Eastern Cape-born Lidudumalingani Mqombothi was awarded the 2016 Caine Prize for African Writing for his short story Memories We Lost, published in Incredible Journey: Stories That Move You. He speaks to Dispatch's Vuvu Vena.
When did you start writing stories?
A:There is not a single moment I can point to. I think that it was gradual and much of it involved no writing at all, but thinking and plotting and then the writing would follow. When I was much younger I wrote poetry and that is perhaps, the earliest my writing can be traced.
Was it a conscious decision to become a writer?
A:I became a writer by chance and feel that every time I write I am actively affirming to myself that it was not also a complete mistake.
Where do you get your ideas?
A:Life.
How long does it take you to write a story?
A:It depends. Some writing takes longer than others.
Do you write with a pencil/ pen/laptop?
A:Laptop
Where and when do you write?
A:Anywhere and everywhere.
Where did the inspiration for Memories We Lost come from?
A:From life and conversations with friends.
What does it mean for you to have won the prestigious Caine Prize for African Writing for this story?
A:Writing is an extremely personal process. It is meditation of some sort and releasing that to the world, something that does not only come from deep within your own soul but is also part of you, is a terrifying act and for that to resonate with people is perhaps the best part of writing.
Do you like being an author? When don’t you like to be an author?
A:Sometimes. It is an incredible thing to be but it is not without its problems. It has its good days but also the bad. Good days include figuring out what one wants to say and finding the perfect words to say it and the bad are the opposite of that.
Which one of your stories is your favourite?
A:They all are.
Where are your other stories published and how can readers get a hold of them?
A:I wish I knew. I publish everywhere and not on any specific platform and this is why this question is hard to answer.
What topics do you grapple with mostly?
A:I am not interested in a single topic but in all of them.
What was the topic of the first story you ever wrote – published or not (and how old were you at the time)?
A:I do not recall. I've been writing, in various forms, be it a journal, a poem, since I was 19. I only started writing fiction about two or three years ago.
What is your favourite book (not by you)? Are you interested in fiction or non-fiction?
A:Too many books to choose one favourite. I do not have a single one. It is unfair on the books that I love equally. I write, always have, written both fiction and non-fiction.
What are your hobbies?
A:I do not have the leisure time to have hobbies. All my time has been taken up.
What are your future plans?
A:To one day, when I am a lot older, fly to the moon.
How do you relax?
A:By doing nothing.
Anything else you would like to tell us?
A:Not particularly, people already know way more than I would like them to.
Writing as affirmation: EC-born Lidudumalingani awarded the 2016 Caine Prize
When did you start writing stories?
A:There is not a single moment I can point to. I think that it was gradual and much of it involved no writing at all, but thinking and plotting and then the writing would follow. When I was much younger I wrote poetry and that is perhaps, the earliest my writing can be traced.
Was it a conscious decision to become a writer?
A:I became a writer by chance and feel that every time I write I am actively affirming to myself that it was not also a complete mistake.
Where do you get your ideas?
A:Life.
How long does it take you to write a story?
A:It depends. Some writing takes longer than others.
Do you write with a pencil/ pen/laptop?
A:Laptop
Where and when do you write?
A:Anywhere and everywhere.
Where did the inspiration for Memories We Lost come from?
A:From life and conversations with friends.
What does it mean for you to have won the prestigious Caine Prize for African Writing for this story?
A:Writing is an extremely personal process. It is meditation of some sort and releasing that to the world, something that does not only come from deep within your own soul but is also part of you, is a terrifying act and for that to resonate with people is perhaps the best part of writing.
Do you like being an author? When don’t you like to be an author?
A:Sometimes. It is an incredible thing to be but it is not without its problems. It has its good days but also the bad. Good days include figuring out what one wants to say and finding the perfect words to say it and the bad are the opposite of that.
Which one of your stories is your favourite?
A:They all are.
Where are your other stories published and how can readers get a hold of them?
A:I wish I knew. I publish everywhere and not on any specific platform and this is why this question is hard to answer.
What topics do you grapple with mostly?
A:I am not interested in a single topic but in all of them.
What was the topic of the first story you ever wrote – published or not (and how old were you at the time)?
A:I do not recall. I've been writing, in various forms, be it a journal, a poem, since I was 19. I only started writing fiction about two or three years ago.
What is your favourite book (not by you)? Are you interested in fiction or non-fiction?
A:Too many books to choose one favourite. I do not have a single one. It is unfair on the books that I love equally. I write, always have, written both fiction and non-fiction.
What are your hobbies?
A:I do not have the leisure time to have hobbies. All my time has been taken up.
What are your future plans?
A:To one day, when I am a lot older, fly to the moon.
How do you relax?
A:By doing nothing.
Anything else you would like to tell us?
A:Not particularly, people already know way more than I would like them to.
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