Thandekqa Gqubule explains the use of proverbs and stories in her new biography of the former Public Protector, No Longer Whispering to Power: The Story of Thuli Madonsela.

Chatting to Tammy February for Women24, Gqubule said she found writing commercially tough, and found herself using images to explain certain aspects of the book.

Gqubule said she found inspiration in the San belief that ‘stories are more than just stories. They are things that can communicate, they can have velocity and they can travel distances.’

[T]he San proverb about stories being like the wind is the most vivid image that I could evoke when trying to explain the Nkandla situation. […]

My favourite proverb in the book is the one that goes “If you think you’re too small to make a difference, try spending the night with a mosquito.” Ironically enough, it’s one of the biggest beliefs that Thuli had, which is that every single South African must make a difference as that would make her job much easier.

For the full interview, click on the link above.

Categories Non-fiction South Africa

Tags Jonathan Ball Publishers No Longer Whispering to Power Thandeka Gqubule Thuli Madonsela Women24