Local author sheds light on silenced voices in groundbreaking novelIn an exclusive interview, author Anne Schlebusch unpacks the story behind her latest novel Bloomer' and dives into why elderly voices matter.
by Carmen Coetsee
16-05-2023 15:09
in Books
Author Anne Schlebusch unpacks the story behind her revolutionary new novel Bloomer'. Image: Supplied.
Capetonian author Anne Schlebusch recently released her first adult fiction novel Bloomer. With the enigmatic character of 70-year-old Maggie at the helm, Bloomer is a revolutionary work celebrating the stories of those most ignored in our modern world.
--
Anne is no novice when it comes to the world of fiction. She has written several young adult novels and she was the 1995 Joint Winner of the Young Africa Award . In 2020, one of her short stories was longlisted in the Kwela Corona Competition.
In an exclusive interview with The South African, Anne unpacks her writing process, her inspiration for her stories, her future writing plans and much more!
Read our review of Bloomer HERE: Capetonian author celebrates overlooked voices in latest novel
--
ANNE SCHLEBUSCH: LOCKDOWN PUSHED OLD PEOPLE ASIDE SO I PUSHED BACK' Image via Twitter @roeliareads. In her interview, Anne unpacked the experiences shared by old people during lockdown. She states that they were seen as a big problem because they were more susceptible and because of this, they needed to be contained and locked away.
When the first statistics came out and people saw that it was mostly older people who were most affected, the world breathed a sigh of relief and tried to lock them away , Anne explains. This inspired her to write a story of older people saying, We are not dead yet, so we might as well live the lives we want .
In Bloomer, the characters show that life does not stop when you are over 60. In fact, life still holds romance, fun, heartbreak and the chance for reinvention.
--
SCHLEBUSCH ON HER WRITING PROCESS AND FUTURE WRITING PLANS Image via Twitter @nancyvee. When Anne was asked about her writing process with Bloomer, she laughs and says that it was chaos initially but that she soon had all her chapter headings mapped out. As a 70-year-old herself, she felt that her writing about the elderly was authentic and real. Even though the main character of Maggie is not based on Anne herself, she wanted to keep the characters as true to life as possible. I felt comfortable writing about aging because I am aging .
In the midst of hard lockdown, Anne wrote and wrote. While on the daily allotted walks, she planned the plot of the story. She states that it was a journey of the mind as I wanted to write something realistic but also thought-provoking and fun .
WHAT'S NEXT FOR ANNE? But Anne is far from being done with writing. She is currently busy working on another young adult novel. She will also have a new short story out later in the year that will be published by Tattoo Press.
In an exciting turn of events, an agent took Bloomer to the London Book Fair has suggested that Anne get writing on a sequel as soon as possible. There is also the possibility of a TV series for Bloomer in the future, so watch this space!
AUTHORS ON AUTHORS: FAVOURITE BOOKS Image via Twitter @anne_schlebusch. When asked about her favourite authors and books, Anne states that she reads far and wide. I have a very eclectic reading taste. I read everything .
Some personal favourites of Anne include famous page-turners by Liane Moriarty and she is currently reading Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. Anne also loves diving into African fiction, current fiction as well as a good ol' crime novel.
MORE ABOUT ANNE SCHLEBUSCH Like Maggie, the protagonist in her exciting debut novel for adults, Anne Schlebusch is 70 years old. This deft author is no stranger to writing though, having been a co-author of language textbooks and a curriculum guide. She has also written 3 young adult novels. In 2020, her short story was longlisted in the Kwela Corona Competition.
Anne has always been one for the world of words. After completing her MPhil in Applied Language Studies at UCT in 1995, Anne left teaching to join the Western Cape Education Department. She concluded her long and illustrious career with a decade as Director for Business Strategy.
Bloomer is published by Modjaji Books and is available for purchase from Exclusive Books stores for R330.
Are you a true Muvhango soapie superfan? Then take part in our quiz and WIN R1 000 in cash!
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
02/03/2026
NBC Sports selected Imaginary Forces to create the main title sequence for the M...
02/03/2026
The NFL announces the launch of the NFL Draft Innovation Challenge, a new crowds...
02/03/2026
The World Teleport Association (WTA) has named Skyline Communications' DataMiner SatOps solution as a finalist for the 2026 Teleport Technology of the Year ...
02/03/2026
Ventum Tech announces a strategic partnership with Pixotope, a real-time graphic...
02/03/2026
Victory , a free, ad-supported sports streaming service, announces the launch of...
02/03/2026
Global powerhouse Delta Goodrem to represent Australia at this year's Eurovi...
02/03/2026
SBS brings together prominent voices to discuss rising social division and seek ...
02/03/2026
NITV Unveils Wednesday Night Sport Night
Media releases
A Midweek Hub for Blak Sport
Flagship NRL program Over The Black Dot moves to Wednesdays at 9:30pm
...
