Best book in indigenous language wins award

Nkosinathi Menziwa (51), an officer at the George Correctional Services and longtime Thembalethu resident, received the Mandela Bay Literary Award for the best book in an indigenous language at an event in Uitenhage on 24 November.

- Marguerite van Ginkel

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.