\u201cIt\u2019s not exactly a love letter to Durban,\u201d Elana says thoughtfully, \u201cbut the love spills out.\u201d And spill it does, onto every page, through every layered character, and through the central figure of Ruby – a woman whose seemingly well-ordered life is upended when a troubled houseguest forces her to confront wounds she had long buried.<\/p>\n
Despite what some readers may assume, Ruby is not Elana. But like many of her characters, she\u2019s built from the same emotional architecture, as someone trying to make sense of a beautiful but broken world, looking for connection across divides – of race, class, gender, belief. It\u2019s a theme that pulses through all of Elana\u2019s work, from The Slayer of Shadows<\/em> to The Red-haired Khumalo<\/em> and now Station Life Repair. But it\u2019s especially poignant here, in a city she knows and loves deeply.<\/p>\n Durban is both backdrop and character in the book – from its weathered city centre buildings echoing history, to the vibrant, improvised survival economies of Warwick Junction, to the suburban ease of places like Kloof and Assagay. \u201cThere\u2019s an elusive heart to this city, and I felt compelled to try and capture it.\u201d<\/p>\n Having lived much of her earlier life in a cramped Durban flat, Elana now finds solace and inspiration in nature. Her home in Assagay, surrounded by green space and birdsong, provides more than just peace – it opens creative channels.<\/p>\n \u201cWalking with my dogs is often when the words begin to flow. I\u2019ve learnt to carry a pen and paper wherever I go.\u201d<\/p>\n That sensitivity to environment, to place, permeates her storytelling. Place, she believes, is not just a setting, it\u2019s a living character.<\/p>\n Station Life Repair wasn\u2019t a book born overnight. It brewed over years, interrupted often by life, work and the need to simply let the story mature. \u201cCertain things had to happen in my life before I could understand what I was trying to say,\u201d she explains. \u201cSometimes life has to catch up to fiction.\u201d<\/p>\n The result is a textured novel, rich with empathy and complexity. Ruby\u2019s life intersects with a cast of diverse characters like a black therapist, a spirited Indian street vendor, a streetwise community school teacher \u2026 all of whom carry visible and invisible wounds. Yet despite the trauma that marks them, there is always the glimmer of connection, healing and light seeping through the cracks.<\/p>\n It may surprise readers to learn that Elana\u2019s first passion wasn\u2019t actually literature, but ballet. \u201cI used to run a ballet studio, and even danced with the Natal Performing Arts Council ad hoc ballet company, back in the day.\u201d But writing was always waiting in the wings. At just 12 years old, she had her first poem published – a complex piece titled The Stars of Love. \u201c<\/p>\n Her poetic sensibility still shines through today – in the music of her prose, in the rhythm of her storytelling and in the empathy that underscores her characters\u2019 journeys.<\/p>\n One of Elana\u2019s strengths as a writer is her ability to inhabit characters far removed from herself, culturally or experientially. \u201cA writer is like an actor,\u201d she says. \u201cYou have to slip into the skin of another. Many of my characters are composites of people I\u2019ve known, loved or just met in passing and couldn\u2019t forget.\u201d<\/p>\n But crossing cultural lines requires more than imagination. It demands humility, insight and deep listening traits that Elana embodies in both life and work. \u201cYou can\u2019t write convincingly about people whose worlds you haven\u2019t entered,\u201d she says simply.<\/p>\n That commitment to authenticity also fuels the writing retreats and workshops she leads – many of them held in soul-nourishing spaces like the Buddhist Retreat Centre in Ixopo. \u201cThey\u2019re not just about writing,\u201d she says, \u201cthey\u2019re about reigniting the creative life. People arrive with uncertainty and leave with clarity, energy and even transformation.\u201d<\/p>\n Creativity, for Elana, is a practice. A way of seeing the world. \u201cKeeping creativity alive doesn\u2019t just mean sitting at your desk,\u201d she says. \u201cIt means noticing. It means making space for the small beauties.\u201d\u00a0 When the well runs dry, Elana doesn\u2019t panic, she goes to the ocean, walks among flowers or loses herself in poetry and music. \u201cSometimes the best thing you can do for your writing is to forget about it for a while,\u201d she smiles.