Tell us a bit about yourself.
I am a 33 year old mother of one, three year old Lesedi. I am a reader, or at least I used to be before I became a publisher, now the bulk of my reading is on manuscripts and never ending proofs. I was born and bred in Polokwane, in Limpopo. My mom passed away when I was 12, so I was raised by dad together with my siblings. As already mentioned, I am a publisher, a columnist, a speaker and a long time lover of wine.
You’re an acclaimed publisher, what has the journey been like?
I have always loved reading and writing and wanted to do that from a very young age. After matric I got sidetracked and studied engineering for four years.,epic fail. I eventually got to study publishing, a blessing that my father was able and willing to foot the bill for another attempt. I finished studying, got the degree and then no work, for a very long time. When I finally got a an internship, it was with Jacana Media, my current business partners on Blackbird Books. It was there that I honed my skills as a publisher sand found my niche.
You’re the first black woman in the country to have a publishing imprint, what does that mean?
It means that I have editorial license and the freedom to curate the kind of content that I feel represented by and that resonate with me. It also means that a lot of young black people see me, someone that looks like them in an industry that was once so exclusive, and are now able to believe that they too can exist in this space
You also own and run a custom publishing boutique, Evera Publishing, what services do you offer?
We work with individual and organizations to help them realize and fulfill their publishing needs. Our services include Project management, Content development, Various subject fields), Editing, World Class Book and cover design(pamphlets, brochures, booklets, magazines, journals etc),Proofreading, Printed book / print-ready files.
What does the Writing Masterclass you present entail?
I used to offer these to groups but have recently decided to scale it down to individuals and or a small group of maximum five people. I want the participant to get a carefully curated experience, just for them. The 'class' as it were, is looking at the viability of one's book idea, refining it if need be and then looking at how one gets from a book idea to a whole publishable manuscript and how to go about doing it. It is a session that is meant to equip you with the most practical tools while giving you access to one of the best publishing minds in the country.
What is your secret to success?
To honor my truth, and to choose love over fear. I find that everything I do in this way succeeds hugely.
Thabiso Mahlape
Twitter: @Thabisobonita
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Founder and head of Blackbird Books