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Behind every successful man
Nobantu has everything a girl could dream of: a brilliant businessman for a husband, two adorable children, and two of the best friends a girl could ask for. And yet, on her 35th birthday, surrounded by glitz, glamour and fame, she realises something important. What has happened to her ambitions? Her career?
- GenresFiction
224 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2008
5 people are currently reading
136 people want to read
About the author
Zukiswa Wanner
32 books86 followersBorn to a South African father and a Zimbabwean mother in Zambia, Zukiswa Wanner is the author of the novels The Madams (2006), Behind Every Successful Man (2008), Commonwealth and Herman Charles Bosman Award shortlisted Men of the South (2010). Her two children’s books Jama Loves Bananas and Refilwe will be out in October this year.
As an essayist she has written The Politics of Race, Class, and Identity in Education http://www.guernicamag.com/blog/3429/...
and 2011 Mail & Guardian’s book of Women Introductory essay , Being a Woman in South Africa http://bow2011.mg.co.za/essays/on-bei....
She co-edited Outcasts – a collection of short stories from Africa and Asia with Indian writer Rohini Chowdhury in 2012. Wanner is one of 66 writers in the world (with Wole Soyinka, Jeanette Winterson, and Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, among others) to write a contemporary response to the Bible. The works were staged in London theatres and at Westminister Abbey in October 2011. 66 Books: 21st Century Writers Speak to the King James Version Bible’s proceeds benefit disadvantaged art students.
Wanner co-authored A Prisoner’s Home (2010), a biography on the first Mandela house 8115 Vilakazi Street with award-winning South African photographer Alf Kumalo as well as L’Esprit du Sport (2010) with French photographer Amelie Debray.
She is the founder of ReadSA - a writer-initiated campaign to get South Africans reading more African literature with a particular emphasis on donating locally-written books to school libraries (and where unavailable, start libraries) and was in the inaugural writing team for first South African radio soapie in English, SAFM’s Radio Vuka.
She has been a regular participant at the prime literary events in South Africa, Time of the Writer, Franschhoek Literary Festival and Cape Town Book Fair and has also participated in literary festivals in England (London Book Fair), Denmark, Germany (BIGSAS Festival of African Literature), Zimbabwe (Intwasa Arts Festival), Algeria (Algiers Book Fair), Norway and Ghana (Pan African Literary Festival). In addition to this, she has conducted workshops for young writers in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Denmark, Germany and Western Kenya.
Wanner has contributed articles to Observer, Forbes Africa, New Statesman, O, Elle, The Guardian, Africa Review, Mail & Guardian, Marie Claire, Real, Juice, Afropolitan, OpenSpace, Wordsetc, Baobab, Sunday Independent, City Press, & Sunday Times.
As an essayist she has written The Politics of Race, Class, and Identity in Education http://www.guernicamag.com/blog/3429/...
and 2011 Mail & Guardian’s book of Women Introductory essay , Being a Woman in South Africa http://bow2011.mg.co.za/essays/on-bei....
She co-edited Outcasts – a collection of short stories from Africa and Asia with Indian writer Rohini Chowdhury in 2012. Wanner is one of 66 writers in the world (with Wole Soyinka, Jeanette Winterson, and Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, among others) to write a contemporary response to the Bible. The works were staged in London theatres and at Westminister Abbey in October 2011. 66 Books: 21st Century Writers Speak to the King James Version Bible’s proceeds benefit disadvantaged art students.
Wanner co-authored A Prisoner’s Home (2010), a biography on the first Mandela house 8115 Vilakazi Street with award-winning South African photographer Alf Kumalo as well as L’Esprit du Sport (2010) with French photographer Amelie Debray.
She is the founder of ReadSA - a writer-initiated campaign to get South Africans reading more African literature with a particular emphasis on donating locally-written books to school libraries (and where unavailable, start libraries) and was in the inaugural writing team for first South African radio soapie in English, SAFM’s Radio Vuka.
