A calling to write
Blind author to launch Christian novel to public
“It was during a time I was bed-ridden that I answered the call to write and I ended up writing four books. But this is the first book that is going to be available for the public,” said Paul Ferreira, author of Gewetensbaai se Siel.
The book is an Afrikaans Christian novel written by Ferreira, 50, who was certified legally blind at the age of nine.
“The book is about a highly successful doctor whose life is turned around after he loses his wife and children. He becomes an alcoholic and falls in to depression, and becomes homeless. He then ends up on the beach, where he meets another person who's life struggles also made him homeless.
“They both become street dwellers who live on alcohol. One day, they meet a woman at the beach whose son is drowning in the ocean. The two men save the boy, but triumph quickly turns into tragedy as the doctor's friend dies while saving the boy. That is where he decides to take a major turn in his life,” said Ferreira.
He said the inspiration behind his writing came when he was terminally ill.
“I could not do anything for myself but pray every day. I heard God talk to me, and I decided to answer the call of writing four books.
“It took me only a few weeks to complete
Gewetensbaai se Siel, but not being a specialist in the field of languages, I struggled to get the book published. It took me seven years to print the book,” he said
An audio version of the book is being made available by Tape Aids for The Blind, a free national audio library services for blind and print-handicapped people in SA.
“As we do not receive any government subsidy and rely solely on donations, we plan a number of fundraising events during the year to boost our income,” said Tape Aids branch manager Michelle Clayton.
“In 2019, we had the privilege to team up with Paul Ferreira in support of the first Christian action drama novel he has written. The feedback we have received regarding the book has been extremely positive.”
The book launch will take place at Baysville School Hall on April 5. To purchase a ticket, contact Ferreira at 064-167-6752 or Clayton at 043-722-7615.