Reflecting on Anais Ninn's brief for the bar on the eve of our writers week

Posted on Thu July 25, 2024.

It's an Art hotel. But is it an Art bar ? The thoughts of Anais Ninn the famous mid 19th century writer and author of an outrageously erotic personal diary that shocked society gave us some direction.

I saw a beautiful quote about writing attributed to Anais Ninn emblazoned across a 2nd hand coffee cup in a Kalk Bay bric a brac shop; "I write so that I might have a place to live". It was actually a misquote but for me it sums the  attraction of writing  up perfectly. Then more recently I came across another quote - this one specific to place;

Author and erotic diarist Anais Ninn

 

“I need a place where I can shout and weep, I have to be a Spanish savage at some time of the day. I record here the hysteria life causes in me. The overflow of an undisciplined extravagance. To hell with taste and art, with all contradictions and polishings. Here I shout, I dance, I weep, I gnash my teeth, I go mad – all by myself, in bad English, in chaos. It’ll keep me sane for the world and for art”.

Anais Ninn. Incest: From “A journal of love”. 27 October1933.

"To hell with taste and art". 

Further Reading

Winter time is AGA time Thu June 11, 2026

Here the AGA maestro Bjorn Vai gives an overview of our AGA. A long term companion on Sue and Rick Melvill's journey: From the design department at the Blue Moon Company. To the Prynnsberg Estate on the founding of Melvill & Moon, to the Karoo Art Hotel.

Read This Article
None
Route 62 sports car road tripping Wed June 10, 2026

Photographer Ian Fairley captured the sheer joy of driving the passes and distant horizons of Route 62 in a car that you're passionate about while on the Giulia Jaunt. The hotel with it's ideal midway position between Cape Town and the Garden Route has become a favourite stop over for the sportscar crowd.

Read This Article
Tee Hardman did Karoo Ink 2026 to a T 👍. Thu May 28, 2026

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.. Yes, the pictures from Karoo Ink do tell a story. But it's the comments of the participants that paint their own picture of what a gifted teacher and spirit builder Tee Hardman is. It was the best of times . Standby. There's smudge on the distant horizon (Oct) called charcoal.

Read This Article