LITERATURE

SHAKESPEARE SOCIETY For those interested in Shakespeare, the Durban branch of the Shakespeare Society of Southern Africa has a full programme of events ahead.

On March 9 Hugh Thompson will show a video of Trevor Nunn's innovative musical production of the Royal Shakespeare Company's The Comedy of Errors, starring Michael Gwilym and Judi Dench. The venue is 90 North Ridge Road (phone 23-82) at 18h00.

April events include a talk and discussion on As you Like It by Barbara Barkhuizen at 27 High Road, Overport (phone 207-3687). As You Like It will be the choice of play for the forthcoming Shakespeare by Candlelight Reading to tie in with the special evening to celebrate Shakes-peare's birthday on April 20.

This birthday celebration will take place at the Westville Theatre Club, St James Avenue (alongside the Westville swimming pool) at 18h00 for 18h30. Cost R20 per head (a finger supper and champagne included).

MEETINGS

Unless otherwise stated, meetings are byo and snacks etc. Membership of the society is R70 pa (R25 senior citizens) Contact the Chairman, Nancy Church, PO Box 7010, Overport, 4067.

Phone 207-3687.

ENGLISH OLYMPIAD

A high number of entries for the 1997 Anglo-De Beers English Olympiad re-flects the competition's ongoing popu- larity. More than 4 600 school pupils from 298 schools countrywide have entered this event, which celebrates its 22nd year of existence this year.

The exam will be written on March 5.

The theme for 1997 is Parent-child relations in Shakespeare. Pupils are said to have been hard at work studying the plays Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer's Night's Dream and King Lear.

While preparing for the exam, they will have to read the prescribed text carefully and explore examples of spoken and written English from various generations and in various contexts.

The top 100 pupils all receive merit certificates while the first 15 are to attend the National Schools' Festival in July as guests of the Grahamstown Foun-dation. The three highest placed pupils win an all-expenses paid literary tour of England at the end of the year.

Details from Olympiad officer, Marcelle Gould, at the Grahamstown Foundation, PO Box 304, Grahamstown, 6140. Phone (0461) 2-7115 or fax (0461) 2-4457.

SANLAM AWARD

South African poets who have either a published tome of poetry or an unpublished collection of poems in their minds or computers can win two prizes in the 1997 Sanlam Literary Award, a project of the Grahamstown Foundation.

Poetry is the genre selected for 1997. There are two categories. The unrestric-ted category offers a prize of R4 500 for the best original collection of poems, whether or not the author has published previous collections in book form.

The restricted category will be awarded for the best collection of poems from an author whose work has not previously been published in book form. This carries a prize of R3 500. An entry in this category is automatically eligible for both prizes.

Poets must be South African and the work entirely original and in English.

The awards will be made during the Standard Bank National Arts Festival from July 3 to 13. Each winner receives a free trip to Grahamstown and one night's accommodation.

Poets who have been honoured pre-viously with the award include Douglas Livingstone, Francis Faller, Tatamukul Africa and Arja Salafranca.

Entries must be submitted to the orga-nisers before March 31. For entry forms and further information write to the Grahamstown Foundation, PO Box 304, Grahamstown, 6140 or contact Greg Jacob on phone (0461) 2-4341 or fax (0461) 2-3082.

WILD FLOWER GUIDE

The Natal Flora Publications Trust is to produce an important new book on South African wild flowers, A Field Guide to Wild Flowers. It is based on the format of its first publication, The Complete Field Guide of Trees of Natal, Zululand and Transkei which sold out within a year of publication.

Author Elsa Pooley is a practical botanist with wide experience in the field, in particular 20 years in the game reserves of Zululand which gave her a special interest in the use of plants by humans, animals and insects.

Ms Pooley has established five public indigenous gardens and was voted the Wildlife Society (Natal Branch) 1996 Conservationist of the Year.

COMPREHENSIVE

Being the most comprehensive full-colour guide to wild flowers produced on the sub-continent, it can be expected to become both a standard reference work and a user-friendly field guide. It includes more than 1 800 species and over 2 200 colour photographs which have been donated by well-known wild flower photographers.

The illustrated introductory chapter focuses on vegetation types.

Generous sponsorship allowed the Trust to publish their first publication. Sponsorship is now invited for this second publication from major busi-nesses. Individual subscribers and collec-tors will be called for closer to the publication date in October.

For further information contact the Trust on 83-9481 or 83-5254.

POETRY MEETING

The Live Poets Society at the Beach House, 237 Marine Parade, meet on the last Tuesday of every month.

For more information, give Ursula a ring on 701-7912.