<\/p>\n She believes in respecting the process, trusting the journey and never letting the inner critic crowd the room. \u201cDon\u2019t talk about it, just write it,\u201d she advises. \u201cTalking drains the energy you need for listening – to the story, to the characters, to yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n With Station Life Repair now making its way into readers\u2019 hands, Elana is working on her next project – a young adult novel about outsiders, difference, and the ecological distress of insects that few bother to notice. \u201cIt\u2019s about those who see what others don\u2019t, and what happens when we choose to act.\u201d<\/p>\n Like everything Elana Bregin writes, it promises to be layered, lyrical and full of heart. Because in the end, her stories offer not just escape but repair, not just narrative but meaning, not just observation but connection. And that is her greatest gift.<\/p>\n Tips to start your novel<\/strong><\/p>\n We asked Elana to share her wisdom with aspiring writers. Here\u2019s her honest and practical advice for getting your story on the page …<\/p>\n Start now. There\u2019s no perfect time. Begin where you are, with what you have.<\/p>\n Keep it messy. Don\u2019t aim for perfection. First drafts are meant to be raw.<\/p>\n Write forward. Resist over-editing early chapters. Momentum matters.<\/p>\n Write what you know. Then play. Ground your story in what\u2019s familiar, but let imagination stretch it.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t self-censor. Let everything come out in the first draft. Editing comes later.<\/p>\n Use place as a character. A compelling setting breathes life into your story.<\/p>\n Master dialogue. Listen to how people speak – but refine it for the page.<\/p>\n Read widely, write regularly. Feed the creative fire. Practice often.<\/p>\n Keep the critic outside. Protect your writing space from judgement – especially your own.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t talk about it. Write it. Let the energy stay in the story, not in the telling about the story.<\/p>\n Above all, enjoy your writing. There\u2019s no other reason to do it.<\/p>\n Come back to yourself<\/strong><\/p>\n Feeling the need to reset, recharge, or finally put pen to paper? Whether you\u2019re seeking inner renewal or the inspiration to tell your story, these two upcoming retreats with Elana offer a gentle space to pause and reconnect with yourself and your creative spirit.<\/p>\n Time to Renew Your Fire<\/strong><\/p>\n An uplifting weekend retreat for those feeling burnt out, stuck, or simply in need of a life recalibration. Set in the tranquil surroundings of Ixopo, this experience offers guided reflection, rest and inspiration – designed to help you rekindle your inner fire and return to daily life with a renewed sense of clarity and purpose.<\/p>\n When: Friday, January 23 to Sunday, January 25<\/p>\n Cost: Two nights\u2019 accommodation at the Buddhist Retreat Centre in Ixopo (from R975 per person per night) plus a R300 surcharge.<\/p>\n Booking: Visit brcixopo.co.za or e-mail bookings@brcixopo.co.za<\/em><\/p>\n The Secrets of Good Story Writing<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve always wanted to write your story – or you\u2019re halfway there but feeling stuck – this energising half-day workshop will help get you moving. Elana shares practical tools, creative techniques, and heartfelt encouragement to guide you through the process of finding your voice and shaping your narrative.<\/p>\n When: Saturday, December 6, from 8.30am to 1pm<\/p>\n Where: Loop Road, Hillcrest<\/p>\n Cost: R850<\/p>\n Bookings: WhatsApp 071 493 0791 or e-mail elana.bregin@gmail.com<\/em><\/p>\n More than a novel, Station Life Repair<\/em> is a tender map of survival, love and resilience set against the backdrop of Durban. To order a copy, email: elana.bregin@gmail.com. It\u2019s also available at selected bookstores and online platforms.<\/p>\n WIN<\/strong><\/p>\n We\u2019re giving away two copies of Elana\u2019s book to two lucky readers! To enter, simply like and follow\u00a0@getitdbn<\/a>\u00a0(Insta) and\u00a0@GetItDurban<\/a>\u00a0(Facebook), tag 3 friends on our social posts, fill in the form below and you\u2019ll be in the draw. Winners will be contacted directly.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2025\/10\/With-Book-20251001_155449-400x378.jpg\")
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About the book<\/strong><\/p>\n