Angela Makholwa thrilled to have her ‘Red Ink’ on screens

Author Angela Makholwa is excited to have another one of her books adapted into a TV series.

Makholwa made history in 2007 with her debut book, Red Ink, when she became the first black writer to write crime fiction in South Africa.

This year, the book was adapted into an eight-part Showmax Original series, which premiered this week.

While Red Ink is not Makholwa’s first book to be translated into a different medium, she said having this transition is always nerve-wracking for her.

Last year, her book titled Love, Sex & 30 Candles was adapted into a Netflix film.

“I’m actually quite excited; there’s less worry on my side than you’d expect. I’ve already had a book adapted to film but was hardly involved in the production. With Red Ink being my debut novel, this feels more precious. I found the entire process so much more exciting.”

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Feeling empowered

As the executive producer of the show, Makholwa said she was involved in all the decision-making processes, including casting.

She said being involved in that particular way for the first time made her feel empowered.

“It’s been a great pleasure because I’ve been in the writer’s room. I’m an executive producer on the show. So, I’m involved in the decision-making, anything from casting to wardrobe.

“It’s not always done this way, but it’s an extremely empowering feeling; I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world,” she said.

Speaking about casting, the author said Nqobile Nunu Khumalo, who plays Lucy in the series, was her first choice from the get-go.

She added: “Bonko Khoza brought such incredible nuance to the role of Napoleon. I wasn’t surprised when he told me he’d read the book three times because I then got to understand the kind of magic he brought to the audition.

“It was tricky trying to find the balance between the producers’ instincts on what works on screen versus the creator’s instincts for what their character would or would not do in a certain situation.”

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