Moeng launches Call and Response
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Tuesday May 30, 2023 06:00
The launch was held in Gaborone at Exclusive Books on Thursday. The book has nine beautiful sSerowe-born former journalist, Gathataone Moeng, who recently returned to the country after studying for her Masters in Creative Writing abroad, has launched her new short stories book titled Call and Response. The launch was held in Gaborone at the Exclusive Books on Thursday.
The book has nine beautiful short stories most of which are based on things that happen around her. “I figured from a young age that I was interested in writing. At the time I was still at primary school. I enjoyed making up stories.
I used to read a lot of stories more especially children’s stories. From that young age, I used to emulate those stories and try making up my own stories. I tried writing my own novels.
At that stage I did not know that writing was a career one could follow. I wrote stories for my school and my teachers,” she said. She further explained that when she got her first story published around 2003/4 she felt more comfortable describing herself as a writer.
Moeng, who has been a journalist for some years, explained that even though she loved journalism, along the way she got tired and decided to try something different. She added that even though she was a journalist, she was part of writers clubs where she wrote her stories. She said because of the hectic job, she could not write her stories more often hence her decision to go and study for a course she loved overseas. Even though she is a talented writer, she said she felt she needed to learn a few things about writing.
She explained that studying overseas was an eye opener as she learnt a lot from fellow writers and her lectures. She added that she also had access to a lot of books. She further explained that she called the book Call and Response because she felt it resonates with a lot of the short stories in the book. She added that she gave most of her characters the names of her loved ones.
She, however, stated that even though she sometimes wrote stories of people around her, she knew where to draw the line. hort stories and most of which are based on things that happen around her. “I figured from a young age that I was interested in writing. At the time I was still at primary school. I enjoyed making up stories. I used to read a lot of stories more especially children’s stories. From that young age, I used to emulate those stories and try making up my own stories. I tried writing my own novels.
At that stage I did not know that writing was a career one could follow. I wrote stories for my school and my teachers,” she said. She further explained that when she got her first story published around 2003/4 she felt more comfortable describing herself as a writer. Moeng who has been a journalist for some years explained that even though she loved journalism, along the way she got tired and decided to try something different.
She added that even though she was a journalist, she was part of writers clubs where she wrote her stories. She said because of the hectic job, she could not write her stories more often hence her decision to go and study for a course she loved overseas. Even though she is a talented writer, she said she felt she needed to learn a few things about writing.
She explained that studying overseas was an eye opener as she learnt a lot from fellow writers and her lectures. She added that she also had access to a lot of books. She further explained that she called the book Call and Response because she felt it resonates with a lot of the short stories in the book. She added that she gave most of her characters the names of her loved ones. She however stated that even though she sometimes wrote stories of people around her, she knew where to draw the line.