Maxine Case’s First Novel in the Spotlight

by Gerhard on Feb 12th, 2007

Now that Maxine Case’s All We have Left Unsaid has consolidated its initial, highly favourable reception in South Africa with a shortlisting for the 2007 Commonwealth Writers Prize, we thought a brief reminder on what the fuss was all about in the first place was in order.

“Love and loss are juxtaposed in this tender and moving exploration of the mother-daughter relationship…” So said O – The Oprah Magazine – upon the novel’s debut. Read more:

Danika believes she can cope with anything. Now, as she keeps vigil at her mother’s hospital bed, watching her life slip away, she feels compelled to answer the questions that linger from her childhood in the eighties. What was the state of emergency about? Why did her father leave, and what happened the night no one ever talks about?

Only now, with her mother beyond hearing, can Danika break the silence of those difficult years. Now she can speak the words that were always left unsaid.

This beautifully crafted novel is a moving exploration of love and bereavement; of the ties that bind mothers, daughters and sisters, and the silences that keep them apart.

About the Author

Maxine Case was born in Cape Town into a family of readers and writers. Her mother is the well-known children’s author, Dianne Case, and her sister Bonita also writes. She never planned becoming a writer, but somehow found she couldn’t stay away from reading, and finally, from writing.

After school, she studied advertising and then completed an IMM diploma. After a brief stint in the corporate world, her nature won out and she followed her passion for books – cutting her teeth in the publishing industry by “doing everything” for Kwagga Publishers. She later freelanced as a project manager for authors both locally and abroad ghosting several books as diverse as children’s books, religious tracts and the inevitable self-help books. She found herself increasing doing more and more rewriting and less and less editing; and so inspired by this, she started to write her own work. She was the deputy editor of Indulge, a woman’s magazine published in Nigeria. Just under a year ago, she joined NB Publishers as the marketing and promotions co-ordinator.

Her first published work, a short story called “Homing Pigeons” was included in African Compass: New writing from Southern Africa 2005, a collection published by New Africa Books. All we have left unsaid is her debut novel.