A grade 7 learner from Loreto School Queenswood in Pretoria, Phikolomzi Nqeketo (13), has published his first book titled, I Am More Than What You See: Overcoming Being a Big-Sized Child.
Phikolomzi is originally from Mqwangqweni, a locality in Ngqeleni, but currently resides in Pretoria with his family.
His book is about teaching young and older people about the disadvantages of body shaming others.
He said his motivation for writing the book came from personal experiences as a child with a larger body size.
“But this is about how other children see me. For example, when I was in grade 4, I tried to defend a classmate who was being bullied, but the bully told me to keep quiet because I was so fat and I could eat an entire buffet.
He added that writing the book was the best way to deal with these experiences. He hopes it will teach people that he is much more than what they see—a complete person with likes, dislikes, and feelings.
Phikolomzi confirmed that the book tells his real-life story, calling it an autobiography.
According to him, the process took over a year.
“Since I already had a diary where I recorded my experiences, my father, Ayanda Nqeketho, arranged a writing coach, Professor Thembela Kepe, for me. He (the coach) met with me several times, and we worked on organising my story into chapters and sections.
“We met in person or on Zoom. My parents were always present during the meetings, though they mostly stayed quiet and only answered questions when I needed help remembering or clarifying details.”
He explained that the book is intended for young people aged 8 to 16, though adults can also read it and learn something valuable.
For now, Phikolomzi has no plans to write another book, as his focus is on school.
“I always have homework, so there’s no time for another book at the moment. But the experience of writing this one was good.
“Maybe I’ll write another one in the future. I worked on the book during school holidays and weekends, but I always made sure to finish my schoolwork first to keep everything balanced.”
His book costs R150.
Those who want more information about it can go to Amazon Paperback or Amazon Kindleor call his father, Ayanda Nqeketho, on 083 498 9319.
