Petlo Literary Artists: Putting on Faces

‘One of my stories has been published a UK-based literary magazine for women writers,’ Gothataone M

‘One of my stories has been published a UK-based literary magazine for women writers,’ Gothataone M

25-year old Moeng’s love for writing came from reading Enid Blyton’s Famous Five series. Her areas of interest are TV and video production, filmmaking and journalism. Moeng was one of two writers from Botswana to travel to Kampala, Uganda (2004) for a Literature Festival for Contemporary African Writers. She has a story published in Long Time Coming, (an anthology published by Amabooks, Zimbabwe). Moeng feels her strongest area is short story writing, but would like to go into longer forms. Moeng, who holds a BA Media Studies from the University of Botswana, says the literary landscape in the country is a ‘little disappointing.’ However, she is optimistic that things will change as people are interested in writing and some local writers are starting to work hard and take their writing seriously. “The nation should start reading local stories and books, and writers should give the public a reason to want to read their books.”

‘Through research, Botswana can document her history,’ Sharoon Tshipa

‘Through research, Botswana can document her history,’ Sharoon Tshipa

Sharoon Tshipa believes it is time Batswana stand up and do research in order to document their history. The 22 year old is very passionate about Video & Television production, Fashion and Web Design and Public Relations. She started writing short stories and gospel songs while in grade 6. Tshipa says in anything and anyone there is a story to tell. “There is a lot to write about which is not written. Botswana is like an orchard full of ripe fruits (some of which are going to waste), they need someone to harvest them,” she says. She has a BA in Media Studies from the University of Botswana and she is of the view that local writers should be encouraged through buying and reading their work.

"I want to be the new voice that comes out of Africa," Samantha Refilwe Ferguson

"I want to be the new voice that comes out of Africa," Samantha Refilwe Ferguson

23 year-old Ferguson says her love for writing dates back to the late 90s in primary school, where she read avidly and started putting words on paper as poetry. She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree, majoring in English and French. Although she doesn't have anything published yet, she wants to tell Africa's story through her own voice. "The problem with Batswana is that they do not generally read," she says. "Someone will invest in a TV room rather than buy a large collection of books, therefore writers in Botswana face a challenge of writing for a nation that simply is not interested in reading."

“My greatest interest is in Setswana poetry,” Pontsho Kodisa

“My greatest interest is in Setswana poetry,” Pontsho Kodisa

Twenty-year-old Pontsho Kodisa says her source of love for Setswana poetry emerged in 2003. A former Setswana teacher in Sefhare Junior Secondary School motivated her a lot through his use of the language. “Believe me, the man can speak our pure language and play with the words,” she says. The unpublished Setswana poet says, the current situation in Botswana’s literary scene is that people tend to neglect the mother language. To be a writer one has to be creative, systematic, hard working, and adventurous and be passionate about literacy arts. Kodisa it is vital for local writers to collaborate with international writers in order to exchange ideas. Furthermore, she says young writers need to be encouraged through various means by those in the scene.

‘My best work usually has some sort of supernatural twist,’ Cheryl Selase Ntumy

‘Bessie Head shaped my world,’ Baboki Kayawe

‘Bessie Head shaped my world,’ Baboki Kayawe

The written word is so powerful a tool that has helped her choose her career path. Kayawe says it was through the work of Bessie Head that she discovered her love for writing. One English word led her into the craft, and the word is ‘journalist’. ‘Makhaya was a journalist,’ writes Bessie Head in When Rain Clouds Gather. Her interest is in poetry, short stories and features. She has not published any short stories yet, but feels her unpublished My Friend Gladstone is a good entry piece in the literary waves. The same applies to poetry, with Fashion and His Hands; the 23 year old brings to life Wilson Ngoni’s artistic prowess and fashion sickness. A BA Media Studies holder from the University of Botswana, Kayawe aspires create the world in words. Kayawe says a lot has to be done in Botswana’s literary playing field; Batswana, and Africans generally, need to write their tales.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Putting on Faces

This is the story that won Gothataone Moeng first place in the short story category of the 2009 Bessie Head Heritage Trust competition. Enjoy!

Putting on Faces

It was her screams that woke me; pure, unadulterated terror in her voice.
“Let him go! Please let him go,” she was screaming. I stared at her, transfixed and feeling strangely betrayed. Patricia had warned me, I suppose. She had said,
“A Zimbabwean? To look after your baby? Ausi, are you sure?”
Then she told me all the horror stories: about how one Zimbabwean maid had absconded back home, leaving a six-month old baby alone, after stealing virtually everything in the house. She repackaged and retold her favourite story of the Zimbabwean maid who had put somebody’s baby in the oven after months of mistreatment and no pay.
“Just imagine, what kind of person roasts a baby to punish the mother?”
But my desperation convinced her; my three months of maternity leave were slowly drawing to an end. I needed someone. She had contacts; her brother had a Zimbabwean girlfriend who had an aunt whose daughter badly needed any kind of work.
She had seemed like a nice, respectable lady when I met her at Patricia’s. She was young, slim, and had dark skin much like my own. She was clean; she didn’t stink of stale sweat like most of her compatriots with their cheap Chinese clothes and the red-brown dust clinging to their ankles.
She sat comfortably on Patricia’s new sofas, and when my tongue refused to wrap itself around her Ndebele name, she laughed my attempts off and said,
“Call me Auntie.”

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OBJECTIVES OF THE PETLO LITERARY ARTS TRUST

i. To acquire land and other property for use as a resort or sanctuary for writers and artists;

ii. To publish, print, encourage or assist in the publication or printing of creative works of art and literature in Botswana, or elsewhere as the Trustees may determine;

iii. To produce or cause to be produced a scholarly and/or general purpose journal or other publication on the arts, literature and ideas;

iv. To conceptualize, organize, and conduct cultural and literary festivals in Botswana, or elsewhere, as may be determined by the trustees ;

v. To conceptualize, organize and/or sponsor creative writing projects, workshops and similar ventures;

vi. To establish a community radio station dedicated to the propagation or encouragement of the arts, literature, culture and ideas;

vii. To acquire land and other property for use as a community library and/or literary museum in one of the villages of Botswana and such other places as the Trustees may determine; and

viii. To collaborate with other arts, literary and cultural entities, in the furtherance of the general objectives of the Trust to propagate and promote the arts, culture and literary pursuits.