20 Jul 2018

Author of the book Gole Dema says the reason she wrote the book was in an effort to fulfill her love for storytelling and develop her passion for children’s books.

Speaking in an interview, Gracious Sbrana said she launched the book on July 28 and so far it has been well received.Gole Dema, meaning Dark Cloud, is a tale about a young boy who embarks on a journey of self-discovery.

The boy Shamu, was an heir to the chief’s crown, but his jealous uncle and father’s second wife abducted him at birth and hid his true identity. Shamu’s mother Malili did everything she could to protect her son and to ensure that he would one day discover the truth.

 Speaking more on the book, Gracious said Gole Dema is an iKalanga inspired folktale that unveils the magic and nostalgia of African storytelling and it is targeted mostly to children aged 10 upwards. “Adults can also enjoy reading the story and celebrating African literature,” she said.

On how she got into writing, Sbrana said she developed a passion for children’s books when she took a course in creative writing and often her assignments would focus on children’s books and storytelling, which made her realise that she enjoyed writing fictitious stories.

“I also enjoy writing memoirs; in fact, I have recently completed an autobiography that is yet to be published. When I became a grandmother in 2017, I was reminded of my own granny who used to love telling us stories, and this is what inspired me to continue the tradition of African storytelling,” she continued.

About her early life, Sbrana said she grew up in a small village (Masunga) in the North East District and during that time they were not exposed to any western technology.

“My siblings and I would spend our evenings sitting around the fire while listening to my grandmother’s creative stories.

School holidays were such a treat for us as we would enjoy staying up late while grandma kept us entertained,” she said, adding that some of the characters in her stories consisted of friendly giants and unicorns that could fly and talk. She said her grandma would tell them about mischievous herd boys who would spend time looking for giant snakes and ended up losing their cattle and her (grandmother) imaginative tales inspired Gracious to write Gole Dema because she wanted to capture a story that reminded her of their childhood.

“What most people also do not know about me is that I am a trained nurse. I have a Diploma in nutrition and also a certificate in published writing.

I always knew that I was good at telling stories and so I developed my passion my writing,” said Sbrana.

She indicated that people can follow her on her Facebook page (www.facebook.com/gracioussbrana) for updates on where to get the book.

“Alternatively you can order Gole Dema on www.etsy.com/shop/gracioussbrana with free shipping for Botswana buyers. It is also available at Botswana Book Centre at Main Mall,” she concluded. ENDS