[VIDEO] Novel sal dowwel: Cape Flats author gearing up to launch his third book
|Published
PROLIFIC: Writer Yusuf Daniels
Popular Cape Flats author Yusuf Daniels, who has been captivating readers with memoirs, is giving mense something to smile about yet again as he announced the completion of his third book.
Yusuf, now living in Thornton, started out writing about what he observed while waiting his turn at an acupuncturist’s office and shared it on Facebook – and it instantly became a hit.
Unbeknownst to him, a friend, who is now his wife Natasha, had sent three of his stories to three publishing companies, all of which got back to him.
The dad of three signed a deal days later with one company.
Now, a bestseller of two books – Living Coloured (because black and white were already taken) and Living Lekka (from Mitchells Plain to aeroplane) – Yusuf this week confirmed that his third book is done.
Living the Hustle - Dala (do) what you must has been eagerly anticipated by his 59 000 followers on Facebook and Yusuf says: “The support from people on the Facebook page is phenomenal and I am pushing for bestseller status again.”
Yusuf, 50, says all his stories are based on personal experiences, but it’s his descriptions and colourful language that have mense in stitches.
From stuffing his face during Ramadaan with his two best friends, running his first-ever marathon and actually winning, or his first-ever experience with apartheid police who chased them from a beach because it was for “whites only”.
“This book was not easy at all, with my mother passing on 29 December 2020, it slowed me down. But I pushed forward as I know this is what my mother would have wanted,” says Yusuf.
He says book three is basically at a point in his life when he lost everything and for seven years was hustling to put food on the table.
“I share very heavy stories in this book. In three of the stories, I nearly lost my life. I still show the funny side of it all. The book is lekker taatie again but there are a lot of messages in every story.”
When Yusuf is not writing, he is hosting writing workshops.
“I have been pushing to host workshops at high schools. I just got confirmation for two workshops for schools.”
While his official launch for book three will only be held in July, Yusuf is already busy on book four, and even has a title for it: Living With Dragons, referring to his three kids from his first marriage.
African News Agency