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Jay Volek’s novel of love and unity in Apartheid-era South Africa
Growing up during Apartheid in South Africa in the 1980s, Jay Volek, a member of a typical white middle-class family, with little contact with black people beyond the domestic workers, was inspired to write a semi-autobiographical novel covering a specific period in his young adulthood after completing university.
As a voracious reader from a young age, Volek’s political awakening began with books like Andre Brink’s A Dry White Season and Alan Paton’s Cry, The Beloved Country, among others.
“I also grew up in Jewish homes and consider myself culturally, rather than religiously, Jewish. It was at university that I was first truly exposed to other races, although, in retrospect, this exposure was limited,” he shared.
The River Club-based resident explained that he was inspired to write about an interracial and interfaith love story called Love at War, during the Apartheid era, because of the intriguing and complex elements it adds to the narrative.
“I did not experience an interracial relationship myself, although, on my University of Natal campus, as my alma mater was known back then, there were a few couples.”
He noted that it took him a long time to write his book because it is largely based on his life experiences.
“It has taken a lifetime because it is largely about my life experiences; the actual writing of the novel was fairly quick, about eight weeks, as I had a library of ideas in my head that just needed to be organized into a coherent and flowing story,” he elaborated.
Volek shared that he has always been a creative person, and writing this novel had been on his bucket list for some time.
“I owned a successful audio/video distribution business for 27 years, which I sold two years ago. It demanded my full attention and energy, but after all those years, it started to become repetitive. I needed more stimulation for my creative side.”
Volek mentioned that he faced challenges while writing about sensitive topics like race and religion in this book.
“The message I hope readers take away from my book is how fantastic it would be for Jews and Muslims, who are first cousins according to the scriptures, to see that love can conquer the divide and hatred that has developed between them. David and Shakira, the main characters in this book, are prime examples of that, despite all the obstacles in their path.”
He explained that writing this book changed him as an author and as a person because of the positive reception it received, which validated that he could write things that others enjoy and find worthy of their time.
“I have been encouraged by that, which is why I am writing the sequel. As a person, writing this book opened up and unleashed my creative juices again and has given me a new lease on life. I did not realize just how important that has been to me as a person,” Volek concluded.
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