Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Young woman honoured for poem about being rejected by her father
My biological father was never around when I was a child and I used to become very emotional seeing other children with their fathers
ROBYN LE ROUX
Author
A 23-YEAR-OLD woman who wrote a poem about being rejected by her biological father is one of 150 authors across the country who received an award at the Fifth AfriCAN Annual Global Honoree Authors Award.
The awards are the brainchild of motivational speaker, publisher and founder of the awards, Anthea Thyssen.
The event coincided with Thyssen’s birthday last week and took place at the Genesis Conference in Fairmount.
Thyssen said during the global pandemic the award ceremony was a drive-through handover and for the first time since then, authors could meet, congregate and celebrate.
In a statement, her organisation said the aim was to celebrate those who braved telling their stories.
Thyssen has honoured 463 authors in the past five years.
Publisher, Haroldene Tshienda of Tshienda Publications had 36 of her authors receive an award from Thyssen, one of whom is her daughter, Robyn le Roux who wrote the poem:
Dear Biological Father and the book,
Teens and their Things.
Tshienda also received an award herself for her book titled I am Number Seven, which tells of her life story and battles and challenges and successes from a cleaner to a publisher.
“I am a very happy and proud publisher, 36 authors from Tshienda Publications received an honouree award at the 5th Annual Global Africa Authors Awards, there were 16 authors from Port Elizabeth and Cape Town who attended the ceremony. It’s a great honour to work with like-minded people.
“I publish books for authors in all the provinces and most of them I have never personally met. We correspond via emails and zoom meetings. So, on Sunday, it was a great pleasure to meet a few for the very first time. The authors dressed to impress.”
She said the fact that her daughter was honoured, left her with a burst of emotions and excitement.
“One of the highlights brought so much tears to me because I was there for my eldest daughter. She was also given a special honouree certificate for performing a poem she wrote about her father who had rejected her. She shares her story boldly and fearlessly as an overcomer and how self care and self love played a big role in her becoming so brave. She said, ‘I am unique, I am enough.’
“This book can be used to prepare, assist, guide, research, encourage, and to remind teens that as individual as we may be, we are all connected in spirit. We all face transformation and confusion.”
Le Roux said she always had a love for reading and writing and she decided to write down her emotions and never dreamed one day she would publish anything or receive an award.
She added that her writing is aimed at inspiring others who grew up without a father.
“I have been writing since I was at school,” she said.
“Creative writing and performing art has always been my passion. Having received an award was truly an honour.
“My biological father was never around when I was a child and I used to become very emotional seeing other children with their fathers. I didn’t understand at the time why my father never made an effort to call me or visit me but as I grew older and wiser, I realised that I do not need my father because my mother was always there for me.
“My book is to help children who deal with depression and rejection and how to deal with it.”
Authors from the Western Cape who were honoured included: Jeremy Dames, Devonetia Michels, Amanda Sickle, Joan Baatjies, Judith Vollmer, Julie Daniels, Anna Leite, Africa Unite, Denise Moosa.