs_______________________________________ja, farouk asvat is terug, met 'n brand new bundel van ou en nuwe sleng po sie in tsotsitaal, kaapse kombuis, en ook 'n paar verse in broken afrikaans, met bekende gedigtes soos: Die Kamma-Intellectuals A Poor Man's Prayer King Of The Guerillas Bra Frooks En Die John Vorster Span Ou China En Die Amper-Intellectual Fietas (reprise)maar nou tune hy ook soos 'n durbanite in nuwe gedigtes soos: Over The Wall An' All en Hoe Ko' Ek By Die Hel?en brand new gedigtes soos: Sauvignon, Blanc, Sir? en I'm Suffering "... swart Afrikaanse digters van die tagtigs - onthou iemand nog vir Farouk Asvat ... ?" PIERRE de VOS, LitNet S Net (webvoet @litnet.co.za)"Maa' Die Manne Waver Nog: Jonger Swart Afrikaanse Skrywers;" HEIN WILLEMSE, Race and Literature ]"The wide tonal range extends from sensual and delicate insights into the nature of passion to the satiric and humorous use of slang." ] citation"Farouk Asvat ... writes about love and suffering, about individualism, snobbishness, pretence and pride, about human and environmental beauty and about opposing oppression, and who deploys metaphysical, lyrical and colloquial language, slang and standard diction, all with equal strength and ease." Cosmo Pieterse, Culture In Another South Africa"Since he has been in the line of fire as both a victim of Apartheid and as a political voice in the struggle for liberation, his evocation of the contemporary South African battlefield and his testimony of the humiliation, isolation, deprivation, degradation and murder, the collective weapons of Apartheid, are chillingly authentic." Herbert Steyn, English Olympiad, King Edward VII School."The legend of poet extraordinaire Farouk Asvat: ... like vintage wine, proper poetry matures with time, and like vintage art the voice and wisdom of a poet worth the name is timeless." Mphutlane wa Bofelo, kagablog "... one of the most prolific - and controversial - South African poets " Jon Qwelane, editor Sunday Star"It bears testimony to the resilience and courage of the oppressed in South Africa ... His poetry is devastatingly forthright and hard-hitting." Tyrone August, The Star"Asvat's poems ... with many depths, clever twists and juxtapositions, are exciting, true, and thought-provoking." Wendy Vogt & Alan James, Upstream

SADNESS IN THE HOUSE OF LOVE: Farouk Asvat The blossoming love between Siddique and Wasiela in the midst of an uprising against the cruel regime is set against the bleakness and the beauty of the peninsula - the myriad characters reacting with humour and courage to the turmoil surrounding them. Against the backdrop of the ever-present mountain and the persistent south-easter, the novel is a portrait of a cosmopolitan city isolated from the world, of a happy-go-lucky community caught up in the throes of a revolt against oppression, of an extended family responding to the new challenges facing them, of the slowly developing love between the two protagonists getting entangled in the maelstrom - with devastating consequences. ] SADNESS IN THE HOUSE OF LOVE contents: 1. The Family Of Many Children In The Motherless Mother City (summer) 2. Days And Nights Full Of Fire And Love (autumn)3. Sadness In The House Of Love (winter) 4. A Whirlwind Of Ashes (spring?) ] SADNESS IN THE HOUSE OF LOVE THE FAMILY OF MANY CHILDREN IN THE MOTHERLESS MOTHER CITY"They chase shadows," Fahdila said with measured contempt. Only Siddique, dreaming of the treacherous Atlantic eyes of Wasiela - the fairest virgin of the Cape - heard her. He looked at Fahdila's alabaster features across the supper table ... and said nothing. Her voice reverberated in his skull, flying among the colourful discord of budgies flying around in the rarefied air of the lounge, hovering about in the excited atmosphere of cousins and aunts gathered for the evening. From then on boisterous laughter took over, a carnival of delights in the festive atmosphere: ... ] FAROUK ASVAT was banned by the South African regime between 1973 and 1978; and nominated an Amnesty International "Prisoner of Conscience". He has received numerous death threats for his views and his writings. He won the Vita Literary Award for his anthology, A Celebration of Flames. He was awarded the Fulbright Scholarship to the University of California at Berkeley, and the EOC Scholarship to the Vrije Universiteit in the Netherlands. He was awarded the Kwanzaa Honors Certificate by the Africa Network in the United States; and his poem was selected to represent South Africa in the International Portland Review. His writings have been published in the United States, Canada, Brazil, Turkey, Switzerland, Netherlands, France, Germany, England & South Africa; and been translated into French, Dutch, Portuguese and Turkish. This is the first of a quartet of novels to be published.

