GQ South Africa — May 2017

44 GQ.CO.ZA MAY 2017

GQ&A

W

ith colonialism

romanticised by everything

from decor, party themes,

Halloween costumes to

fashion and Taylor Swift’s music videos,

Richard Mason’s latest novel is a much-

needed tome that tackles the topic both

insightfully and entertainingly. Who Killed

Piet Barol? follows the title character as he

searches for riches in 1913 South Africa,

and sees his initially appalled attitude

to the treatment of the country’s black

population take a sharp turn in line with

his own fall from prosperity.

GQ: You’ve been described as being

part of a ‘brat pack’ of young literary

sensations. Do you feel that you were

a bratty writer after the success of your

fi rst novel, The Drowning People?

Richard Mason: That’s an interesting

question because I’m aware that some of my

friends do think that I’m a bit of a brat. But in

a way I was too polite. I always said ‘yes’ to

everything. I felt a great burden to say ‘yes’

to every interview, to every festival, to every

speech... and to show up and to really be

polite. I spent a year on tour, answering the

same questions 10 times a day, in multiple

languages, some of which I didn’t speak, and

I had to learn them. So, no, I hope that the

people who work with me don’t think I’m

a brat. You can ask them, when I’m gone

GQ: What inspired the plot of your

latest novel?

RM: I’m interested in these colonial

personalities who came to South Africa

from Europe in the late 19th centur y or early

20th century and made stuff happen in

a very big way – a lot of it appalling. These

individuals were gifted. Cecil John Rhodes

rocked up here as a teenager, ended up

owning the world’s diamond business,

being the prime minister and setting up

a country next door. But you know,

Rhodes, on one occasion when the tribes

in Rhodesia revolted , went up into the

mountains on his own and negotiated

with them in their own language, and

TAK I N G O N

A HOT TOPIC

Writer Richard Mason tackles colonialism

in his latest work of fi ction

Words by Cayleigh Bright

Photograph by Michael Lionstar

‘I decided I would write one

more book, but do it my way

• not send it to anybody,
  not ask anyone’s opinion.
  I went on a personal quest
  for the joy of telling a story’