Renée Sigel

 

Renée Sigel was born in South Africa in 1960. She was first published at fourteen and as an undergraduate by the English Academy of South Africa. In her graduate year, she was commissioned by The Department of African Literature to compile and edit essays by well known South African and African authors to celebrate the life and work of Eskekiel Mphahlele. The book, Footprints along the Way, was published by Wits University Press, but departmental in-fighting resulted in the book being released without accreditation to her: the editorship having being publicly, albeit falsely, claimed by the then Head of Comparative Literature.

Ms.Sigel went on to make a name for herself as a bi-monthly fine art columnist on a major daily South African newspaper and as an arts and theatre editor on a lifestyle magazine. Severe political pressure led to relocation to Switzerland in 1993. Over the next eight years she translated for a film production company and collaborated on several award-winning documentaries. She also wrote for the Zürich Opera House. Among numerous commissions, are a children's piece Tomas and The Rainbow Dragon for Narrator and Orchestra, Of Love and Remembrance, A Sonnet Cycle for Voice and Piano, a series of children's stories as well as two English Language Course Books for Beginners. She moved to Italy in 2002 and is publisher on the new online cultural and literary journal LITERATI MAGAZINE.

Sexions. Selections from life and love is her début poetry collection.

Renée Sigel now lives with her husband and three daughters in Italy.

sexions

In this deeply evocative début anthology, Renée Sigel takes the reader on a journey through a richly textured labyrinth of truth and contradiction. Her words and imagery delve into the core nature of self - of belonging, of sexuality, of displacement: Five African Songs and Sexions, selections from life and love, alternately weave through the intense and tenacious fabric of the African soul and its convergence with suburban ordinariness. Hottentot Venus traces the tragic true life story of a young woman, Sara Baartman, which mirrors the current reality of the modern day KoiSan tribe. From continent to continent, Renée Sigel's poetic insights will echo over landscapes and divides.

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A poetry collection commisioned for BeWrite Books by Sam Smith at The Select Six.

Also by Renée Sigel
Novels
The Abortionist's Daughter
Memorabilia
The Colour of Chocolate
Poetry
The Roundabout Years
Short Stories
Invisible Ink.Collections for the Stage
Clouds of Laughter & Other fables
Children
Tomas and the Rainbow Dragon
A Cat called Manhatten