Writing, like all the other forms artistic creations, requires inspiration. And inspiration is not just one of the building blocks for artistic expression, it is the foundation.
Anybody who has ever met hurdles in the journey of life and lived to tell their tale would tell you that experience is one of the main inspirations for any piece of creative writing.
Times have changed and so have young people. They have their own struggles now. They want to have their own individual voice and be heard.
Twenty year old University of Botswana second year Bachelor of Accountancy student, Ludo Nkabiti is one such individual.
“It is about time young people took to literature as a form of edutainment,”Nkabiti says. “The literature may have always been there for our consumption but we don’t have literature that was written by young people for young people.”
Nkabiti has written a fiction book called “The road to tomorrow”.
Although the main character, Chloe, is a young woman like herself, Nkabiti explained that the book is not necessarily based on her own personal experiences.
“People think it is about me but it is really a combination of experiences of people around me and a bit of my own experiences as well,” she said.
Like most writers Nkabiti discovered her love for writing at a very young age. Literature was her first love at school. She started writing her book during her first year at University. A friend of hers, Kgomotso Phekoyame, encouraged her to explore her writing skills. As well as encouraging young people and promoting perseverance the novel also emphasises the need to turn to God as an escape route from all their troubles. The story centres on young Chloe who lives with her family in a small town. Like a lot of young people Chloe faces a number of challenges among them her parents’ divorce and she later takes refuge in alcohol and drugs.
This is an interesting read for both young and old and provides insight into the challenges faced by young people today.
The lessons in the book are as important to young people as they are to the older generation.
The book is less about a young woman who seems to always run into trouble and more about the human condition. It not only defines a generation but also provides a realistic view of society. The book is available at Books Botswana and other book shops.
