Jacana Media is proud to announce the release of the effervescent and bold, truth-telling and door-opening Those Who Live in Cages by Terry-Ann Adams.

With a nod to Marian Keyes, a curtsy to Shirley, Goodness and Mercy and a wave to Bernardine Evaristo, Those Who Live in Cages will change you, lift you, move you and ultimately hold up a mirror for those who share the lived experiences of the five Coloured women characters from Eldorado Park.

It has been a pleasure to welcome author Terry-Ann Adams to the Jacana Media family of authors and we would love for you to get to know her better too with this Q&A!

Share the playlist of songs and artists that you listened to while you were writing your manuscript. And did your choice in music change when the book went into production? How did it change?

I listen to a lot of music so its hard for me to narrow it down. The songs that helped me shape the story however were:

• ‘Bodak Yellow’, Cardi B
• ‘Four Women’, Nina Simone
• ‘Almal is vrek’, Brasse vannie Kaap
• Dirty Computer (the whole album), Janelle Monae

My music choices stayed the same but when I needed to hype myself up and calm my nerves, I would put on Beyonce.

When you look up from your work space or desk, what do you see?

I have moved from the place where I polished my manuscript. I had no desk and barely any breathing room, and when I looked up from working on my phone; I would see the wardrobe door.

If you look at the first few lines of your book now, can you remember where and/or when inspiration struck to write your book. And did a character(s) come fully formed? Give us an example.

I can definitely remember the first time I wrote what would become this novel. I did not know what it would look like, I only had a vague idea about the format and the characters and now all these years later both the story and the characters have taken on a life of their own. I loved growing with this text and, as my life became more complex, my work became more complex.

Give us a list of the books and their authors that are currently on your bedside table?

• Uit die Kroes by Lynthia Julius
• Kinnes by Chase Rhys
• Mermaid Fillet by Mia Ardene
• And Wrote My Story Anyway by Barbara Boswell

What are the items that you absolutely have to have with you when you sit down to write?

A snack and my phone.

Which book(s) and/or author(s) made you decide to become a writer?

Enid Blyton, Chris van Wyk, Rayda Jacobs and Charles Dickens.

Who do you write for? For yourself or the reader? And why do you think that is?

I write for myself. I try not to box in a reader, but I know for sure who I am not writing for. I write things that I want to read.

Tea or coffee while you write? Or something stronger, perhaps?

Coffee during the day and wine at night. I drink tea occasionally but it’s usually to come down from all the writing.

Do you have any lucky charms that you keep on your desk?

No, I believe strongly that The Husband is my lucky charm. I get to bounce ideas off of him and he lets me read aloud to him so that I can hear what I wrote. It’s very helpful.

Have you started conceptualising or writing your next book, and what is it about?

Find out in the next episode of Dragon Ball Z …

Categories Fiction South Africa

Tags Interviews Jacana Media Terry-Ann Adams Those Who Live In Cages