Is eight-year-old Ezekiel Jewell the youngest author in Makhanda? Photo: Khanyisa Khenese
By Khanyisa Khenese
Makhanda’s eight-year-old author, Ezekiel Jewell, takes part in this year’s 50th National Arts Festival.
The author sells copies of his book “A Collection of Short Stories” at Amazwi Museum for R100.00.
The National Arts Festival held in Makhanda annually features established artists, new and emerging talents and a network of producers, writers and creators who make and present works on South Africa’s stage.
Ezekiel Jewell at the Amazwi South African Museum of Literature. Photo: Khanyisa Khenese
As part of this week’s extraordinary line-up at the Amazwi Museum, Ezekiel brings his storytelling book to book readers from 26 to 28 June. The thrilled and excited young author was also invited on Wednesday to attend a creative master class with other publishers, where they engaged in insightful conversation and learned about improving their writing
Today (Friday), Ezekiel will honour the invitation and attend the country’s largest literature festival.
Grocott’s Mail reported earlier this month that Ezekiel received his first officially published book and attended the Joy of Books Festival in East London.
Reading books for fun at the age of five years, and receiving a book from his mother that she received when she was in grade 1, inspired the grade 2 Kingswood College learner to illustrate and write his book at a tender age. The book narrates the story of a flower that was never blown away, even by the wind.
Talking to Grocotts Mail, the young boy with endless dreams, said he is passionate about writing and he plans to publish more books. “I am still going write more books, they are going to be about other themes. Also, I want to be an author, a basketball player, and a pilot,” he said.
Ezekiel’s book prompted him to be invited to the Joy of Books Festival in the East London Museum where he got an opportunity to read his book for the attendees.
His proud parents expressed joy and happiness for their son. “I am extremely proud of him, he’s my role model. I am supposed to be his, but he is, and this is something very amazing, I am proud of him,” said his father, Sylvester Jewell.
His mother, Sherilize Jewell, added: “It is beautiful to see when you see what you put in developing into something beautiful, as we always try to foster that reading and knowledge is power. At a very young age, we read to him and made sure that he developed an interest in reading because it is very important.”
The parents also said that they provide Ezekiel with steadfast support and encouragement and that they ensure his extra activities do not interfere with his schoolwork.
“We read to him and encourage him to read as often as possible, his favourite place to go to is a book shop. We just encourage him to read.”
As the book has been officially published, the parents said it received a lot of demand and they are planning to make copies that are going to be sold.
“With the demand the book has received, we will have to make copies that are going to be sold even though the intention was never to sell the book, but to keep it for him so that he can show it to his children, that this is what he did when he was at their age.”
