Thabani Magubane.
The novels, ‘The Carpenter’s Son’ and ‘The Black Ants’ made it to the catalogue after being screened by the Young Writers Project (YWP), that comprises a creative online community of writers and visual artists. The YWP oversees the publication of the best of 10,000 submissions from writers, photographers and artists across the globe to their site each year.
“Upon completing my manuscripts, I had three goals, the main one being the distribution of my books to young people, especially at high schools. Though it feels somewhat surreal, this is exactly what I wanted to achieve,” Magubane said.
Magubane explained that his books were inspired by true life experiences and events happening around the country. These included the death of Winnie Mandela and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. Although the novels are fictional, they address the real challenges that young, black South African men and women face, while also reflecting true historical factors that have influenced the conditions of co-existing in a multiracial, rainbow nation.
Magubane is no stranger to the limelight. Less than a year ago, on 15 October, he scooped the award for Best Upcoming Author for the year in the 2022 The Book Behind Awards, for his novel “The Black Ants”.
Magubane said his inaugural book, ‘The Carpenter’s Son’ remains his favourite, despite the latter winning an award in 2022. “My very first manuscript was the most precious thing I ever held in my hands. It was both a moment of self-actualization and a symbol of the birth of many self-initiated successes.”
The self-published author has one more box to tick, which will be revealed when the time is right. “It remains a secret for now, but all the intentions are good. The art of writing must be preserved and one way of achieving this is by making it fashionable. Bookshelves cannot be the only places where information is preserved in our time,” he concluded.