Juliette Manitshana-Mnqeta is a legal transcriptionist and isiXhosa translator currently based in Knysna. In 2022, Mnqeta joined a group of writers at Paulet House for the Bosberg Book Writing residency where she worked with mentor Angela Briggs on the manuscript for her debut crime novel, If The Dead Could Talk.
Azania Sethosa receives a call from former politician Joseph ‘Lefty’ Mafu’s lawyer to notify her of Lefty’s death. She decides to go to Knysna to seek answers about his life and the circumstances surrounding his death. But soon her quest for closure becomes intertwined with detective Florian Welter’s investigation. The seemingly straightforward case quickly turns into a complicated web of conspiracies. But the truth is as elusive as whoever is behind it all. If only the dead could talk…
An interview follows below between Diane de Beer (De Beer Necessities) and Juliette Manitshana-Mnqeta about her novel, her writing process, and her love for crime novels:
The first crime novel she [Mnquta] ever read was in high school; a book by Ruth Rendell, and that was for a school project.
Her interest was piqued when watching a few Agatha Christie adaptations on television. “I started reading her novels and haven’t stopped since,” she explains. “What draws me in is the puzzle of solving the crime. There’s a sense of justice and a lightbulb moment when everything comes together. I enjoy that.” ... When writing If the Dead could Talk, planning the full reveal was where it all began. “I remember starting with the planning of the ending.”
She found her villain(s) first, had their motives outlined and only then did she start working on her protagonists. She knew if she had her culprit, she could disguise that person amongst a few red herrings and suspects. “I then worked backwards, which was fun because I slowly discovered my protagonists’ personalities and fell in love with them.”
Click here to read the full interview.
You can also learn more about Juliette Manitshana-Mnqeta at this year’s Jake Gerwel’s talk, Paulet House – where stories are born, on the 2nd of May at 15:30 during the Suidoosterfees.
The Talk will be a 60 min discussion with Barbara Boswell, Mia Arderne, Juliette Manitshana-Mnqeta, Sihle Qwabe and Angela Briggs talking about their experiences and stories during their stay at Paulet House. Admission to the event is free.
