University of Pretoria (UP) alumna Tshwanelo Serumola (24) has seen her love for writing and her belief in the power of positive affirmations manifest with the publication of her children’s book, Wonderfully Made.

The book teaches girls to embrace and celebrate their unique appearance and talents, and encourages them to be creative and dream big. Serumola, a graduate of UP’s Faculty of Theology and Religion, describes the book as “fun and inspirational, with rhyming patterns and great illustrations”.

Wonderfully Made is the culmination of Serumola’s love for children – she worked in the US as an au pair after matriculating – and her passion for the pen. “I’ve always loved reading and writing,” she says. “It wasn’t something I’d intentionally chose to do, but I’m very glad I decided to see it through, as my passion for it grew stronger.”

Serumola started writing the book at the beginning of lockdown in 2020. “I often thought about messages that would resonate with little readers and writing a book based on that,” she says. “Once I finally felt happy with the writing, I started reaching out to publishers in South Africa. I got in touch with Pan MacMillan and had my first meeting with them in August 2020. The editing process started, and they assigned a great illustrator to me. I signed my contract with them in June 2021. The rest is history, I guess.”

The book is available in four languages: English, Setswana, isiXhosa and isiZulu. “Wonderfully Made is representative of all girls with brown skin, no matter their background or ethnicity,” Serumola says. “I believe that young brown girls need to see themselves in the literature they read from a very early age. It helps to build their confidence and reminds them of their worth.”

While publishing a successful book is rewarding, it is not necessarily easy, and one challenge that the author faced was dealing with imposter syndrome. “It’s easy to become an over-thinker and undermine your achievements when you compare them to someone else’s,” Serumola says. Ironically, her affirmations helped her to navigate these challenges. “In moments when I felt anxious, I took a moment to whisper affirmations to myself; this brought about a great sense of calm. Always treat yourself gently, because you’re trying your best.”

Some of Serumola’s writing highlights include being part of Exclusive Books’ April 2022 Recommendations List and the bookshop’s Homebru promotion, a yearly celebration of home-grown books and writers.

She is working on a new book that focuses on young boys and, in future, hopes to be involved in projects that involve improving the lives of disadvantaged children as well exploring her “radio voice”, which is something she says she has always been complimented on.

Wonderfully Made is available at most major bookstores, online and in-store. Click here to purchase a copy.