She has been a regular participant at the prime literary events in South Africa, Time of the Writer, Franschhoek Literary Festival and Cape Town Book Fair and has also participated in literary festivals in England (London Book Fair), Denmark, Germany (BIGSAS Festival of African Literature), Zimbabwe (Intwasa Arts Festival), Algeria (Algiers Book Fair), Norway and Ghana (Pan African Literary Festival). In addition to this, she has conducted workshops for young writers in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Denmark, Germany and Western Kenya.
Wanner has contributed articles to Observer, Forbes Africa, New Statesman, O, Elle, The Guardian, Africa Review, Mail & Guardian, Marie Claire, Real, Juice, Afropolitan, OpenSpace, Wordsetc, Baobab, Sunday Independent, City Press, & Sunday Times.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
December 5, 2010
INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR AND REVIEW OF BOOK:
INTERVIEW
In front and out there
Don’t call me a chick-lit author, Zukiswa Wanner tells Nicolette Scrooby
NOVELIST Zukiswa Wanner was born in Zambia to a South African father and a Zimbabwean mother. The 32-year-old lived in England for a bit, but now insists she is tied to the cultural capital of the world, Johannesburg, where she lives with her son, computer and fridge.
Q: Where do you write?
A: At home, in my bed mostly.
Q: Best time of day to write?
A: After midnight and before 6.30 in the morning
Q: Computer or pen?
A: Pen for random thoughts as I am walking around getting inspired, and computer to make the thoughts into a comprehensible story line.
Q: Your first book, The Madams, got great reviews. Do you expect the same for Behind Every Successful Man?
A: Every book has its own life so I don’t expect anything. If it’s as successful as The Madams then of course I will be absolutely flattered but it’s a different book altogether.
Q: Where did you get the idea for the plot of Behind Every Successful Man?
A: A party at a friend’s place. The husband introduced his wife – who happens to be my friend – as “just a housewife”. We were all absolutely appalled but while she never did anything as drastic as Nobantu, I thought: “What if?”
Q: In Behind Every Successful Man, you mention a couple of Eastern Cape towns like eMonti (East London) and King William’s Town. What’s your connection to this place?
A: I am a Joburger in mind and an Eastern Caper at heart. My father is from the Eastern Cape and, in fact, I have family ties in Stutt (Stutterheim).
But as you well know the beach is in East London, so every time I am in Stutt for the Christmas holidays, I tend to go hang out in East London.
And because Stutt is rather small, sometimes my family will do our major shopping in King William’s Town.
So what do I love about your province? I love that it’s home. I love that if Joburg should drive me mad, I know I can come to the Eastern Cape and find peace and spiritual fulfilment (as I often tend to do).
Q: You studied journalism at Hawaii Pacific University in Honolulu. Did studying journalism help you when you decided to write your novels?
A: Not at all. Lewis Nkosi was in fact the person who helped me decide I should become a novelist after reading some opinion pieces of mine – a hint that I sucked at creative non-fiction perhaps.
Q: What are some of your favourite books?
A: Shimmer Chinodya’s Harvest of Thorns, Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, George Orwell’s 1984 and Pilger’s Freedom Next Time.
Q: What book are you reading at the moment?
A: Lloyd Jones’ Mister Pip.
Q: What’s your day job?
A: I am a full-time writer. (Serious!). I try not to work during the day and instead do all at night.
Q: Bridget McNulty of KZN Literary Tourism said you are the author of the first book of black chick-lit. How does this make you feel?
A: I told Bridge – who is a fellow author and a good friend of mine – that I found the label awfully patronising. Women are the majority of book buyers so why should issues that are important to them be described as “chicklit”? I clearly don’t call any woman I know a “chick”.
Secondly, the issues I address are issues that I feel cross racial barriers so the whole “black” thing is again quite strange ... particularly given that the label was given in a review of The Madams, whose protagonist was not even black but coloured and whose storyline dealt with the friendship of a black, coloured and a white woman.
