Gail Gilbride

Gail Gilbride is a writer, reader and reviewer. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rhodes University and a Post-Grad teaching Diploma from UCT. (In a previous life, she was also a former Communication skills lecturer and merited English teacher.)

Gail’s interests include being part of a fortnightly writers’ group, reading and reviewing novels particularly by fellow South African writers, following the South African political scene, mentoring teenagers, supporting Cape Town City Ballet, enjoying music, theatre and swimming in the sea no matter what the temperature.

She has completed a number of creative writing courses with allaboutwriting and was mentored by Jo-Anne Richards and Richard Beynon. She is also a member of The Hout Bay Book Owls and a regular at Woman Zone Book Club.

In 2019 and early 2020, Gail was a weekly regular on Cape Talk’s Afternoon Drive with John Maytham, where she chatted about her blog Cat Therapy – a journey with cancer and corona. She has also been interviewed by Nancy Richards, on the SABC’s Book talk and by Varshan Sookhun on Midday Spice, Lotus Radio. Authors Jo-Anne Richards and Consuelo Roland, as well as journalists Penny Haw and Michelle Alexander, have interviewed her at book launches and on podcasts.

On occasion, Gail has swopped hats and interviewed authors Lesley Pearse, Consuelo Roland, Peter Kuhnert, Jewel Harris and Penny Haw.

Her publications include: Under the African Sun (Cactus Rain publishers,) a top ten finalist in the Author Academy awards and included in the FLF schools outreach programme, Behind the Blue Door as a co-writer (Balboa,) a short story in The Eleventh Month and a poem in Writing the Self.

Gail lives in theHemel en Aarde valley, with her human and furry family.

In 1976, Gail was completing her Politics Major at Rhodes University. Soweto – June 1976, was one of the many traumatic events which inspired her to write Under the African Sun.