A man who found his voice through his experiences
An author from Muldersdrift hopes that his voice will educate readers.
Neo Goitsilwe, an author from Muldersdrift, is a man with many stories to tell and through his literature, he hopes to teach his readers valuable life lessons.
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Neo was born on 6 February 1963 and grew up in the Atteridgeville informal settlement in Pretoria. The settlement is also the hometown of many well-known people such as Jeff Masemola, a prominent anti-apartheid activist, teacher, and co-founder of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC); the talented and versatile jazz singer Tutu Puone, also a member of parliament, and chairperson of the Democratic Alliance in Gauteng Solly Msimanga.
It is only natural for Neo to fall in the same bracket as those from a community that is well-known for producing creative and intellectual individuals. He has written four novels with each of them having his novelistic trademark of telling stories which he hopes readers can relate to.
He gained his creative inspiration from his late mother’s natural storytelling ability as his mother would tell him stories as a child.
I built my creative writing skills on the foundation laid by my mother and how she would tell me stories.”
His collection of books is written in Setswana and is all Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement approved.
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Despite his work having similar trademarks in terms of themes and settings, each story has its own voice, lessons and philosophy which he hopes will resonate with the reader. His first novel, Legae (The Home), tells the story of an imperfect couple who struggle to maintain their marriage due to their extramarital affairs. His second book O ngwanake (You are My Child), is a touching novel about parental love which was heavily inspired by his relationship with his mother, while Sethlaketlake (Island) is a coming-of-age tale based on his experiences growing up as a young man.
Neo currently lives in Rietfontein Village, a place commonly known as Video by residents. It is an informal settlement ravaged by crime, lack of service delivery and unemployment. The environment in which he lives gives him the themes and ideas which add substance to his stories.
However, despite the personal challenges he faces it is the least of Neo’s problems. He hopes through his books and knowledge that he can help the youth of Rietfontein see that there is life beyond struggle.
