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Author Funeka Menze, from Mandleni Locality in Ngqeleni, under the Nyandeni Local Municipality, is hoping to reignite the love for Xhosa reading and writing in young ones, through her poetry book titled Ndiqhathiwe.
Menze recently relaunched her book during a belated World Book Day celebration hosted by the Nyandeni Local Municipality on Thursday, June 1. World Book Day is celebrated worldwide, on April 23.
She initially launched the book in her community in 2021 and says she is grateful for the platform afforded to her by the municipality, which allowed her to relaunch it in front of a bigger and more diverse audience.
Menze, who currently works as a community healthcare worker, says that the publishing of her book is testament to her passion to preserve the Xhosa language.
Her book contains 50 poems which she describes as thought-provoking reads on life experiences, beliefs, traditions, and customs.
The book launch, hosted by the Nyandeni local Municipality as part of its belated World Book Day celebration, was preceded by a two-day workshop for local writers on May 30 and 31.
“The purpose of the workshop was to tackle and develop creativity whilst sharpening writing skills and presentation of written work. The workshop was open to writers who work in fiction, creative non-fiction, playwriting, screenwriting, and poetry.
“Throughout the workshop, Nyandeni Local Municipality’s main objective was to promote reading, publishing and copyright, to pay a worldwide tribute to authors and books, to encourage everyone to discover the pleasure of reading and to raise awareness around the use of public/community libraries as sources of information whilst promoting lifelong learning and culture of reading,” said Nyandeni Local Municipality spokesperson, Ncebakazi Kolwane.
Menze’s book titled Ndiqhathiwe will be available from July at R150 per copy.
The book’s mass production was disrupted after her previous publisher passed away in July last year.
