St Andrew’s School for Girls Grade Four learner Relebogile Mothema did a 10-week writing programme with Bala Books and walked away as a published author with her first book, Bizzarcar.
Also read: #WeRead: Prioritise reading for this year’s Book Week and Fair
Relebogile, the second youngest of five children, started writing Bizzarcar at the age of seven and now at 10, gets to put published author in front of her name.
“I have a really big imagination and I thought I should call my book Bizzarcar. It is a fictional planet where everything is bizarre. There are two characters who need to go to the gym, because they are overweight. The book is also about overcoming fear, ” said Relebogile.
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Relebogile said that her imagination is her inspiration for writing.
She did not hesitate to tackle challenging topics as the book also addresses obesity.
“Children eat a lot of junk food. We tend to see things bigger than what they are. The book is about overcoming your fear at your own pace,” said Relebogile.
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The characters she loves the most in her book are Doggie, along with Ghost.
“What is really amazing is that the drawings in the book are my own. They just made it look way more awesome,” said Relebogile.
Her baby brother inspired her while writing the book as she encourages him to read.
Her favorite book to read is Much Ado about Nothing by William Shakespeare.
St Andrew’s School for Girls also showed support by calling an assembly to honour her on becoming a published author.
Relebogile enjoys crafts in her spare time.
“I painted a picture for my mum recently,” said Relebogile.
Relebogile’s mother, Khanyisa Mothema, said that her daughter goes “gaga” for reading.
“She would leave ice-cream, just for reading,” said Khanyisa.
Head honcho at Bala Books, Glad Kaiser, said that giving all children a voice and ensuring that no child is left behind is Bala Books’ mandate.
“We are committed to achieving this goal through learning that leads to opportunities inside and outside the classroom. As such, Relebogile is one such child,” said Glad.
He added that her book, Bizzarcar, draws attention to the social challenges around obesity that many children face today.
Book Week and Fair
National Book Week (NBW) is fast approaching and this year marks a decade of influence on South Africa’s reading culture.
The NBW campaign will run from September 2 to 8, with the SA Book Fair from September 6 to 8 at Constitution Hill.
For information, click here
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