About the Author
Arja Salafranca was born in Spain to a Spanish father and a South African mother. She has lived in South Africa since the age of five. In 1993 she earned a degree in African Literature and Psychology from the University of the Witwatersrand. Her fiction and poetry has been published in a number of local and international journals and anthologies. "A Life Stripped of Illusions," her first poetry collection, won the 1994 Sanlam Award for poetry, while her short story, 'Couple on the Beach' won the same award in 1999 for short fiction. Her second collection of poetry, "The Fire in Which We Burn," was published in 2000. Arja has worked as a journalist and sub-editor for various newspapers.
Alan Finlay was born in Johannesburg and earned his BA in Philosophy and English at Rhodes University. From 1994 to 1999 he published the literary magazine "Bleksem," and later founded the online literary magazine Donga (www.donga.co.za). His own published collections of poetry include: "Burning Aloes" (Dye Hard Press, 1994); "No Free Sleeping" (with Donald Parenzee and Vonani Bila; Botsotso Publishers, 1998); and "The Red Laughter Of Guns In Green Summer Rain" (chainpoems with Phillip Zhuwao; Dye Hard Press, 2002). Alan works in social and media research and lives in Johannesburg with his wife and two sons.
