Author Brigitta Zwani says her latest novel, recently launched in Maun, Botswana is Home, was born directly from persistent requests by readers who wanted to know what became of the beloved characters from her previous books.
The novel reunites characters from Zwani’s earlier works, including fan favourites Tori and Tebogo, in a story that explores conservation, tourism, culture, resilience, and self-discovery against the backdrop of Botswana’s diverse landscapes.
“My readers inspired this book,” Zwani said in an interview. “They kept asking for continuations of all of my three other books, and so after a while I yielded to their pleas.”
Unlike her previous novels, Zwani said the writing process presented unique challenges because the book was closely linked to real-life partnerships and experiences she encountered while travelling around Botswana.
“With this book things felt a little different, because I did not have full control over how the story would pen out,” she explained. “Because the chapters in the book are named after the partnerships I formed, I had to make sure that the story did not have loopholes and at the same time flowed well from chapter to chapter while staying true to the real stories that the partners shared that I was able to incorporate in the book.”
The novel takes readers through some of Botswana’s most celebrated tourism destinations, including Mashatu Game Reserve in the Tuli Block, Dinaka Camp in the Central Kalahari, and the Okavango region. Zwani said each location brought its own character to the narrative.
“Each place is unique to say the least,” she said. “The terrain and vegetation at Dinaka Camp was vastly different from the one in the Mashatu region. This helped add colour to the storyline which doesn’t leave a reader feeling fatigued by reading the same descriptions over and over.”
Beyond showcasing Botswana’s tourism attractions, Botswana is Home also tackles the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through her characters, Zwani examines how individuals and communities continue to adapt and rebuild after a period that disrupted lives and livelihoods.
“People need hope,” she said. “Covid was not a walk in the park. A lot of lives, jobs, and great minds were lost during that time. It was important for me to show that there is always a silver lining over every dark cloud.”
She added that the novel also highlights Botswana’s resilience in the face of adversity.
“It was important to also highlight our resilience as a nation and to show how we are thriving even more after the pandemic.”
A strong thread running through the novel is Botswana’s cultural heritage and history. Zwani believes storytelling remains one of the most effective tools for preserving national identity and passing knowledge from one generation to the next.
“History has always been passed on from generation to generation through mainane,” she said. “What better way to preserve our cultural identity and history than through storytelling?”
She noted that some readers have told her they learned new facts about Botswana through the novel, including the historical significance of Francistown during Southern Africa’s gold rush era.
“I have had people say to me, ‘Oh, I didn’t know that Francistown is where the Southern African gold rush started,’ and they were grateful to have picked up a copy of my book in hopes of a leisurely read and end up gaining insight into our beautiful country.”
Zwani also believes Botswana can do more to package and promote its historical sites and cultural attractions as part of its tourism offering.
“The majority of the time tourists come to Botswana for the animals, and that is well and good. But we also have history,” she said. “If we actively brought spaces to life by documenting our history for tourists to have focal points to visit, I believe we could up our game.”
The book’s cover, a painting by Maun-based artist Roger Brown depicting everyday life in Seronga village, reflects the themes at the heart of the novel. Zwani said working with local creatives was a natural choice.
“The painting really does depict life in Botswana — the simplicity, the quiet, the freedom, the peace,” she said. “Collaborating with artists in Botswana was a no-brainer. We were not created to be silos. Collaboration is key to elevating what we have to higher heights.”
She added that she could not imagine the novel with any other cover.
As for what readers can expect next, Zwani offered a simple answer that suggests her literary journey is far from over.
“I am a writer,” she said. “So writing is what I will do.”
