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Nicky Greenwall’s A Short Life weaves a relatable tale of six friends who navigate complicated relationships while a devastating accident threatens to derail their carefully constructed lives.

It’s drama all the way, and the story can feel disconcertingly familiar at times.

Much of this is thanks to beautifully crafted dialogue, from multiple, first-person perspectives, which captures ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances and makes you recognise characters from your own life. If you’ve lived in Cape Town long enough, you likely have a Franky, Maria, or Seb in your circle of friends, for better or worse.

With Cape Town as the seventh member of this successful yet dysfunctional group, the story takes you through familiar neighbourhoods and well-known landmarks, creating a lekker local vibe.

“A Short Life is the second novel I’ve attempted. The first was rejected by everyone I sent it to — a turn of events I am now astonishingly grateful for. The novel was born out of a desire to understand lack of control. It’s the story of a group of friends who come into conflict when one of them dies suddenly, in mysterious circumstances.”

Nicky says the inspiration for the book came in 2020 after she read Rumaan Alam’s novel, Leave the World Behind.

“I savoured his writing style, while also furtively turning the pages. He had perfectly articulated what I had been feeling at the time by telling a propulsive story. Something shifted for me, and I knew what I needed to write.”

The lonely adventure of writing a book is lightyears from interviewing celebrities at the Academy Awards, but it seems the years she spent building a successful business and raising her kids have given Nicky the patience and insight to let her imagination misbehave in the most delightfully honest way.

If this is Nicky’s first novel, we can’t wait to read the next one. The book is now on sale at most reputable bookstores, or you can get a copy online.

 

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A Former broadcaster, entertainment journalist and television producer, Nicky is perhaps best known for the hit television shows The Showbiz Report, The Close Up, Screentime and more recently the multi-award-nominated documentary series The Beautiful People. She lives in Cape Town with her husband Robin Fryer, and their children Georgie and Riley.

You can catch Nicky at the 2024 Open Book Festival from 6 to 8 September, where she will join fellow ‘class acts’ in a discussion about writing privilege.

The Open Book Festival is an annual literary festival held in Cape Town, and focuses on South African literature in an international context. The event includes over 150 literary events, featuring over 100 authors over 5 days.

 

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