Passionate Xhosa activist Yolisa Madolo is known as a champion of her culture.
Having already published both a collection of short stories and a Xhosa drama, she has now turned her hand to a new genre and written her first novel.
The Walter Sisulu University lecturer, who is also accredited with the South African Translators Institute (SATI), sat down with the Daily Dispatch this week to chat about her latest project.
Uzenzile Akakhalelwa is the story of a young girl who succumbs to peer pressure and learns the hard way about the consequences that come with some of the decisions she makes, Madolo explained.
The title changed a few times during the writing process. “Loosely translated, it means one has to live with the decisions we make – and that’s what happens in the story.
“The lesson here is that she got herself into the mess and now has to take responsibility for what follows,” said Madolo, adding that her aim was to help people overcome the social ills she writes about.
Her experiences as a lecturer inspired the story, which has been in the making since 2006.
“We often visit our students who are doing practical work in high schools, and it was during those monitoring sessions that I noticed the high number of schoolgirls who were pregnant. I felt that I needed to lend my efforts in helping to curb those statistics,” she said.
Madolo, who has also used to review books for Umhlobo Wenene FM, says she writes in Xhosa because literature is a major tool in culture preservation.
“The story is not just about social issues but also cultural aspects such as rituals and customs. By publishing work like that you almost guarantee that future generations will have a reference for where they come from and who they are,” she said.
Born and raised in Qumbu, she explains that being so in touch with her culture made telling the story fairly easy.
“There was no need for research because most of it is my life and upbringing, though there were a few modern aspects of the story that I had to verify,” she said.
Madolo, who holds a BA degree in education and a master’s in translation, hopes that the launch of this book will diminish myths about the Xhosa language.
“People always say that Xhosa is difficult to read and write. That is not true. Xhosa is just like any other language and the only way to popularise it is for us not to sit on our stories but to tell them, in our own language,” said Madolo.
The provincial arts and culture department helped fund the project, and the novel will be available at all public libraries in the province. “Those who want to buy a copy can contact me or the university. My contact details are easy to google.”
lMadolo’s short stories are titled Ukufa Kusembizeni and the drama Imiphanda Icithwa Ngomakhelwane.
Xhosa novel tells it like it is
Having already published both a collection of short stories and a Xhosa drama, she has now turned her hand to a new genre and written her first novel.
The Walter Sisulu University lecturer, who is also accredited with the South African Translators Institute (SATI), sat down with the Daily Dispatch this week to chat about her latest project.
Uzenzile Akakhalelwa is the story of a young girl who succumbs to peer pressure and learns the hard way about the consequences that come with some of the decisions she makes, Madolo explained.
The title changed a few times during the writing process. “Loosely translated, it means one has to live with the decisions we make – and that’s what happens in the story.
“The lesson here is that she got herself into the mess and now has to take responsibility for what follows,” said Madolo, adding that her aim was to help people overcome the social ills she writes about.
Her experiences as a lecturer inspired the story, which has been in the making since 2006.
“We often visit our students who are doing practical work in high schools, and it was during those monitoring sessions that I noticed the high number of schoolgirls who were pregnant. I felt that I needed to lend my efforts in helping to curb those statistics,” she said.
Madolo, who has also used to review books for Umhlobo Wenene FM, says she writes in Xhosa because literature is a major tool in culture preservation.
“The story is not just about social issues but also cultural aspects such as rituals and customs. By publishing work like that you almost guarantee that future generations will have a reference for where they come from and who they are,” she said.
Born and raised in Qumbu, she explains that being so in touch with her culture made telling the story fairly easy.
“There was no need for research because most of it is my life and upbringing, though there were a few modern aspects of the story that I had to verify,” she said.
Madolo, who holds a BA degree in education and a master’s in translation, hopes that the launch of this book will diminish myths about the Xhosa language.
“People always say that Xhosa is difficult to read and write. That is not true. Xhosa is just like any other language and the only way to popularise it is for us not to sit on our stories but to tell them, in our own language,” said Madolo.
The provincial arts and culture department helped fund the project, and the novel will be available at all public libraries in the province. “Those who want to buy a copy can contact me or the university. My contact details are easy to google.”
lMadolo’s short stories are titled Ukufa Kusembizeni and the drama Imiphanda Icithwa Ngomakhelwane.
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