REVIEW:
BEHIND EVERY SUCCESSFUL MAN
By Zukiswa Wanner
(Kwela Books)
I ABSOLUTELY loved this book. I felt I could relate to it on so many levels – the language, culture and all the Eastern Cape towns, like eMonti (East London), King William’s Town, and eCumakala (Stutterheim) that were mentioned in it.
The heroine, Nobantu, lives a life of luxury in Johannesburg. She has a successful businessman husband, two children and the latest Jaguar. But what she really wants is to pursue her dream of fashion designing.
After Nobantu’s self-obsessed husband calls her “just a housewife” and threatens to divorce her if she tries to follow her dream, she takes the plunge and moves out. It’s hilarious to see how Andile has to cope managing the household and children alone.
What follows is an enchanting tale of an independent, determined woman who goes after what she wants and makes a success of it. This is Zukiswa Wanner ’s second novel after The Madams, published in 2006, received rave reviews. — Nicolette Scrooby
(Published in the Daily Dispatch on November 22, 2008)
INTERVIEW
In front and out there
Don’t call me a chick-lit author, Zukiswa Wanner tells Nicolette Scrooby
NOVELIST Zukiswa Wanner was born in Zambia to a South African father and a Zimbabwean mother. The 32-year-old lived in England for a bit, but now insists she is tied to the cultural capital of the world, Johannesburg, where she lives with her son, computer and fridge.
Q: Where do you write?
A: At home, in my bed mostly.
Q: Best time of day to write?
A: After midnight and before 6.30 in the morning
Q: Computer or pen?
A: Pen for random thoughts as I am walking around getting inspired, and computer to make the thoughts into a comprehensible story line.
Q: Your first book, The Madams, got great reviews. Do you expect the same for Behind Every Successful Man?
A: Every book has its own life so I don’t expect anything. If it’s as successful as The Madams then of course I will be absolutely flattered but it’s a different book altogether.
Q: Where did you get the idea for the plot of Behind Every Successful Man?
A: A party at a friend’s place. The husband introduced his wife – who happens to be my friend – as “just a housewife”. We were all absolutely appalled but while she never did anything as drastic as Nobantu, I thought: “What if?”
Q: In Behind Every Successful Man, you mention a couple of Eastern Cape towns like eMonti (East London) and King William’s Town. What’s your connection to this place?
A: I am a Joburger in mind and an Eastern Caper at heart. My father is from the Eastern Cape and, in fact, I have family ties in Stutt (Stutterheim).
But as you well know the beach is in East London, so every time I am in Stutt for the Christmas holidays, I tend to go hang out in East London.
And because Stutt is rather small, sometimes my family will do our major shopping in King William’s Town.
So what do I love about your province? I love that it’s home. I love that if Joburg should drive me mad, I know I can come to the Eastern Cape and find peace and spiritual fulfilment (as I often tend to do).
Q: You studied journalism at Hawaii Pacific University in Honolulu. Did studying journalism help you when you decided to write your novels?
A: Not at all. Lewis Nkosi was in fact the person who helped me decide I should become a novelist after reading some opinion pieces of mine – a hint that I sucked at creative non-fiction perhaps.
Q: What are some of your favourite books?
A: Shimmer Chinodya’s Harvest of Thorns, Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, George Orwell’s 1984 and Pilger’s Freedom Next Time.
Q: What book are you reading at the moment?
A: Lloyd Jones’ Mister Pip.
Q: What’s your day job?
A: I am a full-time writer. (Serious!). I try not to work during the day and instead do all at night.
Q: Bridget McNulty of KZN Literary Tourism said you are the author of the first book of black chick-lit. How does this make you feel?
A: I told Bridge – who is a fellow author and a good friend of mine – that I found the label awfully patronising. Women are the majority of book buyers so why should issues that are important to them be described as “chicklit”? I clearly don’t call any woman I know a “chick”.
