Online Reporter
Mbulelo Mpofu, Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub
When celebrated historian and author, Pathisa Nyathi, died on November 2, 2024, his daughter, Fikile Nomadlozi Nyathi, was left with more than sorrow, she was left with fragments. Weeks later, those fragments became stories.
Her latest book, Mosaic: Tales from Fragments, was published by Chances Inc on November 27, 2024 just 25 days after her father’s death. It is more than a collection of short stories. It is a grieving daughter’s tribute. A courageous attempt to write through the silence he left behind.
Fikile had already been working on the manuscript in the months before her father’s death but it was not finished. When he fell ill, her writing paused. Her focus shifted entirely to being present with him.
It’s comforting knowing that he witnessed the birth of my voice in its own right, even as his continues to echo through the generations.
After her dad’s death, the house felt different. The silence was heavier. And for Fikile, grief demanded expression. In the days that followed the funeral, she returned to her manuscript, not with a polished plan, but with a deep, raw need to pour everything she was feeling onto the page.
“This book emerged from a desire to express the pieces we become as we go through life. How we break, rebuild and carry both damage and beauty at once.”
Growing up in a home filled with books, Fikile was raised in an environment that deeply respected storytelling. Her father’s influence runs through her writing.
“Growing up in a home where books were everywhere, not just on shelves, but in our everyday conversations, shaped how I see the world. My father believed in the power of storytelling to preserve culture, challenge thinking and connect us. I will carry that forward.”
“My father modelled what it meant to respect the written word — to use it as a tool for preservation and empowerment. That he held the book in his hands and congratulated me before his passing means everything,” she shared.
With grief fresh and healing still in motion, Mosaic took form. The title, she says, captures it best: fragments of memory, emotion, identity, that come together to make something whole.
“Publishing it just weeks after losing him wasn’t easy. But it was necessary. In writing, I found a way to breathe again. I found pieces of him in every sentence.”
Fikile said her father’s legacy continues to guide her.
“While our styles may differ, we share the belief that storytelling has the power to connect, reveal and preserve.”
“In a world that often flattens us into headlines, stories remind us we all carry wounds, hopes and contradictions. Even if one reader closes the book with a softened heart or a new question, then I’ve done my part.”
After her father’s death, writing became more than a passion, it became healing.
“Writing has always been a sanctuary. After my father’s passing, it became a lifeline,” she said.
Fikile’s Mosaic is not just a tribute to her father’s influence but a powerful collection that invites readers to reflect on their own fragments of life.
Mosaic is her third book, following The Curse of Red Bottom Heels and With Love. Her personal blog and fiction have earned her a loyal following, with her writing praised for its emotional depth and relatability. — @MbuleloMpofu
