Budding Pretoria poet
A profile of a Soshanguve-based writer, Phumla Xuza-Khanyile who self published her book, Love Notes.
Thato Mahlangu
Love notes is a book by former Tshwane University of Technology journalism student Phumla Xuza-Khanyile who is currently a full-time writer and a law student at the University of South Africa.
The book is a collection of 61 poems centered on the theme of love – covering a diversified range of topics – basically love in all forms. Xuza-Khayile prides herself that the book is not the old, complex version of poetry, but one that can easily be understood by both poetry and non-poetry readers.
She self-published the book with the help of Slindile Mnqeta, who runs Publish House, a publishing company that helps emerging poets to showcase their work.
Xuza-Khanyile was born in the Eastern Cape and currently resides in Soshanguve.
She is a mother of three, a grandmother, a daughter, and a sister. To some, she is a reliable friend.
She says studying journalism was her then misdirected love she always had for writing.
Her ventures into poetry are recent. She calls them her ‘means of self-release from emotions of things experienced personally or observed’.
Her poems are heartfelt, and Xuza-Khanyile said she hopes they will appeal to other emotional souls out there. She is talking healing and is preaching understanding to those who have the need through her writings.
Xuza-Khanyile’s work has been featured and published in poetry anthologies Cupid (published in Zimbabwe) and Letters from Africa (published in Uganda).
She wrote a thought-provoking book about domestic violence, titled Out of the storm: love should hurt which was published in the US.
“I wanted to tell the cruel story about the scourge called abuse that happens in our homes. We, as women, we are abused by our partners and we keep quiet about what kills us. We need to have those conversations.”
She has also used social media to tell her story, especially through poetry groups on Facebook.
Last September, her book Love notes was launched and has since been read even internationally by poetry lovers since it is available via Amazon.com.
Recently, her work was selected to feature in the 2016 Nomads choir poetry journal published in New York.
Xuza-Khanyile was also recently tasked with heading the African poetry project – a still budding organisation aimed at gathering and offering a platform to upcoming poets on the African continent.
What distinguishes Xuza-Khanyile from other writers is mainly her style of writing and tone. She writes from the heart and evokes strong emotions through her pieces.
She said she had been a friend of paper and pen since childhood.
“I was that kind of a kid who would always be jotting, sometimes things that got me into trouble. It was early 2015 when I decided to adopt poetry.”
On a question why she wrote poetry she said, “for the love of shortened lines and stanzas”.
“I truly find poetry to be comforting and offering an immediate release to any given emotions arising from any situation.”
What inspired her to write the book was her three-year-old son, Wandile? “He was diagnosed with a brain stem tumor at the age of one and only given six months to live. Two years later, by God’s grace, he is alive and determined,” she said.
Xuza-Khanyile, said more books are coming in the near future and she met a music producer who is keen to take her poetry to another level.
She advises writers to be on their toes and receive whatever inspiration sent to them in any way at any time or place.
“Writing more sharpens your mind and reading works from other people expands your vocabulary and ultimately adds colour to your words.”
Those who would like to read her book can reach Xuza-Khanyile on:
Cell: 071-472-6897
Email: liliespebbles@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phumlax
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