Photos: chris murphy
Writer Joyce Kotzé gave an inspired talk at the annual general meeting of the Riebeek Museum, Riebeek Kasteel, about how to develop characters in a historical novel, compared to a narrative prepared by a historian.
She painted images of the desperate conditions endured by ordinary men drawn from their normal lives, escaping poverty, previous wars or other similar dire circumstances.
This characterised the experiences of so many of her own ancestors, many of whom never returned, many simply disappearing in the devastated landscapes.
For Kotzé, she needed to delve into the personalities, sometimes drawn from written records, to create her characters. Letters from World War I, for example, were heavily censored, so little can be determined from them of the actual conditions.
She also highlighted how the emotions of war can be gleaned from poets, whom she elevates to the topmost levels among artists. Kotzé feels so much of their lyricism and the things they express comes from the innermost depths of their being, where their emotions stem from, and so much of which is revealed in their poetry.
Many – John William Streets, Isaac Rosenberg, Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon, Rupert Brooke, Edward Thomas and Robert Graves – left highly emotive records of their impressions of war, and she quoted excerpts from some of their works.
Depth of feeling, coupled with a feminine sensitivity, is what helps create characters for Kotzé.
She left a vivid impression of the futility of war, but also of a sense of peace that remains almost elusive
