Celebrating International Translation Day

It’s International Translation Day, a global day of celebrating the work of language professionals.” We’ve been excited to celebrate National Translation Month this month, and this is a perfect way to close out September. International Translation Month is a time to shine a light on the wonderful translators who have helped us and our authors bring global literature to even more readers. Continue reading “Celebrating International Translation Day”

From the Editor’s Desk: 2018 Reflections

This comes from our newsletter series, From the Editor’s Desk, where Catalyst founder/publisher, Jessica, gives you a peek behind the Catalyst curtain. Subscribe to our newsletter to get more looks inside Catalyst HQ, author Q&As, giveaways, and more!

I have to tell you the truth, I’m feeling kind of tired. But it’s a good tired! 2018 was a whirlwind year (following 2017, its own kind of whirlwind) and included many firsts. For this Editor‘s Desk column, I thought I’d tell you what some of those firsts were–all of them worthy of celebration. And hopefully I’ll find some time to do just that this month–celebrate all the firsts of 2018. Continue reading “From the Editor’s Desk: 2018 Reflections”

Q&A with Martin Steyn

We’ve been re-posting interviews with Catalyst authors that originally appeared in our newsletter, because everyone—newsletter subscriber or not—should read these. Our authors are that good. But if you wanted to subscribe to our monthly newsletter, we wouldn’t mind. In fact, we’d be pretty happy about it. You’d get interviews like this plus event updates, giveaways, new release info, and more!

These past few months have been exciting for us, and Dark Traces is certainly a big part of that. The US-debut thriller by Martin Steyn has earned him quite a bit of praise. Library Journal called it a “captivating debut thriller,” and in a starred review, Kirkus praised the novel as “a dark, intriguing, and satisfying tale with strong characters.” We chatted with Martin about Dark Traces, his process, and the politics of crime writing.

Dark Traces is out now and available through Indiebound and Amazon. You can also read an excerpt from the novel here.

Continue reading “Q&A with Martin Steyn”

Excerpt from Dark Traces

Cornelius Delport. Born in 1985. Unmarried. Not only a teacher at Maryke Retief’s school for the past three years, but one of her teachers as well. And owner of a white Honda Civic with a Stormers sticker on the back.

It didn’t even qualify as circumstantial evidence, Magson reflected, turning his eyes up to the ceiling of his office. Del-port had no criminal record, either.

He was one of the teachers they had spoken to, but Mag-son couldn’t recall much about him. Which meant he hadn’t made much of an impression. Always useful if that person aspired to being a successful murderer.

It wasn’t much, but it was something. And no clue was too weak to follow up on.
He took his jacket and left the office.

A large part of police work consisted of phone calls, but Magson had always felt that face-to-face conversations were rather more productive. People were more likely to divulge information, particularly of the sensitive kind. And it was easier to see if they were hiding something or lying. Thus, whenever possible and when the potential information could prove to be important, he always tried to go to the person. Cornelius Delport had previously taught at a different school, and Magson was curious about his reasons for leaving. Maybe it had been nothing, but maybe it had been something. And if it had been something, his former principal might just be more inclined to talk about it with Magson sitting right there in his office.

“Thank you for your trouble.” The principal had already been home when Magson phoned and had come back to school.

“As I said, I live nearby. And it is truly awful about that girl. But, Warrant, I still don’t understand how I could be of help.” He had his elbows on the armrests of his chair, his fingers forming a tent in front of him.

“Well, obviously we have to take a look at everyone who had contact with Maryke Retief, including her teachers. One of them taught here in the past.”

“Oh? Who’s that?”

“I just want to state that we’re not talking about suspects here. It’s just routine.”

The principal nodded, but his bushy eyebrows rose. “And yet you drove all the way here, Warrant.”

“I had to come in this direction anyway. But it is a sensitive case.”

“What is the individual’s name?”

“Cornelius Delport.”

“Neels? Oh.” It was obvious the name didn’t leave a pleasant taste in the principal’s mouth. He lowered his hands and shifted in his chair.

“Why did he leave?”

The principal rubbed the tip of his nose and straightened a book on his desk. “People do sometimes change employers, Warrant.”

“That is true,” said Magson. “But usually they have a reason.”

“It was years ago …” He wiped along the edge of the desk, as if he’d noticed some dust.

“Is there someone else who might remember?”

The principal looked up quickly. “There was never—they were only ever allegations …”

“What ‘allegations’?”

