A former Talfalah Primary School pupil who wrote a children’s book travelled all the way from Pretoria to offer her alma mater copies of the publication.
Maggie Nyaunda Sithole, who has been a journalist for 13 years, attended Talfalah Primary in the late 1990s. It was the birth of her son, Lithalethu, 2, who made her an author, Ms Sithole said.
“I was intentional about reading to our son because I wanted him to develop a love for reading. As I was reading him bedtime stories, I realised something was missing. There were no characters in the fairy tales I read to him that looked like my son. This is when I thought I could maybe do something about it. I wanted him to read books that celebrate diversity – where he can see himself and feel that he belongs. Lithalethu means ‘our light’ and he became that light for me. My son made me an author,” Ms Sithole said.
Her self-published book, We All Belong, was launched in October, and the second launch was held in Cape Town on Saturday November 5.
It was when she thought back to her days as a little girl at Talfalah Primary School that she knew how to start writing it, she said.
“I worked as a journalist for 13 years, and I’ve written a lot about other people’s stories but never created something on my own. I found that the best way to start writing a children’s book was to go back to my experience as a child. Here at Talfalah, the pupils come from different backgrounds, races and cultures, and every child here feels that they belong.”
The book was published in August and a few weeks later, it was nominated and won an award at the MIA – Creative Writing and Literature Awards, in October.
Talfalah Primary School principal Ashraf Karriem said: “We are so grateful to Ms Sithole. The fact that she also travelled from Pretoria to be here, it says a lot.”
The former journalist said she would shift all her energy now to becoming a full-time author.
The book is aimed at children from Grade R to Grade 4, but Ms Sithole is hoping to get enough sponsorship to give each child at Talfalah Primary a copy of the book.
The book sells for R120 each and can be ordered on Ms Sithole’s Facebook page, Lithalethu Books, or by calling 060 497 3305.
