While many teenagers are focused solely on passing exams and planning for life after school, Naledi Setzin spent her matric year doing something extraordinary: Publishing two books.

The young Bryanston author released Jacaranda Tree, a children’s book, and Locked in a Suitcase, a poetry collection, after spending nearly three years developing the projects alongside her schoolwork.

According to Setzin, writing began as more than just a creative outlet.

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“From a young age, I have always been interested in the dramatic arts and the whole storytelling process. As I got older, I got really into physically writing. Writing became a healing and a therapeutic process, especially when I was overwhelmed or stressed.”

Rather than allowing difficult moments to define her, she channelled those experiences into her work. “When I was able to write, I felt like I could use that stress and channel it through my words. Instead of letting those negative feelings or painful moments define me, I decided to create beauty and art out of them.”

She said the journey toward publication began in 2023 when she started sharing poetry on her website. “I really enjoyed the process of editing my poems, fine-tuning them, developing them, and releasing them to the world. After that, I wanted to embark on a new challenge of releasing my two books.”

Setzin pointed out that the road to becoming a published author, while still in school, was not without obstacles. “To be honest, it wasn’t easy at all. It can be very difficult to juggle school and publishing at the same time, but I tried to prepare and plan. It took me around three years to do this.”

Despite the challenges, she said the experience taught her valuable lessons and became a significant personal growth journey. Her children’s book, Jacaranda Tree, encourages young readers to understand the importance of environmental responsibility and community involvement.

“I want young readers to acknowledge and understand the power we have in our voices and how, as a community, we should engage in our environments and protect them.”

She believes environmental care is about more than climate change. “If we don’t protect our environment, we are not even protecting our wellbeing and our future.”

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Meanwhile, Locked in a Suitcase explores the complexities of human experiences, perspectives, and personal growth.

“In the book, I speak about biases, opinions, assumptions, and perspectives, and how these are formed from our experiences in life. I want readers to step out, reflect, do some self-introspection, and be more compassionate and empathetic.”

As someone passionate about literature, Setzin encourages young people not to give up on reading simply because they disliked a book at school.

@caxtonjoburgnorth Naledi Setzin successfully self-published two books while completing her matric year. The books are called Jacaranda Tree and Locked in a Suitcase, and were the result of nearly three years of dedication, research, and perseverance. Video: Duduzile Khumalo #caxtonlocalmedia #newsupdate #Localnews #Communitynews #southafricatiktok🇿🇦🇿🇦 #johannesburg #2026 #Author ♬ original sound – Caxton Joburg North

“I think a lot of people started to hate reading because they were given a set book and it was a genre they did not like or relate to. There’s so much more out there. I would encourage people to explore things and try something new.”

Although she is not currently planning another book release, Setzin continues to sharpen her craft through poetry and short stories while preparing to further her studies overseas.

“If you have a goal or an ambition, do it and don’t limit yourself. Permit yourself to experiment. A lot of people feel that you need all the resources and connections in the world, but I just had a passion and a dream, and I went for it.”

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