02/03/2026
Rohde & Schwarz demonstrates FR1-FR3 carrier aggregation, advancing 6G readiness Rohde & Schwarz and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. have reached another pivotal ...
02/03/2026
MELBOURNE, Fla., March 2, 2026 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) today announc...
02/03/2026
Harvey Norman tops New Zealand's biggest ad spenders as retail leads and telcos and beverages sure Auckland March 3, 2026 - Nielsen's New Zealand'...
02/03/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, and Arqit Quantum Inc. (Nasdaq: ARQQ, A...
02/03/2026
Advanced Systems Group, LLC (ASG), a technology and services provider for media creatives and content owners, has appointed Jody Boatwright as Chief Strategy Of...
02/03/2026
Lightware, an industry leader in signal management, is reinforcing its commitment to simplifying complex AV environments with the continued evolution of its TPN...
02/03/2026
ZEISS Cinema opens its doors to an exclusive screening, filmmakers Q&A and hands-on showcase of the new ZEISS Aatma lens family on Tuesday, March 10, 6:00-9:00 ...
02/03/2026
To expand the creative potential of the compact Astera QuikBeam, DoPchoice introduces the SNAPBAG Round. The new light-shaping accessory transforms the powerfu...
02/03/2026
Douglas Dubler
On a rooftop in New York City, veteran photographer Douglas Dubler watched the sun's angle shift across the urban landscape, his internal cl...
02/03/2026
ZEISS is expanding its Otus ML lens family with the introduction of the new ZEISS Otus ML 1.4/35. This manual-focus lens is designed for photographers who live ...
02/03/2026
Matthews Studio Equipment now offers the new Dinkum Systems White FlexiMount and Phone Mount Kit, a compact, highly adaptable setup for mobile content creation...
02/03/2026
Luxembourg, February 26, 2026 - SES and Africa Mobile Network (AMN) have expande...
02/03/2026
02 03 2026 - Media release Ausfilm and Screen Australia launch joint UK market initiative
Ausfilm and Screen Australia have announced Partner with Australia (...
02/03/2026
Monday 2 March 2026
Saturday Night Live UK announces writing team
L-R: Jonno Johnson; Charlie Skelton; Celya AB; Omar Badawy; Gr inne Maguire; Laura Claxton; ...
02/03/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Unveils the Trailer for 53 Sundays, the New Film by Cesc Gay
Entertainment
02 March 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
Dis...
28/02/2026
With two features seen in Formula 1 coverage, the broadcaster aims to bring view...
28/02/2026
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth addresses a crowd of approximately 1,500 L3Harris employees in Camden, Arkansas, as part of his Arsenal of Freedom tour....
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Berklee Presents Mambo Mania: Eguie Castrillo and the Berklee All-Stars Big Band...
28/02/2026
Berklee Announces Two New Summer Programs in Los Angeles The Berklee Music Business Program and Electronic Music Production and Sound Design Workshop bring imme...
28/02/2026
AI-RAN is moving from lab to field, showing that a software-defined approach is ...
28/02/2026
Autonomous networks - intelligent, self-managing telecommunications operations -...
28/02/2026
Back to All News
Final Trailer for BEASTARS Final Season Part 2' Roars Tow...
28/02/2026
New way to intentionally discover molecular glues could expand drug discovery Scripps Research scientists and colleagues show how drugs that eliminate certain d...
27/02/2026
The E.W. Scripps Company names Oliver Gray as Vice President, Network Sports and...
27/02/2026
The Gotham Sports App, the exclusive direct-to-consumer streaming home of MSG Networks and the YES Network, is now available for purchase through Prime Video fo...
27/02/2026
ESPN and the Horizon League announce a new multi-year, multi-platform media rights agreement, continuing a 38-year collaboration that began with the 1988 Midwes...
27/02/2026
At the 2026 NAB Show in Las Vegas, NETGEAR will highlight its new switch models and major updates to its Engage Controller software. The company's network d...
27/02/2026
Riedel Communications announces that Fondazione Teatro alla Scala has deployed a...
27/02/2026
Lyuno specializes in media localization, including translation, dubbing, subtitling, and voice-over services for a wide array of entertainment content. The comp...
27/02/2026
Chyron Weather 2.3, the latest edition of Chyron's weather visualization suite for broadcasters and meteorologists, recently launched.
The release includes...
27/02/2026
Telestream, which concentrates in media workflow technologies, announces expanded practical AI enhancements across its Vantage, Vantage Cloud, EDC, Stanza, and ...
Local author sheds light on silenced voices in groundbreaking novelIn an exclusive interview, author Anne Schlebusch unpacks the story behind her latest novel Bloomer' and dives into why elderly voices matter. 
