“If the cultivation of the culture of reading is a national imperative, then initiatives by various entities need to be harmonised and properly coordinated. Without an integrated national strategy our efforts to eradicate illiteracy and promote the culture of reading will prove fruitless.”

– Siphiwo Mahala

“Mine are not tears of sadness. They are not tears of joy either. They are the expression of the infinite longing for complete humanness. To be a man among men. To love and be loved. To be capable of feeling pain for myself and for others. To cry when hurt. That’s what makes a man. Without tears he is incomplete.”

– Siphiwo Mahala

“When great writers die, their words spring into life. They get inscribed in our collective memory and assume new meanings across ages, ensuring they remain with us and relevant to present-day society.”

– Siphiwo Mahala

“Literary merit, rather than the simplistic recast of the black and white orthodoxies, should define the architecture of our literary landscape.”

– Siphiwo Mahala

“My grandmother’s stories illustrated the entanglements of the oral narratives and the modern short story. Our role was to contribute by laughing, squirming, responding to her chants, and at times asking questions. … We became the audience, critics, and storytellers at the same time.”

– Siphiwo Mahala

“Writing, to me, is an offshoot of my passion for reading, a habit that I developed from an early age.”

– Siphiwo Mahala

“Books are our reliable companions when the world closes in on us. They are essential for our mental health.”

– Siphiwo Mahala

“Contrary to popular perception, writing short stories requires a lot of discipline as there is no luxury of time and space. One has to develop a story using very few characters, and every word used must be accounted for in order to develop a concrete and aesthetically powerful story.”

– Siphiwo Mahala 

“The short story is the point of convergence where elements of oral narratives meet, sing and dance on the page.”

– Siphiwo Mahala

“When I threw my fist in the air, I was saluting the power of the people who lifted me to this level. I was paying tribute to my parents who passed away several decades ago and could not witness my academic progression. I was stating that my success is not mine alone. It is the triumph of the destitute and downtrodden. It is the victory of the wretched of the earth. It is the fulfilment of the collective dreams of the nonentities of this world.” 

– Siphiwo Mahala

“I write to understand myself better. I write to understand the world better. But most importantly, I write to make a difference.“

– Siphiwo Mahala

“The melancholy of hopelessness amidst mounting responsibilities usurps the last drop of pride. You do anything to earn a dime.“

– Siphiwo Mahala  

“Publishing is a treasure trove that chronicles our stories for posterity. It is through publishing that we obtain books, derive pleasure in reading, acquire new information and expand our horizons of knowledge. Publishing records our lived experience, ensuring that our stories transcend our lifetime and remain for future generations. It is a footprint of our existence, enshrining the collective essence of our thoughts, stories, and way of life onto the fabric of human history.”

– Siphiwo Mahala 

“Our capabilities are not measured when we have everything at our disposal; they are tested when we start from nothing. We must withstand the greatest of storms to prove our resilience. It is in the face of adversity that our tenacity can be proven.”

– Siphiwo Mahala