Review by Rebaone
If it was not in honour of the late author (M.A Mokhuoa), I would not have chosen another one of Omoseye Bolaji’s books. He certainly dominates and over-shadows Free State (Black) writers. I don’t know if it is because of a lack of marketing from others, or simply that more still needs to be done to have more writers on the Free State block.
I felt obliged to review this one in memory of Molebogeng Alitta Mokhuoa. The book is in two parts: the first about the lady herself, and the second about her writings. This I believe was a great move for readers like me did not know her, save for the fact that she made a valuable contribution in promoting literature in the province.
She was even crowned Author of the Year in 2002. I never met her personally so it’s difficult to ascertain how Bolaji described her personality and work, but if her writings in the latter part of the book are anything to go by, clearly she would have made and achieved great strides in the world of books.
The book is a good read for anyone who knew her, and might also appeal to aspirant writers who wish to know more about the landscape of Free State writers.
Bolaji also cleverly used this opportunity to refer to other books under his name, and that of other writers, either to market them or to showcase Mokhuoa’s knowledge of literature. He regards her opinion highly and apparently respected her ordinary way of life and writing style.
He described her as the one who would go for short stories by choice and not waste time “going big”. This might sound as if he is putting her in a box, but on the other hand it indicates that she knew what she wanted and how to get it.
Bolaji has so far enjoyed great space, and by reviewing this one, a shortage of Free State writers has again been indicated; especially female ones. Where are they?
* First published in Mangaung Issue, 29 June 2011 edition
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