LOVE, CHAOS & DIPLOMACY

Mpho Boshego joins a new wave of African authors telling stories of flawed heroines and complicated romances, with a sprinkling of spice. We spoke to the debut author about her journey and her inspiration.

- By Eleanor le Riche

There are two kinds of diplomats in fiction: the first is all cocktail parties, pearls and power games; the second is a walking scandal waiting to happen. Mpho Boshego's debut novel, Diplomatic Ties, gives us both – and then some.

Set between the bustling township of Mamelodi and the stately avenues of Brussels, it follows the ambitious Mbali Langa as she claws her way into the glamorous but treacherous world of diplomacy. She's sharp, ambitious and just a little too human for her own good.

An illicit affair threatens to derail her career, enemies lurk in the corridors of power, and the reader is pulled into a tale of desire, betrayal and ambition, where trust is the most dangerous currency of all.

'Mbali does things where even I sit back and think, "Girl, why would you do that?",' says Mpho, laughing. 'But that's what made her interesting. I didn't want it to be an easy, glossy win for her.

Because when you're in survival mode and constantly people-pleasing, the "wins" don't last. They're not sustainable.'

At once pacy and layered, Diplomatic Ties is part love story, part cautionary tale, and part behind-the-scenes peek into a world that looks a lot shinier from the outside than it feels on the inside. And if anyone is qualified to write it, it's Mpho herself.

THE RELUCTANT DIPLOMAT

When I chat to Mpho, she is quick to shrug off the title 'writer', as though it still feels too heavy for her shoulders. 'Where do I even start? I'm 46, I live in Pretoria, and I've got two boys – one 24, the other 16. So yes, I've basically been parenting forever. I work in communications as a strategist, and when I'm not working, you'll probably find me exercising, reading or scribbling away in my journal. I'm still working up the courage to call myself "a writer" without wincing.'