A 19-year-old author from Athlone has released his first poetry book titled Shadows of The Heart: Poems of Love, Life, Loss, Struggles and Innocence, which delves into the challenges the youth on the Cape Flats face.
Jaydin Donough says he started writing poetry as a way to escape his own troubles and hopes his book will inspire and help others.
“The book is dedicated to those who suffer from depression, struggling with anxiety, trying to pick themselves up when it feels like they are in a dark hole,” he explains.
“My teachers first noted that I have a talent for writing and told me to go further with it. What is happening in my area also motivated me such as gangsterism where innocent lives are being taken and drug dealers preying on young children.”
He says poetry is subjective and everyone will experience his poems differently based on their own lives.
The book was published on 14 August and is a compilation of 50 poems. He says that he is busy with a novel which he hopes to release before the end of the year.
“I compiled the book on my own and uploaded my manuscript on Amazon. I got approved for publishing, so every book that gets ordered, Amazon ships it to the reader and they take a certain percentage of it.
“I am trying to find ways to get the book printed for those who are not fortunate enough to order it off Amazon as technology is not in the hands of everyone.”
Other than writing poetry, he also assists at an Early Childhood Development Centre in Athlone and does home visits in the community.
If anyone would like to assist with printing his book please contact 0698810951or email [email protected].