Dr Andrea Marshall – marine biologist

Dr Andrea Marshall
Dr Andrea Marshall

Beyond Words by Carl Safina. An incredibly moving and beautifully written book which delves into the controversial topic of animal communication and intelligence by one of the foremost environmental writers of the last decade.

Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance. This man is changing the world and might be one of the most important innovators and environmentalists of our time. If you don't know who he is... now is the time to find out.

Primates by Jim Ottaviani. A wonderful story about three pioneering women studying primates and the sacrifices they made to protect their respective endangered species. These women are my own personal heroes and became role models for an entire generation of field biologists and conservationists.

Marshall is co-founder of the Marine Megafauna Foundation.


Deborah Poynton – artist

Deborah Poynton
Deborah Poynton

The Untouchable by John Banville. Banville’s writing is so beautiful – dense and full of shocks of recognition for the reader. He exposes with compassion and precision the lies we tell ourselves to justify our actions. His protagonist is a troubled middle-aged man, who was a double agent in the Cold War, looking back with a kind of longing on a life full of self-deceptions and less than moral actions. I am astounded by Banville’s ability to evoke sensual experiences and moments of memory.

Christine Falls by Benjamin Black. Benjamin Black is John Banville’s pen name for his detective novels set in the 1950’s starring Quirke, a gloomy Irish pathologist. I love that he writes detective stories under a pseudonym, and does it so well. Why do we need this spurious line between “good” and “popular” fiction, or “low” and “high” art? He does both perfectly.

The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope. I read Trollope’s books again and again, and I particularly love this one. It is a satirical, grand, sweeping expose of the disastrous consequences of greed in London in the Victorian era. It involves a massive scam, and follows both perpetrators and victims, although at times those roles get reversed. It’s full of mad, bad characters, and fine, hilarious observations of human foolishness. 

Poynton has held eight solo exhibitions at Stevenson – most recently Picnic in Cape Town (2016).


Eric Bulpitt – chef

Eric Bulpitt
Eric Bulpitt

Heritage by Sean Brock. Sean is an amazing inspiration for celebrating heritage and local cooking. He inspires me through his renditions of the cuisine he grew up with.

Manresa by David Kinch. David Kinch is a man mad about organic fruit and veg. He gets majority of his from a farmer who grows produce just for his restaurant. He isn’t the first ever chef to promote farm-to-table by any means but the man is just inspirational in his approach.

Relae by Christian Puglisi. Puglisi is a thinker. He amazes me constantly with his out-the-box thinking of how to treat or what to do with produce. His restaurant Relae is also certified organic which is a mean feat and I respect his drive for sustainability and ethical everything.

Bulpitt is chef at Avondale’s FABER restaurant.


Alastair Rimmer – winemaker

Alastair Rimmer
Alastair Rimmer

The Beach by Alex Garland. Cool story on a “fantasy island” with a somewhat deeper social commentary. Easy, yet very good read!

Spanish Steps by Tim Moore. One man and his donkey on the famous Camino de Santiago. A great read with many tales about the multitude of weird and wonderful people to be found on the camino. Also a must read for anyone travelling to Spain.

My Uncle Oswald by Roald Dahl. Most definitely NOT one of his famous children’s books! But his whimsical and sharp wit applied to a “memoir” of his “uncle’s” wild conquests! A lot of light fun and an all-time favourite holiday read of mine!

Rimmer is Kleine Zalze’s Cellar Master.


Lloyd van der Merwe – hotelier

Lloyd van der Merwe
Lloyd van der Merwe

Tai Pan by James Clavell. Great and fascinating read. Was hooked from page one.

Poland by James Michener. Fascinated by Poland and its very sad history. Fabulous read.

The Poldark Series (The Complete Collection) by Winston Graham. Became interested in re- reading when TV series came out. TV series very faithful to original books.

Van der Merwe is co-owner of Majeka House.

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