< back

PAUL WESSELS, Editor & Publisher

Paul Wessels has worked in the South African book industry in various capacities (book seller, publisher, critic, editor, writer) for the past 14 years.

From 1990 to 1998 he managed his own Mail Order book importation company called Deep South DISTRIBUTION.

"one small step for South African book distribution and one giant leap for readers of offbeat, locally obscure literature." (Alex Dodd, Weekly Mail & Guardian, July 15 – 21, 1994)

"the guru of South Africa's counter-cultural book-dealers, Paul Wessels of Deep South Distribution" (James Sey, www.q.co.za, September 13, 1996)

In 1995 he started a publishing arm of the distribution company called Deep South PUBLISHING with Robert Berold, then editor of New Coin poetry journal. Ownership of Deep South Publishing was ceded to Robert Berold in June 2003.

Wessels and Berold were responsible for the publication of:

EARTHSTEPPER – Seitlhamo Motsapi. (First edition 1995, sold out)
SLAVE TRADES – Ari Sitas. (2000)
THE GIRL... – Angifi Dladla, (2001)
REQUIEM – Joan Metelerkamp, (2003)
EARTHSTEPPER – Seitlhamo Motsapi. (Second edition, 2003)

Paul Wessels provided Editorial and Production input for subsequent Deep South titles, before leaving the programme:

TEN FLAPPING ELBOWS MAMA – Khulile Nxumalo
I LOST A POEM – Mzwandile Matiwana
WHITEHEART – Lesego Rampolokeng

Wessels was also responsible for the creation and origination of the Deep South "look and feel" – from format to book covers, to content, to website. The publication of Deep South titles was facilitated by grants from: Foundation For The Creative Arts, The Royal Netherlands Embassy, Buchu Books, the National Arts Council, Roy Joseph Cotton Poetry Trust, Interfund, and others.

From June 2002 to December 2003, Paul Wessels worked on the donga online literary journal.

donga was founded by Alan Finlay (current editor of New Coin poetry journal) in December 1999. Paul Wessels became co-editor in June 2002 (issues 6 & 7) and sole editor in December 2002 (issues 8 to 10), and changed the frequency of the magazine from an "occasional" to a quarterly schedule.

"donga is an exciting project. It shows just how dynamic and engaging an online journal can be. In a short time it's become very much a part of the writing scene." - Ivan Vladislavic

"too original to be easily replaced" - Lionel Abrahams

His critical writing has appeared in The Cape Times, ThisDay, Sunday Independent, M&G, New Coin, and donga. His fiction has appeared in Green Dragon. His experimental novel my ghost in the bush of lies was published by Deep South in 2005.