Khomotso manyaka biography books

Twenty years ago, a former agent told me that my upcoming young-adult novel, Chanda’s Secrets, about a teenager whose mother is dying of AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, would be lucky to sell a few hundred copies to local high schools.

Instead, by some freakish miracle, it was translated, published, awarded, and taught internationally, including in sub-Sahara. Even more amazingly, I found myself on the red carpet at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival for the premiere of its movie adaptation, Life, Above All.

(The screening was followed by a ten-minute standing ovation, the film won Le Prix François Chalais, and it was later shortlisted for an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.)

Last month, the new film adaptation of my psychological thriller The Dogs screened at TIFF Lightbox as part of the Female Eye on Film Festival.

It has since been sold to Canada, Latin America, Germany, Austria, France, and Russia