Taking That Jump

This week’s Botswana Gazette features a half page article about one of Botswana’s well known writers, Wame Molefhe. In it she discusses why she decided to leave the security of her day job to set out to be a full time writer. She thought about it for a year then told herself, “People always talk about job security but what security really?” In these manic economic times she’s speaking the truth and, besides, what price do we pay for that security? According to Molefhe, “You need to create your own security.” We all need to define what security means and as she wonders in the article, "…if I was to die and not have done this…” So- she jumped.

But the fall is going pretty well so far. She has had substantial success in a relatively short time. She won the now (unfortunately) defunct Alexander McCall Smith Short Story Contest and pocketed P10,000 for her story “Who do you tell?”. She participated in the British Council’s Crossing Borders programme and had her story published in their magazine. Last year, she won highly commended in the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association Short Story Contest, a contest that has been a stepping stone to success for many African writers including the hugely successful Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Her stories have appeared in the prestigious Edinburgh Review, UK based Riptide, and a soon to be released Ama Books collection. She’s even had one of her stories translated into Italian. This year her story “Will it ever rain?” won third prize in the Bessie Head Literature Prize. Also this year she swooped into South Africa and snatched first place in the Woman and Home Short Story Prize from under the noses of the writers there. Success seems to be written in her stars.

In the article, Molefhe laments, as all Batswana writers do, the lack of a book reading and, more importantly, a book buying public in Botswana and the free fall degradation of the countries libraries.

When asked by the interviewer, Gothataone Moeng (who is, by the way, an excellent short story writer in her own right) when she will consider herself a successful writer, Molefhe said, “When my name is said in the same breath as other writers that I admire; when I see my books on shelves and not just gathering dust, that would bring me some measure of satisfaction.” That day will indeed come, Mma Molefhe, and I predict it is waiting for you in the not so distant future. Get ready.