Welties writer (16) releases debut, Missing Pieces

A young Welties resident (16) has released her debut novel, the start of a trilogy, after winning a local writing competition last year.

Lilly Tzingakis has always had a passion for the arts and wanted to become an actress since the tender age of five.

“I’ve always enjoyed reading and writing, but it was during the Covid pandemic that I truly got immersed into the world of writing,” explained Lilly. A friend of hers recommended a book series, The Maze Runner, that was also adapted into a movie series.

“I read the whole series, and I became obsessed with the genre. I believe reading is a great form of escapism, especially during a time like Covid where you are isolated from the world,” she mentioned.

Lilly saw the call for entries for a short story competition by Art and Creativity and, after some encouragement from friends and family, decided to enter.

“My dad shares my passion for literature and creating is a safe space for us,” she elaborated, “The short story started as a small idea, I had no idea what I was going to write, so I sat down with my dad and we threw around some ideas. We thought about the classics – like JR Tolkien.”

Immediately ideas started to form a family that wasn’t related by blood, but rather by kinship. A group of people on an intense fantastical journey to retrieve some sort of ancient artifact that can only be discovered through magical riddles and ancient magic.

“I stayed up hours before the deadline at midnight, procrastinating submitting my story, when my dad came in and said, ‘Lilly just give up, you aren’t going to submit it in time’ … that sparked something in me and I was determined to submit my story – which I did,” exclaimed Lilly. She pondered if her dad knew she’d be determined to prove him wrong and therefore submit her story.

She didn’t expect anything to come from her entry, so she was excited to hear from Shante van Zyl from Art and Creativity informing her that she won the competition.

“She explained that my short story won and so I could expand it into a proper novel, hinting at the possibility of it becoming a trilogy,” she shared excitedly.

“For the novel I wanted to go deeper into the lives of my five main characters. Each one is different and deals with real-life issues that people face daily,” she elaborated. Lilly went on to say that she hopes their stories are relatable and that readers can connect with the characters.

“I enjoyed writing it and it was a fun way to explore different topics!” she exclaimed.

Lilly’s book Missing Pieces is available on Amazon and in local bookstores. To find out where to get your copy contact Shante van Zyl at shante@artandcreativity.co.za.