Blackbird Books Founder Thabiso Mahlape Opens Up About a Love for Storytelling and the Pain of Losing Her Mom
- Thabiso Mahlape has revolutionised South African publishing through her brainchild, Blackbird Books
- The young woman's publishing company has given birth to many African narratives and allowed her to live out her passion for storytelling
- The award-winning publisher spoke to Briefly News about how it all started and how she has been able to push through personal challenges like losing her mother
- Thabiso has been named one of Briefly News 2022 Women of Wonder thanks to giving other writers a platform and a voice in the SA literacy space
Thabiso Mahlape has always been drawn to inspiring stories from a young age, whether she was putting pen to paper or simply losing herself in an imaginative world with her nose in a book.
Stories and writing fast became a passion for Thabiso, moving her to pursue a career as a writer and bring her brainchild to life, Blackbird Books, which launched a ground-breaking move for the South African literary landscape.
Source: Instagram
In an exclusive interview, the award-winning publisher spoke to Briefly News about who and what has contributed to the eloquent and phenomenal woman she is today.
When did Thabiso discover her love for storytelling?
Thabiso fell in love with stories before she discovered she loved writing.
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"I loved the feeling of getting lost in the world that was outside of the world that you live in.
"When I was in high school, I realised that I could write and that I loved writing.
"Even when I finished matric, I knew that I wanted a career that would allow me to play with words.
"At the time, with my limited knowledge, I thought it was journalism. But, high school is definitely where I learned that I've got a passion for writing," she told Briefly News.
How Blackbird Books was born
When Blackbird Books started in 2015, Thabiso thought she would publish books and work written by black people and black voices. However, it soon became a platform for new voices and talent in South Africa.
"While that is a huge and important vocation to take on, it's not very wise in terms of business because people don't want to buy debut writers; they want to buy established writers.
"The plan now is to make it a hybrid publishing house but it's been the most wonderful thing to work on as stressful as it is.
"It made me realise my biggest dreams and that is creating and curating talent.
"It has fulfilled me in ways that I cannot begin to explain," Thabiso shared.
Losing her mother was a big challenge
The successful woman admits that losing her mother at 12 has been her biggest obstacle.
"You never ever overcome something like that, it's just something that you learn to live with.
"You wake up one day at 26 years later and it cripples you as though it happened yesterday."
Thankfully, several other strong women have contributed to Thabiso's personal story and journey to success.
She speaks highly of the strong women from her mother's village of Doornspruit, Polokwane. Thabiso admired their resilience and ability to accomplish much with very little.
"That could be something as small as feeding their family day to day. The rural women of South Africa inspire me.
"But even closer to me, my friends inspire me. I've got incredible friends who are all successful in their own way.
"I only need to look around me and I'm filled with inspiration," Thabiso said.
Source: Instagram
Thabiso believes every woman should know and live out their purpose
According to the talented writer, a modern woman in South Africa who is changing the country for the better should know their purpose.
"Each of us is called to a different purpose that we are here to fulfil. I heard a phenomenal quote just the other day, and it said:
"The gap between what your soul loves and the amount of time spent doing it is equal to the size of your unhappiness."
"This goes hand in hand with finding your purpose because it will be built into something you love deeply.
"Once you marry your deep love and your purpose and walk within that purpose there is nothing in the world you can't do."
Thabiso shared that her stern father also played a role in her being aggressive and unapologetic about chasing her dreams and the things she wants out of life.
The driven writer looks forward to taking more space in SA literature in new and exciting ways.
Briefly News 2022 Women of Wonder aims to inspire women
Briefly News wants to celebrate the female changemakers of 2022 by honouring a few influential, inspiring women.
The team looked for women who made a success despite some tough challenges they faced in their respective sectors.
Our goal is the create inspirational content that shows our audience what the embodiment of a resilient and strong South African woman is.
Briefly News wants to motivate other women to go beyond their limits.
If you want to participate in our next special project or want to be featured in one of Briefly News' women empowerment articles, please email contact@briefly.co.za with Women Empowerment in the subject line.
Nonkululeko Gobodo became SA's 1st black female chartered accountant despite teen pregnancy and facing racism
In more inspiring stories, Briefly News reported on Nonkululeko Gobodo, who had no way of knowing she would one day make history as South Africa's first black-qualified chartered accountant in 1987.
In an exclusive interview, Gobodo told Briefly News that even her mother was worried about whether she had what it took to make it in life. Her mother's view lead Nonkululeko to believe that false truth about herself.
However, Nonkukulelo soon discovered her passion for accounting and auditing, opening a world of career opportunities. She is now helping and empowering other women to do the same.
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Source: Briefly News