The man’s shoulders sagged. He stared at the book on his desk. “There was a rumor that Neels Delport had had a … relationship with one of the girls in Grade 11.” He looked up at Magson. “But there was never any concrete evidence, and the girl denied it. Still, the rumors persisted. The learners circulated it as fact. Some of the parents got wind of it and eventually the situation became unsavory. The governing body decided it would be best if Neels … resigned.”

“And Delport just accepted it?”

“Well, he denied the allegations, but the situation was unpleasant for him as well. He offered to leave if we … supported his applications at other schools.”

“Do you think he was involved with the girl?”

“As I said, there was never any concrete evidence. But I had the feeling there was …” He paused. “… something going on. I’m not sure how serious it was. Children have a tendency to embellish a story and that was where most of the details had come from. Neither Neels nor the girl admitted to anything.” He looked at Magson. “But, Warrant, surely you don’t think that he …”

“What happened to the girl?”

“She transferred to a different school. The learners made it impossible for her to stay.”
Magson nodded. “Was she a loose girl?”

“That wasn’t the impression she gave. She wasn’t the type of learner teachers really talk about among themselves. There were no complaints about her, but she didn’t excel.”
The principal might just as well have described Maryke Retief. “Was Delport involved in any other incidents?”

“None before the rumors started circulating. After that there was … an episode involving Neels and one of the other teachers.”

“What kind of ‘episode’?”

“Well, they had words, a confrontation, I suppose. When it got physical, other teachers intervened.”

“Other than these incidents, what was your opinion of Neels Delport during the time he was here?”

The principal was silent for a moment. After a while he sat back and rebuilt his finger tent. “Warrant, I have been in education for a long time. There are always some children who are troublemakers. Usually, it derives from a lack of attention and love at home. Children fight it for all they’re worth, but they like discipline. It means they are being protected because they’re precious. Of course they would never admit it—and I doubt whether many even realize it on a conscious level—but that’s what these troublemakers are really seeking with their behavior. But then, Warrant, there is another type of child. He isn’t conspicuous, he doesn’t really cause any problems. You barely remember him after he’s gone. And then, one day, you read about him in the papers. Perhaps he swindled some elderly people out of their pensions. Perhaps he murdered his wife. Neels Delport reminds me of that kind of child. Prior to the story with the girl, he was here without being noticeable.” He stroked his chin. “Of course, some of these … ‘invisible’ children simply become ‘invisible’ adults.”

Excerpt From Martin Steyn’s Novel Dark Traces

Many thanks to Books Live for publishing this excerpt from Martin Steyn’s upcoming novel, Dark Traces. Dark Traces, Steyn’s debut novel in English, follows Detective Jan Magson and Inspector Colin Menck as they race against the clock to search for a killer.

One
March 9, 2014. Sunday.

“Yet another Sunday lunch with the family interrupted by blood and maggots,” remarked Warrant Officer Colin Menck beside him. “What a great job we have, hey, Mags?”

Behind the wheel Warrant Officer Jan Magson did not respond. He simply continued along the meandering Vissershok Road out of Durbanville, looking for the murder scene.

“Casey has embarked on a grand campaign to get a horse for her birthday. Next year, when she turns ten. Because it’s a special birthday.”

Magson glanced at the horses looking out over the white wooden fence. Further on, on the opposite side of the road, a sign indicated the turn-off to the Meerendal Wine Estate. The rest was just vineyards, the green much too vivid. He didn’t want a new docket.

“So I’m talking to myself again today.”

Sometimes Menck was like a child whose mouth had to be in constant motion, opening and closing, emitting sound. “I didn’t sleep well,” said Magson.

“I don’t ask a lot. ‘Yes’. ‘Oh’. Even a grunt will do.

Read the rest at Books Live

Catalyst Press Featured in Publishers Weekly

Many thanks to Publishers Weekly for featuring our launch.

Drawing on her years of publishing experience and love of African culture, Jessica Powers, YA author and longtime editor and publicist at Cinco Puntos Press, has started Catalyst Press. The indie publisher will focus initially on contemporary African literature, as well as graphic novels based on African historical events and figures.

Catalyst Press is launching with four titles this fall, and has distribution through Consortium. The house’s initial list will include three adult novels released under the Catalyst imprint, in addition to the first title in the African Graphic Novel Series, a line of YA graphic novels based on African historical events and figures.

Read more at Publishers Weekly