Mamelodi author to launch his first book
He was inspired to write the book by what unemployed people had to go through to feed their families during the lockdown.
A Mamelodi author has launched his first book titled Poor Folks.
Tokelo Hlagala (26) from Mamelodi East, Mahube extension 2 said his book was about what poor people had to go through in life to survive.
Poor Folks is an anthology of four short stories and is for all ages.
He started writing the book at the height of Covid-19 when there was nothing to do due to lockdown restrictions.
“It was during this period where I began to survey the world around me and the circumstances of not only myself, but the country at large.
“Throughout Covid-19, I began to notice the great disparities in our society. I began to comprehend what many people had to undergo to put food on the table for themselves and their loved ones,” said Hlagala.
While the stories are fiction, they were inspired by the kaleidoscope of the people he has met in the real world, with their real stories and struggles.
He said it was through this book he wanted to illuminate the human condition that emerges as a result of poverty.
“Poverty deprives people of dignity, a loving household, a sense of belonging and many human needs.”
Hlagala is the co-founder of Afrocentric Media House, a storytelling company that operates within the literature and publishing space, helping writers and storytellers tell their stories.
His devotion to literature and education led him to establish the Knowledge Changes Situations Book Club (www.kcsbookclub.co.za).
He hopes to use it as a channel for knowledge distribution to society.
The book club under his leadership did book markets, book launches, established book clubs in schools, and offered storytelling and writing workshops over the past four years.
Hlagala has given lectures regarding education in institutions such as Syracuse University in the USA and many other organisations in South Africa.
The book can be ordered via Facebook: @KCSBookClub.
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