As a little girl, published author Yamkela Khoza-Tywakadi would sit at the fireside with her cousins as they eagerly listened on to their grandmother tell tales only the imagination would do justice to.

Recently, she was invited to De La Salle Holy Cross College, as part of the school’s powerful Heritage Day celebrations. There, she told Inganekwane (folklores).

“As Africans, we are about folklore, going back to oral literature and how we used to do storytelling, before we actually read.” Her presentation to the junior school saw her command the stage, not just with words, but with movement and song.

Read more: Author is inspiring young minds through storytelling

Khoza-Tywakadi’s love for storytelling started with the legends her grandmother would share so lovingly with her.

“We grew up in a village, and after dinner we sit around the fire and my grandmother would tell us stories. It fascinated me, because it transported me to a world outside of where I was.” She feels this is what the beauty of stories is – the power to transport one to spaces never imagined.

Also read: Author unravels Africas complex past

Though she reckons she always had the inherent talent for storytelling and writing, it is also her deep belief that God gives each person a talent that is uniquely their own, which they are then compelled to share with the world.

Using that talent, she has written over 20 books, some of which are fictional children’s books, ranging in theme, found in Grade 9 classrooms, where they’re learning isiXhosa. She has also written books adults can enjoy.

Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates!