Tracking Deon Meyer
Big Issue|Issue 283
He is currently the South African author whose name is on everybody’s lips. IRNA VAN ZYL managed to speak to the thriller writer Deon Meyer in between book launches, TV appearances and awards ceremonies.
Tracking Deon Meyer

Deon Meyer is a very busy man. In the last three months his TV series Trackers has attracted the highest audience figures for any series (including Game of Thrones) on the small screen; his lastest book in English, The Last Hunt, was published just in time for the holiday rush; and in the meantime Prooi (the Afrikaans version of The Last Hunt) won a highly acclaimed award, just for good measure.

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE SO FAMOUS, I ASK HIM.

Uncomfortable, he admits. “An author does not belong on TV in front of the cameras. An author is a bit of a voyeur, and if you become recognisable, it takes away your ability to observe and to listen.” On top of all the publicity comes the wave of social media attention, he says. It’s not that he is against the publicity – Meyer has always been a very patient and polite interviewee – it’s the time that seems to dissipate that worries him. “The spotlight is much sharper and bigger than anything I’ve experienced before.”

We chat in the boardroom of a content-media agency – an environment he knows well from a previous life when he was a consultant on the brand strategy for a well-known motorcycle brand. Not that he even owns a motorcycle anymore.

This story is from the Issue 283 edition of Big Issue.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the Issue 283 edition of Big Issue.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM BIG ISSUEView All
Visit The ‘Seaside Circus'
Big Issue

Visit The ‘Seaside Circus'

There’s a new art activation on the prom …

time-read
1 min  |
Issue 300
SA's Food Capture?
Big Issue

SA's Food Capture?

While the debate rages on over glyphosate-based herbicides, farmers are spraying the chemical all over the world

time-read
5 mins  |
Issue 300
Design That Uplifts, Delight Intrigues
Big Issue

Design That Uplifts, Delight Intrigues

A collaboration with Southern Guild at the Silo District in Cape Town showcases designer Rich Mnisi’s first solo exhibition, titled Nyoka, on show from 2 October 2021 through to 4 February 2022. Designed to reach out and inspire.

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 300
Why Kaaps Language Dictionary Matters!
Big Issue

Why Kaaps Language Dictionary Matters!

The first-ever dictionary of South Africa’s Kaaps language has launched. Why it matters …

time-read
5 mins  |
Issue 300
Hungry, And Tired
Big Issue

Hungry, And Tired

This charity has been feeding Cape Town’s hungry for more than 80 years. Never have so many people queued for food.

time-read
6 mins  |
Issue 300
Life's Ups And Downs
Big Issue

Life's Ups And Downs

Feeling burnt out? Clinical Psychologist and Business Director at The Human Edge, Helene Vermaak, gives some grounded self-care advice for anyone feeling overstressed or depleted.

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 300
WHAT'S ON?
Big Issue

WHAT'S ON?

Get out and about under the spring sun, or enjoy entertainment online from the comfort of your couch …

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 300
SPACE TO REFLECT
Big Issue

SPACE TO REFLECT

When former Big Issue editor, Alicia English, lost her husband to Covid-19 earlier this year, she and her son discovered a novel way to process overwhelming, difficult feelings.

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 300
INSPIRATIONAL READING
Big Issue

INSPIRATIONAL READING

Whether you tap, turn pages or listen to audiobooks, an inspirational read can help you relax and see the world differently.

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 300
Rough sleeping
Big Issue

Rough sleeping

“Winters are the worst nightmare for us,” says a homeless man in Springs. Temperatures dropped to minus 7º C recently.

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 300