Ask the Experts, Interviews Janet Levine: A Voice for Justice, A Pen for History
Janet Levine, best-selling author and activist, career spans a remarkable array of disciplines, from journalism and teaching to activism and best-selling authorship. Her latest novel, “Liv’s Secrets,” nominated for the 2023 National Book Award, deeply explores her Jewish family’s immigrant experience in apartheid-era South Africa. With a writing repertoire that includes historical fiction, memoirs, and educational works, Levine’s storytelling is as diverse as it is impactful. In this conversation, we delve into her inspirations, creative process, and hopes for the future while exploring her views on activism, recognition, and the stories yet to be told.
Question: “Liv’s Secrets” blends the personal and the historical, exploring your Jewish family’s immigrant story in apartheid South Africa. What inspired you to share this narrative, and what do you hope readers take away?
Answer: Since I was a child growing up in Johannesburg, South Africa, I was fascinated by my large family’s immigration story from pogrom-ridden Lithuania in the 1880s to South Africa. So many stories of an idyllic life in Riga that turned to slaughter and death and ruined lives. As I grew older and learned more, I always knew I wanted to write that history someday. In “Liv’s Secrets,” the first part of the saga is a fictionalized version of that history.
There are so many immigration stories in American historical fiction, but no fictionalized version of the Jews in South Africa; where they came from, and so on. During mid-20th century and beyond the Jewish population numbered 160k-180k, a tiny minority among five million White and 30 million Black South Africans. Their story is the background to Liv’s Secrets. I hope readers will learn about the Jews in South Arica, the physical beauty of the land, and culture and resilience of the many groups living there.
Question: Historical figures appear alongside fictional characters in “Liv’s Secrets.” How did you approach blending these elements while ensuring historical accuracy?
Answer: I grew up with this living history. At university, one of my majors was in South African history, and I read and researched widely. Later, as an activist and public figure, I knew or knew of, several of the historical figures in the book. It was seamless, almost effortless, to find places for them in the book. Here I want to highlight several figures, Robert Sobukwe, among the first black leaders to sacrifice his life for “the struggle,” General Jan Smuts, a South African prime minister, who during the years between the First and Second World Wars, became an international statesman, Hendrik Verwoerd, another prime minister who was the grand Architect of Grand Apartheid, and Helen Suzman, a key anti-apartheid leader (also on a personal note a mentor and friend to me.)
Question: As a journalist whose work has appeared in outlets like The New York Times Magazine, how has your background shaped your approach to storytelling in fiction?
Answer: Since I was four of five and first learned to write, I wrote little stories for my mother, and I have never stopped writing. As an adolescent I was published in literary magazines and had opinion pieces in national newspapers. As far as I can tell, life is a story that never stops telling itself, winding and unwinding plots and characters for each of us. I have been fortunate to be able to universalize that story in fiction.
Question: Your career spans a wide range of genres, from parenting advice to historical fiction. What drives your exploration of such diverse topics?
Answer: If you check out my website, janetlevine.com, the subhead is “Sharing Expertise to Enrich Your Life.” All my books, fiction and non-fiction, arise out of my personal experience. Of course, I develop and shape my ideas, interests, and experiences into whatever form I’m working in. The books are not memoir writing, except perhaps somewhat the voice in “Inside Apartheid,’ which is lived political history. Basically, it is investigative journalism with heart and color.
Question: You’ve been an anti-apartheid activist and a member of the Johannesburg City Council. How have these political experiences influenced your work as a writer?
Answer: In addition to what I’ve already shared here, human rights activism is one of the motivating mainstays of my life. As a public figure I’ve seen and experienced horrifying examples of “man’s inhumanity to man”. By expressing those experiences in writing I hope to shine a light on some of the darkest place of the psyche, both individual and collective. It is only with light that we can hold back darkness.
Question: With several of your books translated into foreign editions and nominated for prestigious awards, how do you view the global reception and impact of your work?
Answer: I am always grateful that my words and ideas are shared far and wide. Sometimes it is a fraught decision as to what to share, but if there is an impact of my work, that is my reward for my struggle.
Question: “Liv’s Secrets” has the potential to be adapted into a TV series or movie. What aspects of the story do you think would resonate most powerfully on screen?
Answer: “Liv’s Secrets” is a complex book with multiple storylines, shifting time periods, and many individual stories running parallel. I will be as interested as anyone to see how this is portrayed on the big or little screen. I think the individual stories of the main characters will resonate with many audiences.
Question: Your forthcoming book, “The Awakening of Diya Sharma,” promises to be another exciting addition to your bibliography. Can you share its themes and how it builds on your previous works?
Answer: Returning to the idea that my life’s work is “sharing expertise to enrich your life,” “Diya Sharma” is the story of a spiritual awakening. The world can do with some light now. The purpose and thrust of the book may be thematically similar to my other works — human struggle amidst universal experiences — but an inner journey is very different to write about. I studied Buddhism intently for twenty-five years and experienced many insights. The challenge in “Diya Sharma” was to fictionalize my journey until it became a universal possibility. The manuscript is now complete. Currently, I’m seeking a publisher who will do justice to Diya’s journey
Question: As a founder of multiple non-profits and a long-time educator, how does your activism intersect with your writing?
Answer: For many years I juggled both successfully. Often my activism super-charged my writing. I learned so much about human nature from my students. During those years I wrote mainly non-fiction. Since I’ve retired from teaching, I’ve been concentrating on writing especially “Liv’s Secrets.”
Question: After decades of activism and writing, what do you see as your most significant achievement, and what stories are you still eager to tell?
Answer: The reading public will judge any achievement for my work. I am gratified that I’ve had so many opportunities to explore my writing. I feel I have one book left to write, but no spoilers here. Except I’ll say I’m developing some ideas as a sort of bookend to “Inside Apartheid” and “Liv’s Secrets.”
Janet Levine’s journey as a journalist, activist, and author is a testament to the transformative power of storytelling. Through her works, she has illuminated complex histories, explored universal human struggles, and inspired readers across the globe. From “Liv’s Secrets,” which delves into the rich tapestry of South Africa’s past, to her forthcoming “The Awakening of Diya Sharma,” Janet continues to share narratives that challenge, uplift, and connect us to deeper truths. As she reflects on a career filled with profound achievements, her unwavering dedication to justice, human resilience, and the craft of writing remains an enduring source of inspiration. With new stories on the horizon, Janet Levine shows no signs of slowing down, proving that the most compelling chapters of her legacy are still being written.
Janet Levine is available for interviews.
To interview Janet or to learn more about her impactful work, visit her website, www.janetlevine.com.
