Listening is important and reading is essential. These are just a few lessons Lidudumalingani Mqombothi gained on his journey as a writer. He won the 17th annual Caine Prize for African Writing for his short story Memories We Lost earlier this month.
Mqombothi believes he is a vessel, an instrument to tell precious stories. When he was asked if Memories We Lost is an African story, he replies: "I do not know what that [African story] even means. It is important to tell stories that might appear African or even South African. We should not make the mistake of thinking our experiences are uniquely South African."
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