MBOMBELA – Lowveld-born and renowned celebrity writer, Cynthia Jele has been greatly honoured in that her novel has been adapted into a movie.
The award-winning author attended the Lowveld Book Festival at Casterbridge Lifestyle Centre in White River last week. The movie version of her novel, Happiness is a Four-letter Word, was screened during the festival.
She briefly spoke to Lowvelder about her novel.
“Perhaps the love of writing came from the love of reading,” Jele said, and added that as a child she used to read cartoons and comics, which were replaced by romance books such as Mills & Boon, Danielle Steele and Jackie Collins in her teens.
“This formed a staple part of my reading diet. In my late teens and early 20s I graduated to more mainstream, mostly western literature. I now read mainly African literature. I am discovering many brilliant authors and becoming educated about the continent and its people,” she said.
“Happiness is a Four-letter Word came from reading too many books and watching TV shows about 30-something-year-old women and what they go through in their everyday lives. I believe females reflect a lot about who and where they are at this age,” she said.
According to Jele, women of this age start to have conversations with themselves and those around them about what is important and what not. “This is also the age where major decisions are taken, life-altering even, be it relating to their health and well-being, careers, relationships and families.”
Her intention with the novel was simple. “I wrote a fun and readable book reflecting women of today’s experiences. What Happiness is a Four-letter Word made me realise was how privileged I am to be living in these times in our country, to have access to certain things and people, and to have my friends and family around me.”
Jele said it was exciting and encouraging that the development of her book into a film was being realised. “Many books get optioned by movie producers, meaning there is an intention to adapt them into a film, but few make it into full production due to limited funding,” she explained.
The author said she was lucky to have been involved with the development of the script, so she knew which parts would not feature on screen. “I think that the director has done a great job in keeping true to the book’s storyline, and that is what is important to me,” she concluded.
• Jele will introduce the movie Happiness is a Four-letter Word before its screening at the Casterbridge Cinema at 19:00 on Friday and 18:00 on Saturday. Tickets are R50.
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