By O Bolaji
With the
recent release of her first novel - Unfolding
the documentary (2016), Matshidiso Taleng has gone a long way in confirming
her glittering literary promise which pundits have identified in recent years.
In 2013 Taleng published her debut work, Secrets (poetry) which showcased
dazzling verses: earnest, passionate, spontaneous, and rather burnished.
Pertinent
literary aficionados easily commend Taleng for her extraordinary dedication to her
craft. She really is imbued with the quintessential spirit and passion for the
genre of literature: reading, conceptualising, researching, writing et al.
Now at the
age of 27, a newly published novelist, Taleng is one of South Africa's youngest
female black novelists. Of course SA has a rich tradition of quality female
black novelists over the decades: Miriam Tlali, Laureta Ngcobo, Sindiwe Magona,
Kagiso Lesego, NMM Duman, Futhi Ntshingila - but on the whole, such black women
writers are exceedingly thin on the ground.
Hence Ms
Taleng can hold her head high, as she continues to etch a niche for herself in
the sphere of imaginative writing. She hails "proudly" from the Free
State which in recent times has experienced exceeding dynamism and fecundity as
far as "Black writing" is concerned.
Gifted
literary practitioner, Thabiso Mofokeng has commented thus on Taleng’s novel: 'Unfolding a superb artistic intuition at work. Punch after punch! Encapsulating a story in a way that incites people to read!'
Talk about growing
by leaps and bounds! No doubt the literary world will continue to fix its
relentless gaze on Matshidiso Taleng, and her ineluctable development.
