Melville’s Love Books is a jewel of Joburg, and we have Kate Rogan to thank for the way it shimmers and shines with the best reads imaginable. It’s where you’ll find everything from the latest whodunnit to an interesting independent magazine, and it’s as warm as its owner too. Here’s what makes her tick.
What’s the best book you’ve read in the past year? And why?
It has to be James by Percival Everett, which I read about this time last year! An incredibly clever retelling of Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn that will become a classic in its own right.
How do you keep fit?
Swimming (my best), cardio, walking, and yoga when I can.
Weekday, low-key restaurant go-to? What do you order?
I’m afraid that would be a glass of Bain’s on my deck, followed by something at the kitchen table.
What is the one artwork you’ll always love, and why?
The Pietà by Michelangelo. I saw it once – it will literally bring tears to your eyes.
Do you have a hobby? What is it?
Does going away for weekends count?
The one unusual item you can’t live without?
My Bialetti Brikka and a gas camping stove for said hobby.
Who was your high school celeb crush?
David Bowie, in every incarnation.
Three songs that you’d take to a desert island?
Beautiful Things by Benson Boone (for its passion and the chance to belt it out, uninhibited); Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits (it has staying power – my daughters are listening to it now!); and Sail Away by David Gray (as a kind of affirmation that I’m going to get off the island!).
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