It turns out that the more intimate we are with what we want, the more self-aware we will be about how we spend our time. – The cross roads between Must and Should.
A year after we wrote about the #HelpMeFindWork campaign, Ts’olo Tjeka Tjeka Thakeli published his first masterpiece in the form of a book. A copy sells for M150.00. We had a chance to quiz Tjeka Tjeka about his book and below is a transcript of our chat.
It’s your first book, it’s finally here, how do you feel?
For me, this is the best achievement in my entire life. I have been excited before, but never before have I felt so much joy in my life. The feeling is priceless.
Have you always wanted to be a writer? Was there a particular moment you thought, ‘I can do this!’?
Not really, but many people had before, and even now, told me that I can become a great writer. Back in High School I enjoyed English language more than any other subjects and I used to write great essays and compositions, so good that my pieces would be read to senior students. But I have always loved and enjoyed reading. How I came to write? Every time I shared my tribulations on Facebook I would get comments that I should write a book but I never took that seriously until I met and got inspired by a young writer from eSwatini by the name of Bonkhe Shabangu. He set my spirit ablaze with his masterpiece and that’s when I decided to put my story down on paper
Who should read this book?
This book is dedicated to my brothers and sisters out there who were the calamitous brunt of unemployment and live the reality and scourge of poverty. It is a message of hope, survival, motivation and victory. I want them to live in faith and keep rolling the dice, for one day, just one day, ‘izopopa’.
How did you publish the book?
The book is self published, and that means I bear all the expenses for its printing, sales and marketing and everything pertaining thereto. I actually turned down offers from prestigious publishers because I wanted to retain full ownership of the masterpiece
Anything you want to add?
Well, I want to thank everyone out there who has been supporting me since I embarked on this writing journey. To all the people who saw a writer in me before I could even realise it, to everyone who has bought the book, and to those who are yet to pay for their copies, “thank you”. Without the support of everyone this book is nothing but paper that’ll gather dust on book shelves
Sneak Peek of Chronicles Of Unemployed Youth
“I came back to Lesotho with nothing, but a cold heart filled with hate, anger and bitterness. It was on the 18th August 2016 when I got deported back home. I had become dark in complexion and my skin was dry, pale and it clung tightly to my bones. I was visibly shaken, and one would not have to be genius to notice that I had taken a ride on the devil’s shoulder from hell. I preferred my time alone and I would spend long hours reading books… I trusted no one. I loved no one. The disappointments, betrayals, the anger, the mankoebe train rides and the prison experiences had turned my heart from that of a human being into that of a beast. I was tired, and I needed to rest. It was a retreat.”
And it looks like the orders are pouring in:
Place your order on 59901789 and pay via M-Pesa.