Cape Town author Ivan Koopman has released the third edition of his book Many Miles, which tells the story of his life and struggles growing up in Hanover Park.
The 66-year-old has been writing for the last seven years, releasing 10 books in both English and Afrikaans while his book Many Miles was printed for the third time this January.
“The first edition was released in 2014 and it was available at the Hanover Park library but as the book got more popular, I did another edition in 2017,” he says.
“With every edition, I update things in terms of my family and my son but the story stays the same, which is all about how I worked my way up from a tea boy at the Post Office and having to be the breadwinner of my family at the age of 15.
“At that age, my father was no longer in the picture and I dropped out of school while I also had to become like a husband for my mother and a father for my siblings.
“The book is to show people that they do not have to be brought down by their circumstances and just need to keep pushing through adversity to find the light at the end of the tunnel.”
The Stikland resident also released fictional books and poetry books in Afrikaans while Many Miles has been translated into Afrikaans, called Sleutels.
“My son, Andre, was also interested in becoming an author but he took a wrong turn with drug abuse so I am also helping him through that, while the struggles of dealing with it is covered in the third edition of Many Miles.”
Ivan is currently working on a new book depicting the life of his brother Anthony Rossouw, who worked in Europe with the circus before passing away in Cape Town last year.
If you would like a copy of Ivan’s books, visit local libraries or contact him on [email protected].