Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2009. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Sunday Times (Johannesburg) - July 4, 2009
Wendyl Martin
High Low In-Between took Cape Town author Imraan Coovadia, 39, five years to write.
The Durban launch of the book will take place at Adams, Musgrave Centre, on Wednesday.
Coovadia launched the book in Cape Town two weeks ago.
The work of fiction, set in the early 2000s during the Thabo Mbeki era, tells the story of state doctor, Nafisa, who treats HIV/Aids patients in a Durban hospital.
Nafisa battles against HIV/Aids denialists, "quack doctors", bribes and her feelings of inadequacy, as an Indian, in the new South Africa.
The book, set in Durban, explores her relationships with her dysfunctional family and a dying patient, Millicent Dhlomo. Nafisa faces her fear of death after being pricked with a needle while treating Dhlomo.
The book also delves into the practic e of illicit organ trafficking.
Coovadia, a University of Cape Town English and creative writing lecturer, said he "borrowed" information for his book from his father and other doctors about their experiences with and research into HIV/Aids.
Coovadia, whose two previous novels, The Wedding and Green-eyed Thieves, were runners-up in the Sunday Times Fiction Prize Awards, said he titled the book after a folk song that he liked.
"One of the things the title refers to is the volatility of the characters, the position of Indians in Durban and their state of in-betweenness," said the father of one.
Coovadia is already working on his next novel, tentatively titled Paradise Road or Cape Town Taxi Poet.
"It's about a guy who runs an institute that produces poets who go around in minibus taxis in Cape Town."
090704
ST090701
Copyright © 2009 - The Sunday Times. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Sunday Times Permissions Desk.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from the Elton John AIDS Foundation, National Library of Medicine, AIDS Walk of Orange County, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2009. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2009. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .