Homebru 2006 author: Pampilia Hlapa

Pampilia Hlapa is the author of A Daughter's Legacy, published by UKZN.

1.  What does it mean to you to have your writing recognised and celebrated as "South African"?

   It means that I am truly a South African myself, for I could not have written about something that the nation recognises without being a daughter of the South African soil. I am excited that I have managed to tell the story that will get South Africans talking.

2.  As a South African writer / storyteller did you set out to write a story South Africans will recognise as their own?

   Yes I did. I could have thought of other things to write about, but it was my own experience which I wrote about. It motivated me to share the story with everyone, knowing that there will be a lot of people who will identify themselves in the story.

3.   What, to you, does a South African story encapsulate?

   Everyday challenges, joys, frustrations and realities that all of us encounter in our private lives and in public. Things that make us remember that in the end we are all struggling for survival and searching for joy and meaning to our lives. We all are looking for answers in one way or the other.

4.   Is it possible for a South African's writing to be free of political and historical influence?

   Yes, I think there are lots of stories that need to be told that will not be time-bound, but at least capture the realities of people’s lives from all spheres of life. Stories motivated by everyone’s emotional, spiritual, psychological and physical needs, as well as by pure entertainment purposes.

5.   Is there a writing community in South Africa, or is writing in this country a solitary journey?

   I found it to be a solitary journey which is very lonely and misunderstood by those who are not involved. I have seen a few collective initiatives which are meant to create a writing community, but I still think we have a long way to go.

6.   Who do you think is the most influential South African writer today? And who is your favourite local author?

   André Brink. As for a favourite author, I do not have one. I read by different authors in order to get different perspectives on issues.

7.   If you could choose five works (fiction, non-fiction, poetry, performance poetry, etc) from South African literature that would be able to communicate the "South African experience", which five would you choose, and why?

   Mmatshilo Motsei’s Hearing Visions, Seeing Voices (Non-fiction)
   Njabulo Ndebele – A cry for Winnie Mandela (Fiction)
   Gcina Mhlophe – Stories of Africa (Folklore)
   André Brink – A Dry White Season.

8.  The Homebru titles are either English or Afrikaans. Do you think there is a demand for indigenous South African languages to be featured as well?

   Yes, indigenous languages need to be celebrated as well. We need to encourage all South African writers to write even more.

9.  What makes you a South African?

   My rich culture which is unique to South Africa.

10.  What is your favourite South Africanism?

    "Naase gona ya se rage e tla tlatsa kgamelo" - a saying from my language, Sepedi, which is 100 percent South African. Literally translated it means, "Today if the cow does not kick while we milk it, it will fill the bucket."

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LitNet: 16 May 2006

Click here to read answers of the Homebru 2006 fiction writers
Click here to read the answers of the Homebru 2006 non-fiction writers

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