Botho-Ubuntu, is a collection of short stories and poems, written by 67 young African writers which encourages the sharing of knowledge and their life experiences, even at the tender age of eight.
The book is complied by Dr Gladys Ke-Di-Bone Mokwena and is published by Shofar Book Distributions.
Botho-Ubuntu, is an African cultural belief which calls on individuals to come together.
Haroldene Tshienda of Shofar Book Distributions said the book was an amalgamation of young writers who shared their views and experiences in the form of short stories or poems.
“The author is from Pretoria but there are two writers from Cape Town who feature in the book,” said Tshienda.
“They are part of a compilation of young writers.
“The book is a combination of poetry, short stories, letters, and recipes of young people across South Africa.
“It tells the tales of what children did during the school holidays, what their favourite foods are, to the relationships with their pets and families and how they are shaped by news.
“They are sharing their stories, 67 of them. It is their experiences in their young lives.”
The writers who are between the ages of eight to 35-years-old and are from all walks of life and provinces in the country.
Some of the stories titled are: “Ben, I will miss your Woof, What I did during my holidays, My life changing moment watching television news, avocado toast, my favourite food and many others.
The book also includes creative activities for the reader.
The book is a product of Ke-Di-Bone’s aspirational gratitude to shed light on the younger generation of the African insight of the Sepedi proverb: “Rutang bana ditaola le seye le tsona badimong” - translated, it means, teach the children, share the knowledge, do not be selfish and die without teaching them, mentor and coach them when time still permits.
About the author: Mokwena, was widowed at age 26 and raised two children on her own.
She later pursued her dream of publishing a book titled: “Resilience in Adversity in 2021,” and had attended night school to further her education.
At age 62, she got her PhD.
The book will retail at R200 and will be launched on November 25, 2023.
If you want to know more about the book, visit the website : www.shofarbooks.co.za