Today we talk about Themba’s Excursions, a book by Hennie Jones published with our publishing house Europe Books.
Europe Books had the pleasure of interviewing the author Hennie Jones to get to know him better, where he found the inspiration that brought him to the writing of his book Themba’s Excursions, as well as how his passion for Writing started!
Below you can find our interview. Take a seat and enjoy your reading!!!
- Where did you find the inspiration to write this book?
I do not always really know where inspiration comes from. I think my inspiration steadily grew with my experience in teaching English, Afrikaans and German literature and language to students of African origin at four universities and even more schools. During my teaching career I served the Ovambo tribes as Inspector for schools, the Damara tribe as Director for education and senior lecturer as well as professor to mainly Zulus and Sothos. I came to learn something of their different languages resulting in a better understanding of their various cultures and ways of thinking. I could listen to many stories and experiences of students living in crime-stricken surroundings. Their lives and honesty in most cases inspired me to listen more carefully. I think Themba’s Excursions is partly based on a true story extended by creative fiction and my knowledge of the African surroundings as well as my ideal to uplift suffering and poverty.
- What is the message you want to send out with your writing?
I construct my novels to have many themes and subthemes by repeating the same meaning or meanings within different words when using dialogue, description, tension, imagery, contrasts and especially in creating different situations linked up with matching milieus. I even try to use alliteration and assonance to complement meaning. My primary message will be that the reader enjoys my story and my style. For the serious reader, especially the African reader, I would like to encourage the possibility of overcoming crises and to improve living by means of effective actions, to use nature in a creative way by building and not destroying, to believe in yourself and your contribution to others and the surroundings. My writing is supported by my experience. Many of my students seemed to be somewhat lost in a western view of life and failed to comply with my predetermined expectations until I came to realise their thinking and philosophy of their life expectations. Their competence in sports and agriculture in some cases inspired me to write a book of upliftment by conquering western civilization in an African way. Suffering and overcoming obstacles by faith would be one of the main themes of this book.
- How did your passion for writing start?
I think my passion for writing could have started during my first understanding and enjoying story-telling. It possibly started by listening to excellent story-tellers like my parents, grandparents and other family members or friends. Our family’s seven children used to live in a small one room corrugated iron shed on the farm and during the evenings we listened to stories at the fireplace. Some language teachers complimented my school compositions. I always liked to read poems, novels and dramas. I was about ten when I tried to write my first book and was lucky to be able to publish my first poem when I entered secondary school. I was paid ten shillings for it. Coming from a very poor family I wrote short stories and soapies for magazines and radio stations in order to pay for my studies. We stayed in hostels, the nearest more than a hundred miles away from home and during vacations I had to herd my father’s flock of sheep and goats – that was the time when I had the privilege to listen to our African workers’ life stories. African stories have always fascinated me. I was lucky to publish some poems, short stories and a novel with African backgrounds. The South African scene of freedom and criminality, I suppose, inspired me to write Themba’s story.
- How was your publishing experience?
I have had a fairly mixed publishing experience of acceptance and rejection. I started writing in Afrikaans and was fortunate to be able to publish my first poems and stories in magazines. I wrote three Afrikaans novels – one was published and submitted for the E. N. Marais Prize. One I published myself of which I sold some and donated others to friends and family members. The other one has not been published yet. I have the experience that my themes – even when I receive excellent criticism – had not been suitable for the time and taste of the reading public. My novels written in English were somewhat better accepted. I was fortunate to publish The Moon’s on Fire with Gamsnerg-MacMillan in Windhoek with the comment that “this has been the best piece of English writing ever written in Namibia”. That inspired me to continue. I sent Themba’s Excursions for possible publication and was fortunate to find such a competent publisher. Working in cooperation with such dear and understanding people in Europe Books was the best experience in publishing I have ever had. I am so very grateful and appreciated the ease and friendliness of everybody so much. Thank you.
- Are you planning to write more books? Can you tell us more about it?
Yes, I am always busy writing something as it has become part of my lifestyle. In the meantime, I have nearly finished another novel – Slipstream. It is another story with an African and Namibian background. I like to write about places I know well. The story is about a young Ovambo man looking for food in rubbish bins. He got some inspiration from a text sitting on a wire fence to believe that something good would follow his dire circumstances. He met a person living with other outsiders and secluded people wanting to escape the maddening crowds of modern society. He moved away to live on a lonely farm in very extreme desert climatic circumstances using the meagre things of their surroundings to survive and grow to love his comrades and his living area. Slipstream explores the theme of believing is seeing. I also am busy reviewing my Afrikaans novel Wentelwinde (Turning Winds) as a kind of autobiographical piece of writing which I may translate into English in future.
Europe Books thanks the author Hennie Jones once again for taking the time and answering our questions. We are really pleased to have walked alongside him on the editorial path that led to the publication of his book Themba’s Excursions. We wish him the best of luck for his book and for his future works.
To you, my dear reader, may this book connect you emotionally and spiritually and always remember not to be discouraged when crises happen and to do everything you need to overcome obstacles thanks to faith and belief in yourself.
So, my dear reader, all I have to say is to enjoy your reading!
Your editor!