Cullen Mackenzie wrote Impi yeHlathi because he wanted other children to experience the stories he had told his own children and isiZulu students.
Mabhengwane of the household of Mbilaziyawucosha, known as Cullen Mackenzie in English, grew up in Eshowe in Zululand. IsiZulu is his mother tongue, along with English. At school and university, he also learned English, Latin, Greek and French. After university, he taught himself Arabic, seSotho, Mandarin and other languages.
While researching traditional medical practices among the amaZulu, Cullen found a collection called ‘Nursery Tales of the amaZulu’. One story reminded him of the Cakijana / Hlakanyana stories he had grown up hearing, and that was the inspiration for this book.
“I also wanted to answer the need for more imaginative indigenous-language fiction for kids!” Cullen says.
Language and voices
Cullen’s love of language, teaching, and research richly enhances his passion for storytelling in all forms. He consults on the Ancestral Voices project and interviews a wide range of people about ancestry, Indigenous Knowledge Systems and history. One of his projects as a translator is to translate all the works of Homer from Ancient Greek into isiZulu!
“But I am a teacher at heart,” Cullen says. “And in my years of teaching, the tween age group has shown the greatest capacity for pure imagination.”
About the book
Having published other stories with Clockwork books, Cullen wrote Impi yeHlathi as one of three books for tweens piloting the NAC-supported programme by its imprint, Zazi Books. He enjoys writing for this age “because they (like me) are creatures of the margins. They are no longer ‘little kids’, and yet they are not quite ‘teenagers’.”
Because of this, the indigenous language and wholly African adventure can challenge tween minds with complex themes they don’t necessarily try to grasp cognitively. “They love the magic and the horror, and they love the emerging conflicts between good and evil,” Cullen says.
Impi yeHlathi is told through the interaction between Mkhulu and his grandchildren, Siphiwe and Sifiso, after a day of visiting the site of the Battle of Isandlwana. The children, inspired by the epic history of the amaZulu, ask their grandfather to tell them a story, leading to the captivating inganekwane about Sikhulumi, the hero who unites the creatures of the forest against the tyranny of his evil father, Hlokohloko.
Writing for tweens
Local artist Elliot Jaudz Oliver illustrated the book, and Cullen says that seeing the story come to life through someone else’s eyes was his favourite part of publishing this story. This was a milestone moment in his creative journey as first an avid reader and then writer. Not only does he hope to share this story with tweens but also to impart his love of reading, and maybe even writing, to his young audience.
“I hope they will read this book and see that their language is beautiful,” Cullen says. “I also hope that they will find resonance in the story, in the characters or the themes.”
You can read more about Cullen’s prolific career and background here. Also, watch this space for more exciting information about Impi yeHlathi!