Secondly, the issues I address are issues that I feel cross racial barriers so the whole “black” thing is again quite strange ... particularly given that the label was given in a review of The Madams, whose protagonist was not even black but coloured and whose storyline dealt with the friendship of a black, coloured and a white woman.
REVIEW:
BEHIND EVERY SUCCESSFUL MAN
By Zukiswa Wanner
(Kwela Books)
I ABSOLUTELY loved this book. I felt I could relate to it on so many levels – the language, culture and all the Eastern Cape towns, like eMonti (East London), King William’s Town, and eCumakala (Stutterheim) that were mentioned in it.
The heroine, Nobantu, lives a life of luxury in Johannesburg. She has a successful businessman husband, two children and the latest Jaguar. But what she really wants is to pursue her dream of fashion designing.
After Nobantu’s self-obsessed husband calls her “just a housewife” and threatens to divorce her if she tries to follow her dream, she takes the plunge and moves out. It’s hilarious to see how Andile has to cope managing the household and children alone.
What follows is an enchanting tale of an independent, determined woman who goes after what she wants and makes a success of it. This is Zukiswa Wanner ’s second novel after The Madams, published in 2006, received rave reviews. — Nicolette Scrooby
(Published in the Daily Dispatch on November 22, 2008)
April 20, 2016
I like Zukiswa. But she didn't do any justice to her readers with this one. Maybe the problem is that she has done better with books like 'London. Capetown. Joburg.' and Men of The South or maybe the problem is that its just not a good book. I feel that a lot of women would want to resonate with the story of Nobantu but they would not fully do so. The characters are not believable, and the writing is just not class. The characters are underdeveloped and so is the whole story. Better suited for a younger audience.
November 8, 2024
Had a bit of a slow start but I liked it.
July 27, 2008
Oh dear oh dear.
I've just read a chick book *deepest sigh*
Don't tell my friends
Especially don't tell my enemies!
Zukiswa Wanner is a trail breaker in South Africa.
She has written the very first Chick-book-by-a-young-South-African-Black-woman, and so that I guess is my excuse.
And I'm sticking to it!
It took me all of 2 hours to read, and despite the chick-flic plot, the ease with challenges rise and are instantly overcome, etc, etc, you know what I mean? Despite all that it did provide some easy passive entertainment.
Lots of girly people will love it.
Thankfully, I have done my chick book duty for the decade, and I can gladly hand the baton onto real chick people to carry forward ...
I've just read a chick book *deepest sigh*
Don't tell my friends
Especially don't tell my enemies!
Zukiswa Wanner is a trail breaker in South Africa.
She has written the very first Chick-book-by-a-young-South-African-Black-woman, and so that I guess is my excuse.
And I'm sticking to it!
It took me all of 2 hours to read, and despite the chick-flic plot, the ease with challenges rise and are instantly overcome, etc, etc, you know what I mean? Despite all that it did provide some easy passive entertainment.
Lots of girly people will love it.
Thankfully, I have done my chick book duty for the decade, and I can gladly hand the baton onto real chick people to carry forward ...
September 15, 2009
When i started reading this book, i could not put it down. It interesting story of a modern Guy who has made. He has a wife who support him through out his decision. Now when it was the husband 's turn to support the woman. It was agains the man's culture to do so. I think it is much better that we are living in new south africa. It would have been difficult in those days for a woman to succeed.
Well written
Well written
November 18, 2017
I loved this book. It was a quick, fun, easy read. There were times I burst out loud laughing. There were other times I say "awwww" because it was just mushy enough. This is my first book by Zuki. From the reviews below, I have even better things to look forward to in her other books.
Read
August 8, 2019What do we have here? Chick-lit with a strong and intelligent woman who is good with money, gutsy busts her butt for a dream? Holy Shit! It is a miracle. *swoons*
October 14, 2024
The South African chick lit I didn’t know I needed. It was published in 2008 but still contemporary. If it wasn’t for mxit being mentioned it could have been written last year…
June 1, 2023
35 year old Nobantu was the perfect housewife who was saddled with running her home perfectly, caring for her children and very successful lawyer husband until he referred to her as a "housewife" on her lavish 35th birthday party which he'd thrown for her. At that point, she began questioning her life choices, seeing as she had always walked in her husband's shadows, supported his dreams while he thrived and marked his name in the business world.
