While magical realism or experimental fiction are often better-received from popular international authors, an East London author has carved her own path into these genres, boldly penning best-selling stories in a South African context.
Unathi Ndlelantle Ngada, 30, recently published three stories on Amazon.
The three books, I Stand Accused, To Be Loved and Daedalus X, are the latest of Ngada’s more than 10 publications.
Ngada’s Daedalus X, 2.37: Terror in Resonance and other previously published books are magical realism, while I Stand Accused is contemporary drama and To Be Loved contemporary romance.
“I’ve been writing for close to 15 years and had my first book published in 2017, the same year I did my master’s.
“I touch on themes which have been done by popular international authors such as Gillian Flynn, George Martin etc and as a South African author I believe it’s important I touch on these themes in a South African setting while creating a sense of discomfort for the reader,” Ngada said.
Born into a family of writers, Ngada’s writing was encouraged by her father from a young age.
“My paternal grandfather was a writer and so was my later father, Leonard Lumkile Ngada, who was once the HoD at the Eastern Cape department of agriculture.
“He was very supportive of my creative writing and he would even give me essential tips on how to craft a story.
“His wisdom as well as the social decay we are currently living in is what inspired me to write with the intention of immersing the reader,” she said.
Ngada said she was also inspired by her paternal grandfather, as well as East London theatre playwright and director Jen Bryson Moorcroft.
“Jen Bryson also inspired me to write a lot, especially in the realm of being a versatile writer (in being able to write more than one genre and explore other forms of writing such as poetry and writing a play).
“Each piece of advice she gave, whether it was during her one-on-one consultation or even in a creative writing workshop, I’d make sure I took careful notes because in the long run it builds my skills as a writer and I believe it paid off in the recent publications,” Ngada said.
I Stand Accused follows Zolile, whose moment of “weakness” leads to a prolonged nightmare, as he is arrested, tried and sentenced to 15 years in prison for a crime he did not commit.
In the township of Motherwell, Gqeberha, Zolile’s life takes a horrendous turn when he is wrongfully accused of rape by his ex-girlfriend, Esihle.
Now a free man, Zolile returns to Motherwell, but the shadows of his past linger.
Determined to find purpose and redemption, he partners with Mbali to establish a nonprofit organisation aimed at helping others who have been wrongfully accused.
In To Be Loved, shortly before his death, Prophet Jaxa, believed to be a descendant of Nongqawuse, prophesied before the death of Chief Maxhosa that the village of Ndabakazi would go through a period of intense turmoil where the sun would rise in the west and set in the east, and lands would run dry.
Two weeks after the chief’s death, Thandeka, daughter of the late Chief Maxhosa and heiress to the chieftaincy, is betrothed to another — the royal son of chief Melusi Dalindyebo from the village in Mvezo.
By uniting these two powerful families to strengthen the monarchy in the villages of the Eastern Cape, Thandeka begins to have second thoughts about her arranged marriage because of the one she truly loves — Siphesihle “Sphe” Qhubeka, a mere commoner and her first love since high school.
This “forbidden” and “uncultural” love causes tension within the royal family, and the state of Ndabakazi is brought to a standstill.
Daedalus X is set in the 1960s and follows the classified and recorded journal entries of Patient 46709DP, known as “Daedalus X”.
These haunting journal entries unpack some of the so-called conspiracies known to the public and the hidden secrets behind body modification and experimentation of patients to produce “superhumans” in an effort to combat the plague and civil wars.
The book is a prequel to 2.37: Terror in Resonance.
“A story at the end of the day must be told no matter how grotesque it may be.
“The books touch on themes considered taboo in African communities such as the ramifications of mental health, violence against women, children and men, as well as incest.
“I also touch on, in my recent short story which was a best-seller on Amazon, men who are falsely accused of heinous crimes such rape and the ramifications of such.
“Out of all my publications, five of them have been best-sellers on Amazon and can be purchased on Takealot and Exclusive Books Online,” she said.
The Hudson Park High School alumna obtained a BA in Drama from the University of Pretoria, a BA Hons, Drama and Master’s in Creative Writing at Rhodes University.
She is currently a Creative Writing and Theory of Literature lecturer at Unisa while pursuing a PhD in English Literature at the same institution.
Weekender
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