Press Release Summary = Salt & Honey by Candi Miller has marked literary history by being the first Western mainstream novel to use the famous 'click language' from the San tribes based in the Kalahari Desert. The novel, widely expected to be a major literary hit, is complete with a guide at the back for those keen to recreate the unique click sounds used in everyday speech.
Press Release Body = The author spent ten years researching the novel to ensure its complete authenticity, including living with one of the desert tribes in the Kalahari, and became fascinated by the language when listening to stories being told animatedly around the campfire.
Only in recent years have linguists discovered a way of representing the unique consonants, using a series of dashes and marks such as /, #, //, !.These particular symbols denote dental, palatal, lateral and gutteral clicks respectively. For instance, they appear in names such as N#aisa and Ju/'hoansi and in words such as /ton (meaning 'white people) and N/ore (home). The first time Mannie hears Koba speaking her native language, he describes 'her tongue click-clacking like knitting needles'.
The language also offers a rare insight into a private people that are often the forgotten victims of Apartheid and the painful struggles since. With their land being expropriated and the migration of their food impeded, this 'click language' has become an essential tool for survival.
Scott Pack, Waterstone\'s Buying Manager, commented: "I have never seen anything quite like this before and I have to read a lot of books. It is impossible to resist trying out the 'click language' yourself and the guide to the pronunciation is fascinating. The best thing of all is that it is also a great novel that deserves a wide audience."
Tom Chalmers, Managing Director of Legend Press, added: "I was immediately fascinated by these unique words which added to the remarkable depth and authenticity of the story. We are delighted to be making history by bringing to people's attention a language that becomes alive with every word. It also requires a certain skill to be able to reproduce these sounds - one that has escaped me so far but I'll keep working on it. Overall, it adds another dimension to a wonderful novel that looks like making a lasting mark in the literary world."
Web Site = http://
Contact Details = Tom Chalmers, Legend Press, 13a Northwold Road, London N16 7HL. 0207 249 6901 info@legendpress.co.uk
2012