Every time she brought up the discussion about starting her own business, he shut it down and even threatened her with a divorce. It seemed everyone was comfortable with her being the perfect housewife, thereby ignoring what she wanted for herself and it would have remained that way save for the very drastic decision she undertook after her birthday.
Of course, I loved the drama that was going on between Nobantu and her husband, Andile. Reminds me of why I move to romance novels sometimes.
Generally speaking, this book is an okay one. It contains elements of romance, woman power and in as much as it addresses critical societal issues bothering on women doing more for themselves and achieving more from life, it doesn't make it soo serious and it really is a cool book but I couldn't stop rolling my eyes at the name dropping of real life celebrities in the ending chapters of the book.
If you're looking for a quick read, you should go for this book because it was exactly what I needed at the time I picked it up.
Every time she brought up the discussion about starting her own business, he shut it down and even threatened her with a divorce. It seemed everyone was comfortable with her being the perfect housewife, thereby ignoring what she wanted for herself and it would have remained that way save for the very drastic decision she undertook after her birthday.
Of course, I loved the drama that was going on between Nobantu and her husband, Andile. Reminds me of why I move to romance novels sometimes.
Generally speaking, this book is an okay one. It contains elements of romance, woman power and in as much as it addresses critical societal issues bothering on women doing more for themselves and achieving more from life, it doesn't make it soo serious and it really is a cool book but I couldn't stop rolling my eyes at the name dropping of real life celebrities in the ending chapters of the book.
If you're looking for a quick read, you should go for this book because it was exactly what I needed at the time I picked it up.
February 12, 2020
I became a fan of Zukiswa when I read her book 'The Madams'. That book was a breath of fresh air and I liked her writing style. Personally, I felt this particular book was very predictable. I could tell what was going to happen at each point and i was tempted to skip a few pages 😅. I struggled with the native language used as its usage became too frequent.
Nonetheless, I still rate it 4 stars because it's worth recommending.
Nonetheless, I still rate it 4 stars because it's worth recommending.
September 8, 2017
An easy read that explores a 'HOT' topic, which I have witnessed with friends and neighbors in Kenya. Should a woman pursue a career or business? What is more important, the ambitions of her spouse of her own? This is a quagmire given the larger society believes a woman's ambition is marriage and children .....
Read
July 29, 2015exciting read.....
February 14, 2020
I had postponed the reading of this book for some time because I felt it would be a boring read. Boy, how wrong I was. I only started reading it out of necessity and I became hooked. If not for a very busy schedule, I would have finished in a day but I made it in two. The book contained some timeless insights and advice for women of all caliber and men as well. I would definitely recommend this book to all and sundry.
August 12, 2020
I think my problem with this book is that it reminded me a lot of "The smart money woman" by Arese Ugwe which I think is a better story than this one so I spent a lot of time comparing the two books. Otherwise, I found it lacking in terms of the way the story is told, it's just too plain. There is nothing exciting about it. I only kept reading it because I wanted to know how it would end
August 24, 2024
This is my very first South African read as a person. I appreciate the fine blend of what their modern day culture and a clean storyline well told, words properly chosen and description properly crafted. Thank you dear writer for exposing the which a lot of person are usually afraid of saying or doing.
May 2, 2022
2.5 stars . This was an okay read .
January 14, 2023
I did not enjoy this one. I struggled throughout as I kept putting it down. The writing was too simplistic and the storyline was not convincing.
April 8, 2024
Hmmmmm…. No words.
June 26, 2020
This was my first book by this author and i wasn't disappointed. I loved reading it, I'll look out for other books by her.
January 12, 2023
Excellent read.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews