In another proudly South African moment, young writer Lidudumalingani won the prestigious Caine Prize for African Writing in July 2016.
Lidudumalingani – who is also a filmmaker and photographer – hails from the rural Eastern Cape and that’s where his short story, Memories we Lost, is set.
The story is an emotionally charged one about a young girl who acts as the protector of her sister. The sister suffers from schizophrenia and the mental illness is vastly misunderstood by the siblings’ family and their village. The disease is labeled a ‘demon’ and when a local man proposes a dangerous treatment, the sisters will have to make a tough decision. Read the full story here.
Andrea van Wyk spoke to Lidudumalingani about winning the prize, about mental illness and about South African fiction. Listen below or download for later:
This interview was first played on PowerFM on 28 August 2016.