Welcome to a new interview series where we will be interviewing the Brittle Paper 2022 Persons of the Year. The first interview in the series is with Thabiso Mahlape, the founder of our 2022 publishing house of the year, Blackbird Books.

Mahlape founded Blackbird books in 2015 to amplify black voices in South African publishing. The establishment of this house has also led to Mahlape being the first black woman with her own publishing imprint. In a country that is still trying to overcome the remnants of apartheid and colonialism, while tackling the ongoing battles with patriarchy, it is inspiring to see the work that Blackbird Books has done in making space for more diverse voices in the South African publishing industry.

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Brittle Paper

Firstly, Thabiso, congratulations on being Brittle Paper’s Publishing House of the Year. But an even bigger congratulations because Blackbird Books will be celebrating another successful anniversary this year! I’m sure it has been a challenging but also fulfilling journey thus far.

Thabiso Mahlape

Blackbird Books in fact turns eight this year in what feels like the most challenging of years. Should we miraculously make it out of this year, we will definitely make it to a hundred. I know I am sounding rather pessimistic but counting more challenges than wins can do that to a person. I am usually very private about the true state of affairs but this year finds me tired and worn out and I don’t want anyone to ever say they ‘didn’t know it was that hard’.

Ordinarily, this is a very fulfilling job. There were times, in what now feels like a long time ago, that I’d find fulfilment in the joy that being published brought to authors. In seeing a book land in the hands of readers. I hold on to the hope that I will find it again soon and that the shit show that is the business side of things won’t always weigh so heavily on me.

Brittle Paper

Blackbird Books was founded with the goal to “expose stories that are unapologetically black and written by black people,” and at the time, despite it being 2015, it was considered ground-breaking. Do you agree that despite the progress African publishers have made, a black-owned publisher that publishes black writers is still considered ground-breaking in 2020s South Africa?

Thabiso Mahlape

Considering that we are still getting calls for more black writers to be published in 2023, yes, I do agree.

If you look at the demographic makeup of the SA publishing industry you will see that a lot more ground needs to be broken still, and for that reason, we will need to have ground-breaking movers and shakers on different participatory levels for a long time to come.

Brittle Paper

I read some of your previous interviews and articles and two things stood out for me.

The first is that, as I’m sure many agree, you are a phenomenal woman who has stood her ground in what has not always been welcoming and inclusive spaces, be it in the publishing industry or just society. The second is the way you described the publishing world, particularly in South Africa, because it resonated with my own experiences and, again I assume, many other women of colour.

When I briefly worked at a big publisher in Cape Town, I described it as being a microcosm of SA’s leftover apartheid and continued patriarchy. I’m aware of publishing houses that try and change this landscape, but I strongly believe Blackbird Books is among the handful, if that, that actively do the work and actually create change. This may not be an easy question but how does one go about creating and taking up space in an industry that struggles with change?

Thabiso Mahlape

Quite simply, you do the work until you can’t anymore. You fight until there is no more fight left in you. And then, once you can’t anymore, you hopefully hand over the baton to someone else who will carry it on. This process repeats until one day there is change and people don’t have to fight anymore.

Brittle Paper

When I was doing my MA, I focused on queer Nigerian contemporary literature, and one of my favourite and most valuable texts was the 14 anthologies that Brittle Paper had published. I only wish that Blackbird Books had already published Exhale: Queer African Erotic Fiction so that I could have written on it as well. The collection is breathtakingly good!

Recently, I interviewed an up-and-coming SA writer, Abbey Khambule, and we briefly discussed that despite the growth of queer literature in Africa, SA has a lot of work to do. How do you find queer representation in African literature, particularly from a SA publisher perspective?

Thabiso Mahlape

It is simply nowhere near enough, especially with the activism around queer representation currently happening. It also speaks to the greater issue we find in society which is that we are not archiving enough of ourselves. There can be more, and there should be more.

With that said, we need to acknowledge certain challenges that come with writing. Including but not limited to the fact that in SA, not many people can make a living out of being a writer. And writing IS a job. If publishers can barely make a living out of publishing books, who can afford to write the books?

Brittle Paper

I completely agree. Writing and publishing is a huge part of society but we find ourselves in a world that we cannot afford and writing is always side-lined to pay the bills.

Thabiso, I think I’ve bombarded you with enough easy questions and it’s time for the rapid-fire round.

What is your go-to comfort book?

Thabiso Mahlape

To be honest, I don’t have a comfort book.

Brittle Paper

What has been the most enjoyable book you’ve read recently?

Thabiso Mahlape

Sharma Taylor’s What A Mother’s Love Don’t Teach You.

Brittle Paper

And lastly, and I suspect this one is like asking a parent who their favourite child is, what has been your absolute favourite book to publish thus far?

Thabiso Mahlape

The Eternal Audience of One by Rémy Ngamije and All Gomorrahs are the Same by Thenjiwe Mswane.

Brittle Paper

Fantastic! Now, I know this is a long shot, but are there any upcoming releases that you can let us in on? What does Blackbird Books have in store for us in 2023?

Thabiso Mahlape

I think I can share just one with you all and that is our upcoming April release, Dreamer: The Activation of Makeba. As for the others, you’ll just have to follow us closely!

 

Brittle Paper

Finally, as a reader, a publisher, and a writer, what would you say to aspiring writers who are finding it difficult to keep going after facing countless rejection letters?

Thabiso Mahlape

It’s a hard-knock life! [laughs] I am kidding. They have to remember that writing is first and foremost a passion. Something you do for one’s sanity and well-being. Do it for that reason first and the rejections and the hardships will come a hard second to the joy. And one rejection from one publisher doesn’t mean you won’t find YOUR publisher.

Brittle Paper

Thabiso, thank you for taking the time to talk to us and for all the incredible work you do at Blackbird Books. We are in awe of everything you’ve done and everything to come, and I wish you all the strength to get through this year so we can see how the next 100 goes!