Of chick-lit and chukkas

26 June 2005 - 02:00

By unknown

THREE more "women rule" events monopolised the rest of my week. On Thursday I breakfasted with a roomful of book-club girls at The Westcliff hotel (lovely setting; disappointing, stodgy food) where we were wonderfully entertained by queen of Irish chick-lit - or should I call it chick-wit? - Marian Keyes.

There's a new career as a comic storyteller waiting for the Celtic bestselling author if the written word ever fails her, though I doubt it will.

Wearing a quaint, spotted, gypsy-like, colourful dress and showing off a superb cleavage, Marian, now 42, had us transfixed, delighted and amused, as she talked frankly to Jenny Crwys-Williams about her alcoholism, her lust for skin-care products after a recent stint as an off-beat beauty columnist in a magazine, her disastrous attempts at putting on lip-liner (know the feeling) and her obsession with shoes, bags and chocolate.

Be encouraged, wannabe writers - the law graduate didn't make the cut for a post-grad course in journalism.

She has an interesting theory about the present spate of great chick-lit writers coming out of Dublin: until recently, Irish women were oppressed, but now they've found their voice and have a lot to say.

Travelling with her, as always, was her husband Tony, English and formerly in computers. It's lovely to see how he laughs so genuinely at her amusing remarks.

I've rarely met anyone with as fantastic a gift of the gab as Marian, who's enjoying a bit of a love affair with Africa, having been greatly taken with our continent after a visit here four years ago. She's since visited Ethiopia and is off to Botswana after Joburg.

Stayed up half Thursday night reading her new paperback, The Other Side of the Story, giggling to myself in the early hours and being hugely entertained by her wit and wisdom.

.On to lunch to the Park Hyatt Hotel where September's Ladies Polo match between SA and England was launched.

The It girls were all there again - Nicole Fox looking curvy, Kerishnie Naiker, Gerry Rantseli, Claudia Henkel, you name them.

Good to see that very bright lady, Sally Burdett, back from maternity leave after young Jack's arrival, and nice to meet Stuart Diamond, a birthday boy from one of the sponsors, Barloworld. Other sponsors are Avis and the maker of that lovely stuff Veuve Clicquot. Funds raised go to the Topsy Foundation.

Should be a good day on September 25. Put it in your diary.

.Last, but not at all least, I was part of the first round of judging the Shoprite Checkers/SABC2 Woman of the Year Award on Wednesday.

An interesting name among the 260 superb nominations in Social Welfare, the category I co-judge, was our new Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka's mum, retired nurse Sabbath Mlambo, nominated for her tireless voluntary work among the sick and suffering in Durban's townships. There's a family of good, strong women.

.If you're still up at 10pm tonight, you might like to take a peak at SABC3's Hard Copy where I have a very cameo appearance. Haven't seen it myself yet, but biased loved ones have been kind about my brief TV career.