Phumlani Pikoli, author of The Fatuous State of Severity, chatted to Ayanda-Allie Paine on Weekend Wake Up about the themes explored in his debut book.

‘There are a few crazy stories in there,’ Pikoli laughs. ‘They just go a little bit far out. There’s a whole thing with some talking squirrels that meet a very interesting demise …

‘But there’s a lot of explorations around relationships. language, insecurity, as well as social media and its influence over different ways of life.’

Pikoli wrote most of the book while he was undergoing psychiatric treatment for depression, and says it was the first time it felt like he was writing for himself.

He self-published The Fatuous State of Severity in 2016, and this new edition from Pan Macmillan features six additional stories and an introductory essay.

The Fatuous State of Severity discusses the complex relationships, the role of social media and the state of young people in South Africa.

The book has upcoming launches in Cape Town and Pretoria!

Click on the link above for more about the book.

Watch the video:

https://www.facebook.com/PanMacmillanSA/videos/10155491886100888/

Categories Fiction South Africa

Tags Ayanda-Allie Paine Pan Macmillan SA Phumlani Pikoli The Fatuous State of Severity Videos Weekend Wake Up