I DREAM IN LONG SENTENCES the latest collection of poems by Farouk Asvat Winner of the Vita Award for his anthology A Celebration Of Flames "A Celebration Of Flames is a powerful, impassioned call. The sanity and courage of this collection arises from the poet's unique experiential perceptions of his milieu, making him one of the few who can write about these traumatic times with such lucidity and lyricism. The strength of Farouk Asvat's poetry lies in the way he intertwines the complex elements of social and political conflicts with intense personal relationships. The wide tonal range extends from sensual and delicate insights into the nature of passion to the satiric and humorous use of slang." Vita Award citation "Like hesitating snowflakes ... his words are fascinating in their capricious wilfulness ... like unexpected strokes of a whip." Susanne Baackmann, University Of Albuquerque "The legend of poet extraordinaire Farouk Asvat: ... like vintage wine, proper poetry matures with time, and like vintage art the voice and wisdom of a poet worth the name is timeless." Mphutlane wa Bofelo, kagablog "His love poetry soars with an intense sensitivity, it celebrates lyrically the joys of a most exquisite sensuousness." Marcia Leveson, University Of The Witwatersrand "Farouk Asvat ... writes about love and suffering, about individualism, snobbishness, pretence and pride, about human and environmental beauty and about opposing oppression, and who deploys metaphysical, lyrical and colloquial language, slang and standard diction, all with equal strength and ease." Cosmo Pieterse, Culture In Another South Africa "Since he has been in the line of fire as both a victim of Apartheid and as a political voice in the struggle for liberation, his evocation of the contemporary South African battlefield and his testimony of the humiliation, isolation, deprivation, degradation and murder, the collective weapons of Apartheid, are chillingly authentic." Herbert Steyn, English Olympiad, King Edward VII School."... a powerful, impassioned call. I admire the sanity and courage of this." Lionel Abrahams, editor Purple Renoster & Sesame "... you almost catch your breath at some of the stanzas ... you can re-read it several times and be struck by new ideas, metaphors, elegiac surprises, and the heartfelt poignancy ..." Aggrey Klaaste, editor Sowetan"Out of an angry silence, a polished poet is born." Anton Harber, editor Weekly Mail"Farouk Asvat's award-winning collection of poems crackles with a passionate consuming pace ..." Z B Molefe, arts editor City Press" ... carries conviction and conveys a mounting tension which can be glancingly lyrical and simultaneously politically authoritative." Peter Wilhelm, Financial Mail"Asvat's distrust of rhetorical formulas produces a language that is capable of interrogating the dreams and slogans of the revolution." Julia Martin, Upstream"Here is the poetry which in its very contradictions explores accurately the emotional terrain and tensions of life in the townships today." Kelwyn Sole, University Of Cape Town, Staffrider"... one of the most prolific - and controversial - South African poets " Jon Qwelane, editor Sunday Star"A Celebration of Flames is so near to the bone, so full of despair and sanity. There is such gentleness and sadness in the love poetry ..." Debbie Arends, University Of Witwatersrand"Asvat ... explores ... the turbulence and fragility of life under apartheid and the sustaining power of love in these times." Andrew Martin, National English Literary Museum News books by FAROUK ASVAT: all now available on amazon paperback & kindle Sadness In The House Of Love (novel) I Dream In Long Sentences (poetry) The Wind Still Sings Sad Songs (poetry) A Celebration Of Flames (poetry) The Time Of Our Lives (poetry) Bra Frooks ... (poetry)