Set in 1976 in the apartheid era of South
Africa, the novel begins on the first day of a new year, when a crack appears
at the bottom of a swimming pool in a suburban garden. On the same day, Hektor-Jan,
the father of the household, begins a new job as a specialist interrogator and
he proves himself to be remarkably adept at teasing information from black
prisoners. The signs are ominous for Hektor-Jan, Janet and their young children
as the crack threatens the sanctuary of their white family. Described by
award-winning writer and critic DJ Taylor as “a taut and imaginative novel,
full of niggling symbolism, imperfectly concealed secrets and fractured lives”,
The Crack is a fitting follow-up to the success of Radmann’s first
novel, Held Up.
Working at Lord Wandsworth College in
Hampshire, known for its emphasis on Character Education, Radmann writes in the
early mornings before the school day begins. His love of English
literature and lively interaction with his pupils are essential to the creative
process. The fresh perspectives his students offer, as well as their original
arguments and insights, are he says invaluable to a writer constantly on the
look-out for the quirky view on life. He believes that living on site at a
boarding school is almost like inhabiting a novel. The ebb and flow of
the school terms, like a complex plot, offer their inevitable crises, tensions
and excitements and are followed by the joyous anti-climax of regular holidays,
building to a final chapter of the academic year – the long summer break, with
more time to plan, research and write.
The huge Lord Wandsworth College campus,
surrounded by farm and rolling woodland, is a far cry from Radmann’s native
South Africa. He brought his young family to England after his family and
close friends experienced several instances of shocking violence. His writing,
however, renegotiates a sense of modern South Africa and explores issues such
as racial violence and political brutality, but also seeks to find redemption
and to celebrate human endurance and triumph despite adversity.
The Crack is available from all good bookshops, Amazon and as an e-book
from 1st May, £14.99 hardback.
Images attached of Chris Radmann and The Crack’s cover. For an advance reader copy of the book, high res images or further info, please contact: www.lordwandsworth.org.