PRESS RELEASE (ENGLISH):
Well-known media personality Irna van Zyl will be publishing her highly anticipated debut thriller with Penguin Random House in July 2016. The book will be published in Afrikaans and English simultaneously.
Van Zyl, who has had an illustrious 30-year career in media, recently stepped down as an executive director at New Media Publishing, which she co-founded and which publishes amongst others Woolworths Taste, Visi, Golf Digest, Finweek and Eat Out. In 1985 she was appointed as chief sub-editor at Die Burger, the first woman to occupy the position, and she has worked as editor for Afrikaans magazines De Kat and Insig. She made her writing debut in 1995 with a collection of short stories, Grootmensspeletjies.
Van Zyl’s thriller is set on the coast near Hermanus in the fictitious town of Grootbaai, shark-cage-diving capital of the world, and features oddball detective Storm van der Merwe. Storm drives a beetle, she’s stocky and smart, and she is thrown into the deep end when a body minus an arm washes up on the beach. It doesn’t take her long to realise that the situation at Grootbaai is even more dangerous than shark-cage diving – minus the cage.
Fourie Botha, publisher of local fiction at Penguin Random House, says, “We’re all hugely excited to publish Irna van Zyl’s wonderful thriller and to introduce readers to a new heroine in crime fiction: Storm van der Merwe!”
For an interview with the author, cover images and / or author photographs, contact Ryno Posthumus at RPosthumus@penguinrandomhouse.co.za / 011 327-3550. Follow Irna van Zyl on Twitter: @irnavanzyl
PERSVERKLARING (AFRIKAANS):
Penguin Random House gaan die bekende mediapersoonlikheid Irna van Zyl se langverwagte debuutriller, Moordvis, in Julie 2016 publiseer.
Van Zyl, wat ’n roemryke loopbaan van 30 jaar in die media gehad het, onder meer as redakteur van De Kat en Insig, het onlangs uitgetree as ’n uitvoerende direkteur van New Media Publishing, ’n maatskappy waarvan sy medestigter was en uitgewer van onder meer Woolworths Taste, Visi, Finweek, Golf Digest en Eat Out. As skrywer het sy reeds in 1995 met ’n versameling kortverhale, Grootmensspeletjies, gedebuteer.
Moordvis speel af naby Hermanus op die fiktiewe dorpie Grootbaai, haaiduikhoofstad van die wêreld. Dit is hier waar speur-adjudant Storm van der Merwe haar opwagting maak. Storm ry ’n Volla, sy is aan die kort kant, sy is versot op diere en sy word in die diepkant ingegooi wanneer ’n lyk minus ’n arm op die strand uitspoel. Sy kom gou agter dat die stand van sake op Grootbaai selfs gevaarliker as haaiduik is – sonder die hok!
Fourie Botha, uitgewer van plaaslike fiksie by Penguin Random House, sê: “Ons is almal baie opgewonde om Irna van Zyl se heerlike Moordvis te publiseer. Daar’s ’n nuwe heldin in misdaadfiksie, haar naam is Storm van der Merwe.”
Moordvis sal in Afrikaans en Engels uitgegee word.
Vir meer inligting, kontak Ryno Posthumus: RPosthumus@penguinrandomhouse.co.za / 011 327-3550. Volg Irna van Zyl op Twitter: @irnavanzyl