Surprise’s
family (mother, daughter, sister, friends and relatives, above & below)
mourn her death. Surprise was not on treatments and died shortly before Gideon
Mendel arrived to take pictures in her township home near Durban. Her sister
says: “Surprise was open about her status. I think she wanted to get
treatment and get better. She was this girl who liked to talk.”
Gideon Mendel’s panoramic pictures chronicle the most recent developments
for families like these in South Africa who are beginning to receive the newer,
cheaper drugs. For some like Surprise it wasn’t soon enough. These pictures
form part of Mendel’s new interactive visual presentation that can be
viewed online at Guardian Unlimited. Each moving image can be witnessed as
if you were in the room with a 360-degree camera yourself. This new body of
work showcases Mendel’s move from photo-journalism to a multimedia platform
and will be broadcast on Channel 4 as a series of four 3-minute films at 7.55pm
from Mon 8 Dec to Thur 11 Dec.
Visit: www.guardian.co.uk/aids To find out more about HIV treatment in South Africa, visit www.tac.org.za/treatment
The Gay Times Book of Murder stories, edited by Peter Burton, £10.99
ppbk, GMP.
You could be forgiven for thinking that the boys at Gay Times have a slightly dark view of the world. After last year’s collection of gay ghost stories, Bend Sinister, now comes Death Comes Easy. Like it or not, from Caligula to Jeffery Dahmer, there has always been plenty of gay gruesomeness around, and there’s definitely something fascinating about it. If you’re intrigued by the more extreme, bloodthirsty side of human nature then this collection of deadly tales by authors from all over the world is definitely for you. But remember - it’s meant to be cathartic fiction, not an instruction manual. How about The Gay Times Book of Light-hearted Cheery Giggles next time? JC
John Matthews, ppbk £10.99, Michael Joseph/Penguin.
André Lemoine is a brilliant genetic researcher with an obsession...to find a cure for Aids in order to save Eban, a young Rwandan boy he adopted when his entire family was wiped out by the disease. This race against time comes to a head with André’s chaotic personal life threatening everything he has worked for. From the jungles of Africa to the seediest corners of Paris, this is a heart-pounding thriller from the author of The Last Witness and Past Imperfect.
Selected
by Jamaican poet, James Berry. Illustrated by Katherine Lucas. Hdbk £12.99.
Macmillan Children’s Books.
An anthology of old and new poems for children from over 50 different countries, including further afield places like Mozambique and Kenya, this collection aims to “make you laugh and make you think”. Traditional and modern poems are included, short and long, illustrated with lots of lovely pictures and animals jumping about!
Santa’s SuitKate Lee & Edward Eaves. Hdbk £9.99, Campbell Books.
Fun, new touchy-feely book for younger kids in which Santa becomes a fashion victim and you get to stroke all his new clothes. Pink satin certainly makes a change from red velvet.
