Ghost writer finally releases a novel under her own name
Local author Zibu Sithole hails from Jozi, she is a published ghost writer of many romance novels. Sithole’s debut novel, ‘The thing with Zola’ sold hundreds of copies.
THE Cape Times recently got in touch with Zibu Sithole to find out what brings out the magic in her novels.
Q: What inspired the setting of your latest novel, I Do ... Don’t I?’ and how did it influence the development of the storyline?
A: Zola leaving home again and how she behaves while she's away from home; this time she lets the readers know that she has grown, how she has grown and what is important to her now.
Although she is still ambitious and driven, she is no longer running away from home.
The choice of Kigali was a selfish one. Kigali is one of my favourite cities. I also think it's important not to count Africa out as a place where dreams and careers can be built.
Q: Following the sequel to
The Thing with Zola, the theme explores love and friendship. Can you share how the theme emerged and evolved as you wrote the novel?
A: The Thing with Zola is a story about falling in love. I Do ... Don’t
I? is a story about growing in love and maintaining a romance in the midst of it all. Like the rest of us the characters in the book live through a long juggling act and take on many different roles all at once. It is these different roles that test couples and give them insight into what forever could look like for them.
The characters grow and progress through life naturally because I want this to be a story people can believe and see parts of their own lives in.
Q: In I Do... Don’t I? the main characters are on a path to find out whether they really want to go into a matrimonial act. Without giving away too much, can you briefly share how they evolve throughout the story?
A: To start with, I wanted us to witness a black woman from the township in a warm, soft, whirlwind romance. I loved how so many women from different walks of life could relate to Zola, Okuhle and the other characters in the story. As they all take the next step in their romances they need to evolve and grow, too.
The Zola in I Do ... Don’t I has cracked open. She is more vulnerable and loves Mbali more openly, which is terrifying for her. Mbali hides it well, but he has his own struggles with vulnerability and questioning whether Zola would still love him if she knew EVERYTHING about him.
Okuhle is also coming to terms with how she falls in love. She is focused on the future, but can't help but see unsettling patterns.
It's reflective and introspective for all the characters. Like many of us they are discovering what they really want.
Q: How do you balance the elements of humour and romance in your novels?
A: For me romance goes hand in hand with laughter and humour. The small dramas, unlikely events and the many balancing acts that come with trying or wanting to build a life with someone who was until recently a complete stranger can't not be funny. The balance comes with plausibility. Comedy can lose its edge when you expect readers to stretch the bounds of believability beyond what is reasonable.
Q: Are there any particular challenges or surprises you encountered while writing I Do ...
Don’t I? That stand out to you?
A: People always talk about how writers throw the people in their lives into their stories, but what I struggled the most with was not pouring myself into it.
Of course, there is an emotional investment in all of the characters, there are personal experiences and feelings shared, but it's also important for me to recognise that the book is not about me, my feelings or what I would do in that situation. It is about the characters, and the story must stay true to who they are.
Q: Lastly, the first page is rather spicy, is the rest of the book just as spicy?
A: I Do ... Don’t I is spicier than The Thing with Zola, but everything still has a place in the story and isn't sexy just for the sake of it. Sex is part of romance. While it is a part of the story, this is still a story about love, and not about sex.
• The Cape Times is offering four lucky readers a chance to win a copy of Zibu Sithole’s book. To enter, please send an email to Liesl. vanderschyff@inl.co.za with the subject line ‘I do, Don’t I?
Standard T&Cs apply.