Gau-Trained, poems & stories is here! Six years in the making… the train is about to leave the station!
When I stepped off the City2City bus on 1 July 2011, I had no idea how my life was about to change. I had with me every personal item that meant anything to me, and just R100 to my name. I had come to Joburg to ‘make it’ – yeah sure, I came here following a boy but that’s beside the point. I had never really left Port Elizabeth on my own; this was MY time to grow up and make a name for myself… And then the penny dropped: this was not gonna be the roses and sunshine I had imagined it would be. Jozi would show me the ultimate of flames and almost incinerate me.
Gau-Trained is my second collection. This book is my candid exposure of the life I lived since moving to Joburg, the trauma and abuse I experienced at the hands of ‘love’ and the revelation of what the REAL City of Gold is like. Between these pages I’ve poured my heart and soul along with the stories of those who are almost never given a chance to tell their truth. With titles like Derailed, Jeppe, Textile House, Sex & the City, Doctors Without Borders and more, this book gives the reader a look at the gritty side of Joburg; the parts that travel magazines and tour guides often sweep under the rug. I also give readers the glow and glory of a woman overcoming adversity and achieving success through love and perseverance.
This is a book of truth and strength and the migrant woman’s go-to for an “oh yeah, I’ve been through that shit” moment. I wrote myself out of despair in this body of work, and hope that you’ll read your way to victory through it!
