Face Value (book)

Face Value is a 1983 anthology of collected journalism by South African journalist Jani Allan. The book is compiled from selections of Allan's successful[1] gossip and popular culture column Just Jani that appeared in the Sunday Times. She was voted "the most admired person in South Africa." in a Gallup poll commissioned by the newspaper.[2] The book was published by Longstreet publishers in Cape Town and released in South Africa in 1983.[3]

Face Value
Cover of Face Value
AuthorJani Allan
Cover artistRoger Ingarfield
CountrySouth Africa
LanguageEnglish
GenreJournalism/Photography
PublisherLongstreet
Publication date
1983
Media typePrint (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages119
ISBN978-0-620-07013-3
OCLC53125911
Followed byJani Confidential 

Synopsis

The book is a selection of interviews and photographs of public figures from various fields such as entertainment, sport, business, art and politics. Allan also contributed a column-style introduction to each chapter. Andrzej Sawa provided the photographs of the interviewees.[3][4]

Five of the interviewees (Sol Kerzner, Danie Craven, Pieter-Dirk Uys, Walter Battiss and Taubie Kushlick) were featured in the They shaped our century survey, a top 100 list published about which people had the greatest influence on South Africa during the twentieth century. Sunday Times editor, Tertius Myburgh wrote a foreword for the collection.

Author's note

"I do not think that for one moment that in a brief interview I can write an accurate-every-time character-revealing piece. But my aim has always been to convey as honestly as I can my first impressions on Face Value, with no 'Ums', 'Ers' or retakes."[3]

Reception

The book received favourable reviews;[3]

"She soon developed a highly individual style and the Jani Allan column, one of the most successful features in Africa's biggest newspaper, followed. She's become a formidable journalist...There's a touch of Tom Wolfe's 'new journalism' about her writing, but it is never contrived. In her choice of subjects she's attracted by what she calls 'the boquet of money' and she's good on those ubiquitous creatures of our time, the 'celebrities', whom she is able to send up without the bitchiness which tends to put me off some lady writers of the adversary school of journalism. When she's touched by something - an individual, a cause, or some little act of valour - her writing reflects immense warmth and humanity." Tertius Myburgh, Editor of the Sunday Times

"Your piece on me acted like a bicycle pump and I mooned around for ages, smiling foolishly and cannoning off the wallls. [sic]" Frank Muir

"The only girl who ever knocked me out" Mike Weaver

"Guy Fawkes couldn't brighten up Sunday better." Graham Bell

"She is not destructive - but she does have a particular facility for puncturing pomposity" Joe Sutton

Contents

THE PERPETUAL SPECTACLES 9

BUSINESS MORE THAN USUAL 21

NATIONAL MONUMENTS 37

PRETTY BOYS ALL IN A ROW 57

FUNNY YOU SHOULD SAY THAT ... 67

SPORTING CHANCERS 79

OLD MASTERS, YOUNG IDEAS 89

MIXED METAPHORS 101

Dictionary

Her Just Jani column has been referenced extensively by South African English dictionaries because of Allan's popular use of terms such as jorl, smaak and larney .[17]

References
  1. "They Used to Hog the Headlines". The Sunday Times. South Africa. 11 June 2007.
  2. Abstracts Weekly Mail. 1992
  3. Allan, Jani (1980s). Face Value. Longstreet.
  4. Andrezej Sawa Archived 22 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine Nikon Professional Services.
  5. Louis Bruke Film Database-CITWF
  6. Benny Goldberg: Owner of world’s largest liquor supermarket Sunday Times. 26 August 2007
  7. Mr Anthony "Tony" FACTOR News24-Who's Who
  8. Joe Stewardson IMDB
  9. Richard LORING Archived 28 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine News24-Who's Who
  10. Karl Kikillus Discogs
  11. Mr Tobie CRONJE News24-Who's Who
  12. Mrs Katinka HEYNS News24-Who's Who
  13. Gordon Vorster Art Net
  14. Mr Alvon COLLISON Archived 29 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine News24-Who's Who
  15. CAPE WINE MASTERS AWARDS DINNER AT MEERENDAL Archived 13 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine 6 May 2006
  16. Inventory: The Carol Charlewood Collection 1984 to 1997 University of the Witwatersrand
  17. Branford, Jean (1987). A Dictionary of South African English. Oxford University Press.
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