So over the past couple of weeks I have been reading Malebo Sephodi‘s Miss Behave in preparation for what was a FULLY BOOKED launch on the 28 June 2017! *snaps fingers* Few days later and the #MissBehave tag was still trending and she’s now listed as a BEST SELLER by Exclusive Books Rosebank Mall. We most definitely closed off the month with a definite BANG! Well done to team Black Bird Books and Thabiso Mahlape on a successful launch. The panel which consisted of The Cheeky Natives duo Letlhogonolo Mokgoroane and Dr Alma-Nalisha Cele, Natalia Molebatsi and the author herself clad in the same All Stars on the cover opened the discussion with the decolonized version of the national anthem to start things up.

I could put up countless links for you to experience the magic that is Malebo but I think one would have to experience her – so I’m glad that I made it to the launch! Here’s a link on GoodReads here for you to peep more on the book.

I’m not nearly halfway but the book is already getting me emotional just thinking about the things that women have to put up with and be faced with on a daily and it’s described as misbehaving. Here’s a paragraph that’s got me in my feels currently which I read at a time where South Africa is going through the most when it comes to women abuse, human trafficking, child abuse and abductions – hell just typing that sentence has exhausted me. But anyway, I digress… Here goes:

“I concluded that the reason men behave the way they do is because of how they have been conditioned. As they’re not allowed to hurt or cry, they bottle up their anger inside of them, which might be the reason for their violent behaviour. I believed that in order to stop the cycle of violence, one needed to help the boy child not to fall into the trap of this conditioning. I felt that it was my duty to mobilise women to help me in boosting men’s egos so that they might heal. Ultimately, though, in my reasoning, it was all about the women who were suffering. If I were able to fix men, then women would stop suffering under their hands.”

I’ve shared some pictures of the event which was a moment of pride for me as I haven’t been to a launch with so many black people in attendance after Ntate Dikgang Moseneke’s book launch. We are a reading nation. Forget what they’re saying about black people not being readers.

I’ve shared some pics of the amazing people I got to meet, some for the first time through social media connections – and some I’ve known for a while from the lit circles.

Please get yourself a copy of Miss Behave – and get your family a copy too while you’re at it.

#MissBehave is available at all good bookstores.