I often joke that my residency with Oude Leeskamer is the one story I’ll tell my grandkids in my golden years… but it’s not really a joke.
The residency was truly distinguished – almost an out-of-body experience, accompanied by profoundly surreal feelings, as if a wiser version of me hovered above my head, marvelling at where my wildest dreams had taken me. I could hardly believe that it was all real… but it was, as I live and breathe.
Everyone was friendly and welcoming, and they did their very best to make my stay as comfortable as possible (a special mention to Delani Spies). I couldn’t possibly fit all my highlights into a single conversation, but I wouldn’t be the author I am today if I accepted impossibility.
The first that comes to mind is Jannie’s library, which furnished me with bedtime stories for the duration of my stay; the sessions with my mentor, Angela Briggs; the walks around Stellenbosch; and my visit to the vineyards with Delani.
The best part for me was disconnecting from my mundane life and dedicating all my energy to clicking my keyboard. It was exhilarating. In the few weeks I was in Cape Town, I made remarkable progress on my manuscript. In hindsight, I realised that since I – the author – was unshackled from my rut, my characters also sprang free and shone as brightly as I had always hoped they would.
I couldn’t possibly pick a favourite memory, but if I had to, it would be my book discussion with Lebo Mazibuko. I still replay it in my mind to this day.
Sihle Qwabe participated in the 2025 Second Book Writers’ Residency.
Debut writers often struggle to work on their second manuscripts – especially if the debut has been well received. Therefore, the Jakes Gerwel Foundation and the Jannie Mouton Foundation’s Oude Leeskamer in Stellenbosch are collaborating to provide debut writers the opportunity for further mentorship and to write their second books.
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.
