Have you followed The Happiness Bookclub (@HappinessBClub) on Twitter yet?

The brainchild of Nozizwe Cynthia Jele, author of Happiness is a Four-letter Word and The Ones with Purpose, The Happiness Bookclub celebrates local works of fiction – especially those by women.

The club plans to organise book discussions and conversations with authors.

Over the weekend, The Happiness Bookclub launched with a dazzling interview with Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu about her debut novel, The Theory of Flight.

Ndlovu’s novel tells the story of Genie who, said to have hatched from a golden egg, spends her childhood playing in a field of sunflowers as her country reawakens after a fierce civil war.

With the lightest of touches, a cast of unforgettable characters, and moments of surreal beauty, The Theory of Flight sketches decades of history in this unnamed Southern African nation.

• Read an excerpt from The Theory of Flight here!

In the interview, Jele asks Ndlovu about how her novel was received, three things readers should know about her, the inspiration behind The Theory of Flight, the books and authors that have shaped her writing, and more!

Read the interview on Twitter:

Finally got the interview with Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu, author of The Theory of Flight, our current read. Hope you’ve all been reading with us, if not go get yourself a copy. You will not be disappointed a#thehappinessbookclub pic.twitter.com/L9wxBgaVcy

— The Happiness Bookclub (@HappinessBClub) July 14, 2019

Here’s a selection of our favourite moments:

I absolutely love writing and being a writer. I love the skin that I am in.
I am a deeply private person and a very happy introvert.
I am a feminist who definitely does not believe that EVERYONE should be a feminist…

— The Happiness Bookclub (@HappinessBClub) July 14, 2019

“Genie” was a delight to write, but she also difficult to write and it was only much later in the writing process that I understood why – it was because she was not really there. I saw her mostly through other characters, which was frustrating early on in the writing process…

— The Happiness Bookclub (@HappinessBClub) July 14, 2019

 

Next month, The Happiness Bookclub will explore The Broken River Tent by Mphuthumi Ntabeni. Don’t miss it!

Our next read is The Broken River Tent by Mphuthumi Ntabeni. This book has been on my ‘to read’ list since it came out last year. It is also long-listed for the Barry Ronge Friction Prize.
Read an excerpt here @JoburgReview https://t.co/OhQs7mXQa7#thehappinessbookclub pic.twitter.com/xVuIGdvnBV

— The Happiness Bookclub (@HappinessBClub) July 14, 2019

 

Follow The Happiness Bookclub on Twitter @HappinessBClub or follow the hashtag #thehappinessbookclub for more exciting interviews with authors.

Categories Fiction South Africa

Tags Interviews Nozizwe Cynthia Jele Penguin Random House SA Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu The Happiness Bookclub The Ones with Purpose The Theory of Flight Twitter