
BY REGINALD KANYANE
A TAUNG-born writer jetted out of the country on a visit to London, England for a research programme.
Sabata Mpho Mokae left the country last week.
Speaking to The New Age newspaper from the UK, Mokae said: “I am here at Queen Mary University in London. The research is part of my PhD degree that I am doing at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape in South Africa. It is based on race and reconciliation in post-apartheid Setswana novels.
“I’m using the five novels of Kabelo Duncan Kgatea as the primary source. I have also just finished a third Setswana novel titled Mojo wa Manong. I expect to launch it in October this year. But while I am here in England, I’m spending some time with historian Dr Brian Willan,” he said.
Mokae added that they are also co-editing a book on Sol Plaatjie’s letters and that the research will assist him in various ways.
“Firstly, it will expose the wealth in post-apartheid Setswana novels to the wider readership. And will also benefit the academic community. It is also part of the celebration of one of the most prolific Setswana authors of our time, Salomon Tshekisho Plaatjie.
“This can only assist South African writers in opening more doors internationally. I always promote first-language writing whenever I go abroad. I also do part of my public readings in Setswana language,” he said.
Mokae writes in English and Setswana. He is also the author of a biography called The Story of Sol T Plaatje.
He also wrote a youth novella called Dikeledi and a poetry collection Escaping Trauma.
“My debut novel, Ga Ke Modisa won the M-Net Literary Award for Best Novel in Setswana as well as the M-Net Film Award in 2013. I have also won the South African Literary Award in 2011. The same novel, Ga Ke Modisa, was subsequently prescribed at the North West University and the Central University of Technology as study material.
“My short story, Down Sol Plaatje Drive was performed on theatre stage during the Global Express in Iowa City, USA in 2014. I have also launched my latest offering book called Kanakotsame: In My Times which is a collection of English short stories last year,” Mokae said.
The rising author has also been to Iowa City, in United States of America where he represented South Africa at prestigious Iowa Writing Program with other writers like Nic Mhlongo, Kgebetli Moele, Pieter-Dirk Uy, and James Matthews.
The award-winning author was part of 28 writers from around the world in the 2014 program.
Mokae said even though he originally from Taung, he is now based in Kimberley in the Northern Cape.
-TDN
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