Carla van der Spuy
How do you describe an icon? I have admired Carla since I met her many moons ago. I was being interviewed on a snippet of my life experiences for publication in Keur Magazine.
Since her phone call I was indescribably nervous and was playing different scenarios off in my head! I was thinking about who would I implicate, who would I hurt by exposing dirty details? What I should NOT say instead of what I should.
Carla walked into the coffee shop loud and confident. I immediately knew that I was in the presence of a naturally, uncomplicated genius.
Her humble, down to earth, bubbly nature means you cannot help but trust her with information you would not necessarily tell anyone else. She helps you forget your fears, and the words just come tumbling out, unreserved and conversational.
Throughout the years I have learned that she relishes her privacy. It must have taken an insurmountable amount of courage to get involved in interviews so explicit that it makes your hair rise. When reading about her new book “Gangster” I could not help to think, “What were you thinking before you took on this project!”
This intriguing thought gave birth to an idea of asking for a long-awaited interview with the awe inspiring, Carla van der Spuy.
When asked; Carla nonchalantly answered. “I love writing about true crime, but I like it to read like fiction. It is called “narrative non-fiction”. You see, readers like real stories but they want an easy read. This book was just like a kind of an evolution of my natural interest in crime. I always wondered how gangsters become gangsters. I was intrigued by the fact that there are gangs inside jail with operations on the outside. Most of the criminals I interviewed throughout the years belonged to some or another gang. I am naturally curious, so I had to get into the heart of “gangsters paradise” to get the true story.”
Her process:
It always starts with the idea. Gangster was written over a period of 15 months. I was put into contact with a pastor and his wife who were dealing with the rehabilitation of gangsters.
After initial contact, I conduct the online or personal interview and get a feel for the person. No matter who I deal with, I show them respect and will never publish anything that will make them uncomfortable. You have got to earn someone’s trust before they will open up. In the case of “Gangster”, I was more cautious because I knew I was dealing with people that had hard and violent criminal records.
Area of focus for Gangster:
Mostly the Cape flats, because of the open culture of their communities. They are so humorous and fun to work with. No matter what hardships they endure in their lives they are always warm and accommodating. The thing that really hit me in the gut was how many innocent children die, caught in the crossfire of gang violence. I heard many stories and met a lot of heartbroken mothers along the way. “
To write or not to write and personal insights on the “muse.”
I think the muse is a figment of the imagination. That romanticised picture of a rich hermit writer somewhere in a lonely beach house writing day and night, whilst wrestling with the emotions of a past life filled with heartache and turmoil, is all dust in the wind.
The reality is that most writers work hard for little money. They usually sit in a small room in a small house with no view. Having to draw on personal experience from subjects or themselves and paying for all the travelling and entertainment costs accompanying a story. My advice to future writers would be “marry rich and then go sit and write all day” you might even meet that muse. I do not think she favours writers that have too many bills to pay every month. We have too much pressure to put bread on the table. Self publish might be an option, but I would not recommend it, there are too many pitfalls and an exceptionally low success rate.
My writing also does not flow like most people think. I strategically plan and research. Only after this I start writing. Although I write from the heart, it starts as a clinical process
and then as the characters and stories around them evolve, so does my emotional attachment to the story.”
Tell us more about your workshops and classes?
“I decided to hold workshops for aspiring writers to pay forward years of experience. I want every single student to leave my class feeling inspired to achieve great things. I help them to round off their stories and make it publication ready. The plan is to have weekly classes rather than once off workshops. I do not like Zoom as a platform for my workshops. It is too cold for the arts and feels a bit like you are trying to speak to the dead!”
Who is Carla Van der Spuy, the wife and mother?
“I try to be balanced, get some exercise, whilst keeping my family life private and separate from my work. I love to travel and unlike most writers I am an extrovert that finds people and their stories fascinating. I put this down to my journalistic background. My curiosity is my greatest attribute!”
If you are interested in private classes or workshops with Carla van der Spuy you can phone or WhatsApp her on 0828953200