Karina Author, Book, Event

Salon Hecate: Salt-splashed authors Melissa A. Volker and Glen L. Thompson in conversation

On 1 September 2026, Helen Moffett’s Salon Hecate will be having a ‘full circle’ celebration: many of you heard novelist Melissa ‘Missy’ Volker read extracts from her work in progress at one of the surfing salons in World Ocean Month. Likewise, you’ll have heard Glen Thompson, historian and surf scholar (there is such a thing!), read his poems on sea and surf. Both are familiar faces at Salon Hecate: they’re great supporters of local authors, they’re passionate about preserving the ocean and its denizens for the future, and share the Noordhoek Art Point gallery’s commitment to all things green and blue.

So we’re delighted to announce that we will launch not only Missy’s important new book – Chasing Waves: The Rise of Women’s Surfing in South Africa – but we’ll be celebrating the arrival of Glen’s debut collection of poetry – In the Slowness of Melting – as well! This is particularly special because he read those poems for the first time at the Salon.

The salt-splashed pair will interview each other, complementing each other’s approach to waves in words. Don’t miss this event, and be sure to tell all your surfing buddies to come along. (Remember, entrance is free, and there’ll be wine and small snacks.)

Details: Noordhoek Art Point | 1 September | 5.30 for 6PM.

Karina Author, Book

Karavan Press title: Chasing Waves – The Rise of Women’s Surfing in South Africa by Melissa A. Volker

In 1977, the world surf tour comes to South Africa and the final event of the SA Pro Contest Circuit runs at Umhlanga Rocks, north of Durban. Zigzag Surfing Lifestyle Magazine reports that ‘thousands of young, foxy, tanga-clad ladies’ request autographs from the surfing stars.

Prior to the final matchup between the male surfers, the women’s surf contest, a single heat, paddles out. It is called the ‘comedy interlude’ in the press.

A little over four decades later, Melissa A. Volker watches the women’s surfing Gold Medal Match at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. South African surfer Bianca Buitendag is competing against USA’s Carissa Moore and wins the first ever Olympic surfing medal for South Africa. Thinking about the challenges South African women had to overcome to charge the waves, Melissa wonders who paved the way for Buitendag. She decides to find out. Chasing Waves chronicles the journey and tells the story of the remarkable women who have defined the local surfing scene.

Praise for Chasing Waves

‘In Chasing Waves, Melissa Volker gives voice to the girls and women who shaped South African surfing’s past and continue to make waves in the present. Weaving in reflections on her research journey and her own surfing life, Volker crafts a tapestry detailing the choices and challenges of courageous female surfers since the Sixties. In documenting their life stories, Volker surfaces hidden surf histories and shows how the waves have become more inclusive. This is not only a book for those who surf but also for those who wish to wade into the unfolding history of South African beach cultures.’ – Glen Thompson

‘An extraordinary book. Chasing Waves, and the women surfers it recognises and celebrates, will inspire you both in and out of the water. I know I will return to it often.’ – Qarnita Loxton

About the Author

MELISSA A. VOLKER is the author of short stories, a novelette, two novels, and several articles on women’s surfing. Her writing is inspired by the land and seascapes of the Eastern Cape, where she grew up. Her environmental romance Shadow Flicker won the Romance Writers Organisation of South Africa’s Strelitzia Award for the best manuscript in 2017. The novel’s protagonist is a renowned surfer. Melissa learnt to surf in 2015 and won the Women’s 45+ South African SUP Surfing Championships in 2017 and 2019. She lives in Cape Town with her husband and two daughters.

Publication date: September 2026

ISBN: 978-1-0492-1512-9