When Leseli Mokhele of Lesotho published his first book, Home Grown Short Stories, in 2004, the work was greeted by a staccato of fulsome praise by both readers and critics. The shorter fiction in the book was well crafted, classy, polished and redolent with quality creativity.
Indeed, over the years, applause for Mokhele’s work is more or less invariable. For example in pithy fashion, Rets'elisitsoe Makara has stated in respect of the book, Home Grown Short Stories:
‘(Leseli) is one of the best storytellers in the whole world. I am just disappointed that movie directors have not seen this gem by Mr Leseli Mokhele…"
The late South African writer, columnist, and critic, Kgang Abel Motheane was more detailed and nuanced in appreciating Mokhele's talent. Motheane wrote:
"Leseli Mokhele is one of the outstanding short story writers in Southern Africa; he hails from Lesotho, and made his debut as a very good writer of fiction with the book, Home grown short stories. The reader is struck with two things soon after being introduced to Mokhele’s work: his wide diction, and also his fertile imagination. The underworld, the sleazy, different types of women; desperate men – these are some of the themes in his short stories.
"Then there is also the violence. A lot of this seems to go too far and a streak of sadism might well run through his work. The sweetness and dangers that go with women are well highlighted, including heartbreak and Aids. The stories are more in the line of the hard school of overseas thrillers. But the beauty is that the background is very much the black world of the locations, and the like.
"That Mokhele is well read can be seen from his references to literature and literary giants in his fiction. Like (Dambudzo) Marechera, he pays tribute to his favourite writers directly and indirectly and spreads some enlightenment in the process ... Lovers of African fiction will do well to read Mokhele’s work"
Mokhele has published many other short stories in newspapers,
et al, and has also produced outstanding plays (see Bibliography below). As a
top-notch creative African writer, he has done his "small country"
very proud!
Bibliography
Home Grown Short Stories
The Charismatic Charlatan
Tholoana tsa tsebo (play)
