Author’s children’s book highlights the loss of an African language

When Katrien Esau passes away, so does the last fluent speaker of the N|uu language, but author Lorato Trok hopes to keep the language alive with her new childrens book, Golden Girl.

Neo Phashe

11 hours ago

Lorato Trok at Book Circle Capital in Melville with one of her supporters.

Being the only person in the world that can do something is a trait one could assume many wish they had. The downside to being so special is: Who will carry on this legacy once you are not there to fulfill it?

Nonagenarian, Katrina Esau, is one such special individual. Author Lorato Trok wrote a book, which was recently launched in Melville at Book Circle Capital, to bring awareness, not only to Esau’s individuality but to her importance too. Esau is the last remaining fluent speaker of the critically endangered N|uu language, one of the Khoi San dialects, and Trok’s children’s book, Golden Girl, tells the story of this Northern Cape native.

For the author, writing this book was important in order to document African stories from a non-Western gaze, “But as a celebration of Ouma Katrina’s resilience amid the apartheid regime which tried to make her invisible.” Another salient point was to make people aware that languages can go extinct if not written, read, or spoken. It’s the language’s extinction that Trok meets with sadness. “No one should be deprived of speaking their language as it is their identity as humans.”

It’s Trok’s belief that people, like Ouma Katrina, as she is affectionately known, are a testament that anyone can be a hero. “It can be your neighbour, who doesn’t know how to read and write but still starts a school, like Ouma Katrina,” she shared. They are such a vital part of the community as they stand up for change, and their good deeds can be emulated by members of their communities.

Also read: Author Angelo C Louw breaks barriers with exploration of systematic oppression and intersectionality.

From this book it’s her wish people understand the resilience of the human spirit and also have pride in who they are, without fear. Telling stories which help her get into the hearts of the people she writes about is something loves. When it comes to children’s picture books, she loves taking those children to a different world with her words.

Though she knew she wanted to be around books, and reading, growing up Trok never entertained any thoughts of being a writer. “I read books, but I never thought they were written by normal people, or even people I could ever relate to. I loved reading and writing, but I never thought it was something I could do professionally.” Her first book was a children’s picture book she co-wrote 15 years ago.

Writing children’s books challenges her to get into the world of the child, to put stars in their eyes. She loves it when children tell her how much they love her books, as they are a very honest audience and never lie about liking stories. Even so, it’s also the most difficult genre to write, and she has to dig deep to get through to the story.

Trok is currently writing another biography of a well-known musician which she says is going to be very interesting.