The Final Continent

I've been published in Europe, Australia, Asia, North and South America, and finally one of my stories has been published in Africa: the Afrikaans translation of The Gondolier, on the wezine Afrifiksie.

Only Antarctica remans unconquered...

The Gondolier in Afrikaans

Unable to find a market for this translation, I've decided to post it here instead:

Die Gondolier


Die swart neus van my gondola sny glad en stilweg deur die kalm waters van die kanale. Die elegante tuig het my vir baie jare getrou gedien. Hy het passassiers onder die leidende hande van my voorouers deur die stad se waterweë gedra.

Die son sak weg oor die oeroue stad en die water word 'n donker lint tussen elegande sandsteengeboue. Ek neem 'n diepe asemteug van die koel aandluggie.

Is daar enige pragtiger plek as hierdie wonderlike stad van kanale? Soos wat die boot in sy ankerplek inbeweeg stop ek, en kyk ek met tevredenheid op na die naghemel bo Mars.

Die Einde

Translations, Rejections and Spam

A series of rejections all arriving within a week have proven disheartening. I've found every year that August is very quiet for responses. Then everyone returns from holiday and sends their replies at once. Unfortunately this time I got lots of rejections. They were mostly from pro markets though and I'm now determined to continue aiming high even if it takes longer to find a home for my new stories.



On the bright side I have a new translation of The Gondolier, this time in Afrikaans - its 32nd language. I've already found a possible market for it.



My blog is being targetted by spammers at the moment. I'm suddenly getting a dozen spam comments a day. I don't know what I've done to deserve this unwarranted attention. It does mean that new comments may not appear immediately as I'll have to moderate all comments now.