SA icons share unfiltered stories about their fathers in new book

IN A country where fatherhood is often defined by absence, silence and struggle, a new book titled Lessons From My Father seeks to rewrite that story.

- Melinda Ferguson and Steve Anderson

Published by Melinda Ferguson Books and co-edited by author and publisher Melinda Ferguson and educationist Steve Anderson, the collection gathers thirty-two essays from prominent South Africans who reflect on the men who shaped their lives.

The contributors include Proteas captain Temba Bavuma, Springboks legend Nick Mallett, Olympic champion Chad le Clos, activist Zelda La Grange, musician Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse, singer Zolani Mahola, Lindiwe Hani, chef Karen Dudley, radio personality Darren Simpson, humanitarian Imtiaz Sooliman and television presenter Maps Maponyane, among others.

Each essay offers a personal story about fatherhood - not as an idealised role, but as a complex, human experience marked by love, loss and imperfection.

The book’s introduction describes it as “a tribute to fathers who got it right and those who got it wrong”