Cover Art: Bevan de Wet and Io Makandal

(don’t fall, ma said)

Alan Finlay

(don’t fall, ma said) is a memoir in 25 poems that records Finlay’s childhood and primary school days in the 1970s to early-1980s when his family lived in Honeydew outside Johannesburg.
In stark images and the blunt tones of South African dialogue, the poems bring to life scenes of daily life – family, school, horses, teachers, grandparents, neighbours, farm workers and friends – to evoke the atmosphere of a white boyhood at that time.

 

Date of publication: 2026

ISBN 978-0-6398961-1-3 / ebook ISBN 978-0-6398961-4-4
100 pages
200 x 130mm

R160.00

 

Alan Finlay 2003
© Oriana Montana

 

Alan Finlay has published six collections of poetry with small presses. He founded the literary journal Bleksem, was co-editor of donga, and was editor of New Coin from 2003 to 2007. For the past ten years he has lived in Argentina.

Books published
Poetry
Burning Aloes (Dye Hard Press, 1994)
No Free Sleeping: Three collections (by Alan Finlay, Vonani Bila, and Donald Parenzee) in one volume (Botsotso, 1998)
Co-written with Phillip Zhuwao: The red laughter of guns in green summer rain: Chain poems (Dye Hard Press, 2002)
pushing from the riverbank (Dye Hard Press, 2010)
That kind of door (Deep South, 2017)
The cactus of a bright sky (Dye Hard Press, 2021)
(don't fall, ma said) (Deep South, 2026)
Books edited
Co-editor with Arja Salafranca: glass jars among trees: An anthology of South African writing (Jacana, 2003)
Co-editor with Paul Wessels: donga (Bleksem Books, Dye Hard Press, Botsotso, 2012)
Literary history
Pull Down to Earth: 50 Years of New Coin 1965-2015 (Institute for the Study of English in Africa - ISEA, 2015) 

 

Additional information

Weight 0.5 kg

Reviews of this book

Interviews & Articles

Interview with Alan Finlay by Gary Cummiskey    Dye Hard Interviews, 2010    text PDF

Alan Finlay interviews Richard Fox, Mbongeni Khumalo and Nadine Botha    New Coin (Gale Literature Resource Center), 2004    text PDF

Alan Finlay interviews Miroslav Holub    New Coin, 1996    text PDF

Alan Finlay interviews Phillip Zhuwao    Bleksem, 1996    text PDF

“Instead of a Photograph: Phillip Zhuwao in Honeydew (1995)” article by Alan Finlay    unpublished, 2020    text PDF

 

Reviews of other poetry books by Alan Finlay

Review by Marike Beyers of That kind of door by Alan Finlay    New Coin, 2018    text PDF

Review by Kobus Moolman of That kind of door by Alan Finlay    Scrutiny2, 2018    text PDF

Review by Robert Berold of The cactus of a bright sky by Alan Finlay    New Coin (ProQuest), 2022

Review by Marike Beyers of pushing from the riverbank by Alan Finlay    New Coin (ProQuest), 2012

Interviews by Alan Finlay with other poets

Interview with Kelwyn Sole by Alan Finlay    New Coin (Gale Literature Resource Center), 2021

Interview with Joan Metelerkamp by Alan Finlay    Dye Hard, 2015

Interview with Mxolisi Nyezwa by Alan Finlay    New Coin, 2008    text PDF

Interview with Charl-Pierre Naudé by Alan Finlay    New Coin (Sabinet), 2007

Interview with Bernat Kruger by Alan Finlay    New Coin (Gale Academic OneFile), 2006

Interview with Rodrigo Rojas by Alan Finlay    New Coin (Gale Academic OneFile Select), 2006

Interview with Khulile Nxumalo by Alan Finlay    New Coin, 2005    text PDF

Reviews by Alan Finlay

Review by Alan Finlay of butterfly bones by Elisabeth Gowans    New Coin (Sabinet), 2021

Review by Alan Finlay of Lament for Kofifi Macu by Angifi Dladla    New Coin (Sabinet), 2018

Review by Alan Finlay of Bilakhulu! by Vonani Bila    New Coin (Sabinet), 2015

Review by Alan Finlay of The girl who then feared to sleep by Angifi Dladla    Sunday Independent, 2001    text PDF

MA thesis       

"Making space: The counterpublics of post-apartheid independent literary publishing activities (1994-2004)" by Alan Finlay    Wits University, 2009

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