As I go about my day, I think of different things, the last while I have been thinking about the people who have helped me to build Modjaji Books. We’re about to celebrate our EIGHTH birthday! Which is really saying something. Modjaji Books has survived and lasted and is still going EIGHT years later. Birthdays are a time for reflection, looking back and looking forward.
So, on the eve of Modjaji’s 8th birthday, I want to thank and acknowledge those who have actually invested in Modjaji Books, who have bought shares. Your investing in my dream has made the dream live and grow and to take shape. I’m going to write something about each one.
The first person I want to write about is Fiona Adam Ghosh – I reconnected with Fiona via Facebook after losing touch for many years. We were friends in high school and into our twenties. Fiona has a strong business background, including an MBA from Edinburgh Business School. Thank you for investing in Modjaji Books, Fiona! I hope one day you will receive a monetary return on your substantial investment. But in the meantime I hope some days you feel quietly proud of what we have achieved in the past 8 years.
I also want to thank and acknowledge Colleen Crawford Cousins, my dear friend, who has put in many, many hours of reading manuscripts, editing manuscripts, making cover art work, constantly giving feedback on cover art work, who has listened to me when times have been tough (a euphemism for desperate). She has always been on my side in the vagaries of what publishing is in South Africa; she has offered so much of her enthusiastic work and belief in Modjaji and “the goddess energy” which Modjaji manifests. She has helped me to shape and conceptualise what kinds of books we will and won’t publish, and to think about how to describe what it is that Modjaji Books is all about. Thank you is not strong enough, but I think you do know how I appreciate you.
Bontle Senne, worked for Modjaji Books first as an intern, and then would you believe it, she invested in Modjaji Books. A small investment, but enormously appreciated, as a mark of belief, good faith and trust in me. Wow, I was blown away that someone as young and ambitious and clear as Bontle would invest in Modjaji Books. But she did. And I thank you too, Bontle. I also hope that one day you will receive a monetary return on your investment. Bontle now works as a Management Consultant, and is an advocate for reading and literacy in South Africa.
Fiona Snyckers, author and thought-leader is also one of our investors. Fiona is, as anyone who knows her, articulate, clear, sharp. She wanted to invest her money in the dream that is Modjaji Books, she has added her influence and financial investment to make our work real, to allow it to grow and to flourish. Thank you, Fiona. Fiona also does lots of behind the scenes work for others. We’re really lucky to have interest and commitment to Modjaji Books.
And last, but definitely not least, in the category of investors is Emily Buchanan. Emily has invested in Modjaji and she also invests her time, and works alongside me as my business partner. With Emily on board, I believe we can now take Modjaji Books to the next level, to move it up a notch from being a subsistence publishing outfit to being a competitive, professional publishing company. I am so grateful that these strong, bright, creative, passionate, generous, wonderful women have each seen fit to trust me and Modjaji Books, and to invest in us. I’m sure the writers we have published would agree.
Let’s celebrate on the 29th March, those of us who are in Cape Town.