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UMR HURTER
LAUNCHED on December 6 at Tashreeqas Restaurant in collaboration with The Project Justice Trust and AWQAF SA, In Search of Who We Are is the debut novel written by Muhammed Yousuf Minty of Cape Town.
A captivated audience was taken on the author’s personal journey, culminating in a soul-baring explanation of how this work came into being during a fascinating interview with seasoned journalist Shafiq Morton.
The author, who studied law at the University of Cape Town and also medicine at Spartan Health Sciences University in St. Lucia in the Caribbean, has only recently returned to Cape Town.
In order to comprehend the series of events and situations that led to our modern society, the author emphasises that writing the book was an essential first step. According to him: ‘The inspiration was to write the historical novel I would like to read, true to the underlying principles that generally characterise African culture, centred around an African character.’
The protagonist of the tale is Kanu, a young African man from the fictional Ofuru tribe. Expecting the birth of his first child, he embarks on a search for the child’s name in the mountains as part of the Ofuru tribal tradition and ritual process.
Through introspection and time alone in the mountains, he reconnects with his past. However, the unexpected return of his long-absent father and the message he brings upend Kanu’s life, sparking a deeply emotional existential crisis.
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Minty justified his decision to collaborate with these particular publishers by stating: ‘The Project Justice Trust and AWQAF SA, are adamant about providing a platform for new voices that align with their own values and beliefs. They both have a strong desire to improve our communities, so I believe they would be a good fit for the book. They already have a sizable backlist of non-fiction and biographies published. For both of us, fiction is relatively uncharted territory, so it is a privilege to collaborate with them to grow into this vital area for our authentic voices, which may not quite suit the tastes of traditional publishers.’
The book was written with a broad readership in mind. Since the novel is written in an easy-to-read style and has a straightforward plot that anyone from ages 14 to 15 can understand, it is intended for readers of all generations.
What the reader discovers between the lines is influenced by their own background, knowledge, and personal experiences.
Minty states: ‘I believe Shafiq Morton’s comparison of my novel to a parable is a fitting one, and I am reminded of Rumi, the sufi and poet, who said, ‘Perhaps you are seeking in the branches for what can only be found in the roots.’
According to the author, it is impossible to comprehend modern political structures in African society without also comprehending the role that each individual plays within those structures, how and why the socio-economic architecture came to be as it did, and how those developments relate to the archetype of the African who was spared from colonial enterprise. The book asks the reader to consider his relationships with both people and groups. It is a criticism of the scientific materialist, individualistic-oriented view of existence and the denial of a transcendent reality that provides meaning to life.
When asked about how his Islamic faith had affected his writing, Minty explained that while the book lacked any explicit Islamic terms or customs that would not fit into the historical setting, it did contain many Islamic ideals and concepts woven throughout the narrative, which would be clear to any Muslim who read it.
He stated: ‘Islam aligns with many cultural values, including the reverence for marriage, the value of family and friends, the superiority of the group over the individual, awareness and memory of the Creator, submission to Him, and the pursuit of fulfilling one’s obligations.’
The author has already written a second book, which, while not a novel, explores similar themes from a factual historical perspective. It offers a more detailed and broader contextual approach, aiming to comprehend how history, culture, and identity dictate who we can and cannot be. The author believes that ‘we must dare to invent the future,’ echoing the words of Thomas Sankara, former president of Burkina Faso. To achieve this, we need to reclaim our past and, with it, our knowledge of who we are.
- In Search of Who We Are is available at Clarke’s Bookstore (including online orders), Exclusive Books, as well as in Kindle ebook format.
