Top author shares his book with East learners
The theme of the novel makes it a supplementary reading for one of the subjects, Life Orientation.
Grade 11 learners at Tsako Thabo High School in Mamelodi have received copies of the novel, Hamba Sugar Daddy, from its author, Dr Nape Motana.
Motana said he decided to buy copies of his novel from the publisher and sell them at a reduced price in the townships because it would not benefit anyone if a black author became a victim of the “blacks don’t read stereotype”.
“The main aim was to take the books to the potential readers rather than expect them to catch a taxi or drive all the way to the shopping malls to buy the books.”
He said he was targeting the high schools because Hamba Sugar Daddy would benefit such learners.
“I was given permission to promote my novel to grade 11 learners at Tsako Thabo school.
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“There was a lot of excitement the moment I lifted the book and they saw the title,“ said Motana.
“Towards the end of the session a few learners indicated they wanted to buy the book.”
Some learners came up with an ingenious method of buying the book: in pairs and threes.
Four learners also decided that they would put money together so that they could afford the book.
“The theme of the novel makes it a supplementary reading for one of the subjects, life orientation, and it fosters a culture of reading,” said Motana.
In the novel the main character is a grade 12-learner who, owing to bad company, is “recruited” to have a sugar daddy.
Learners can easily relate to the main character and can also learn from her mistakes.
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“By buying the novel the learners are challenging their teachers who perhaps have their own priorities. They are also defying the stereotype that the ‘born-frees’ only care about the smart phones and other trappings of consumerism,” said the novelist.
“In most homes of the black population, the books that are common or popular are Bibles and hymn books. So, the learners who buy the novel can perhaps help their non-reading families to start to be part of the reading nation.”
Other books that Motana, who has a Phd in creative writing has published, are Sepedi Proverbs in 2004, Fanie Fourie’s Lobola 2007, Son-in-law of the Boere 2010 and Rabeka’s Dream in 2015.
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