“Revealing the real-world inspirations behind some of the characters in the novel, Sihle says, “Bantu Zulu was inspired by an elderly gentleman I once met handing flyers in the streets, and the desire that my own father might have been more like that man.
“I was moved by that man’s story, and that he was not idle despite his circumstances. He inspired me to tell a story of a man who tries and sacrifices his ego and ‘morals’ for the sake of his family. Victor Zulu is my manifestation of what such drive in a father can do for a son.”
With such enthralling characters, The Resurrection also sheds light on the woes of building generational legacy in the new South Africa with vivid descriptions of the world around the Zulus to keep the reader captivated and questioning the societal norms many township communities in Johannesburg fall victim to.
When it comes to the kinds of messages and themes Sihle is hoping readers will take away from the novel, he explains, “That masculinity is not necessarily noise. You can get much more done when you don’t announce your every move. Family comes before everything. Right or wrong, you stick with your own. And that you can achieve so much more when you have the right woman by your side.
“But apart from all of that, I’d sincerely hoped that the reader can enjoy The Resurrection purely for its sake, read it as a way of having fun, and perhaps be inspired to read more books for pleasure.”
- The Resurrection by Sihle Qwabe (published by Kwela, an imprint of NB Publishers) is available at all good bookstores nationwide. The recommended retail price is R285
Read the story here:
Sphesihle Vusimuzi Qwabe was born in a small Kwazulu-Natal village. He was raised by his grandmother who, as a retired teacher, read to her grandchildren every evening. He is 29 years old and works for a Foschini store in Johannesburg. Sphesihle completed a national diploma in public relations. He spends every lunch break reading and then writes every evening when he gets home. He writes because he firmly believes that this is what he was meant to do; it is his calling and contribution to this world. He is never so at peace as when he holds a pen in his hand. He is fully committed to the art of writing and is determined to make writing his full-time occupation.
