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GEORGE NEWS AND VIDEO - Nkosinathi Menziwa (51), an officer at the George Correctional Services and long-time Thembalethu resident, received the Mandela Bay Literary Award for the best book in an indigenous language at an event in Uitenhage on 24 November.
This was his first formal award, and Menziwa said he was very happy about the recognition.
It means a lot to him that readers are resonating with his work and seeing themselves in his poems and stories. "Winning this award inspires me to write more books, do more research and continue publishing," Menziwa said.
He writes in isiXhosa because he believes there is a large gap in indigenous literature. Public libraries have very few books available in indigenous languages. He explained that children are denied the opportunity to read in their own language, and that his books aim to close that gap and help restore past imbalances.
His latest book, Kukud' Engqini-beni - Ingqokelea yamabali amafut-shane nezincoko, is a collection of short stories.
Menziwa's writing reflects on the long road ahead in achieving our dreams as a nation and as a culture. His stories address issues affecting people living in impoverished environments and cover social, political and cultural themes such as child safety, the changing face of townships due to the influx of people from other countries, and corruption and how it affects daily life in South Africa.
Watch the video interview with Menziwa here:
He has a particular passion for keeping children safe in public spaces and aims to educate through awareness. "My main purpose is to keep our indigenous language and culture alive through literature."
He added that his books contain a strong educational component and that he hopes they will promote knowledge sharing.
Menziwa began writing in 1994 and published his first book in 2020. He became known for a creative writing project featured in George Herald in October 2024.
The project at the George Correctional Centre encouraged the inmates to express themselves through writing. The resulting book, Poems from the Inside, is available at both the correctional services library and the George Library.
Menziwa's latest book is also available at all local libraries. Copies may be purchased from him on 063 081 7425 or on WhatsApp on 078 904 6529.
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