2015 Tutu Fellow Kopano Matlwa has been included on a list of South African black women writers considered among the most influential in the country by okayafrica's international edition. The list includes authors like Miriam Tlali, who's semi-autobiographical work Muriel at Metropolitan was banned in 1975 by the Apartheid National Party government at the time, and Sindiwe Magona. Magona's most recent novel, Beauty's Gift in 2008 looks at the stigma around HIV/AIDS in South Africa.
Matlwa is no stranger to medical subject matter. As a trained doctor, her work often touches on medical settings. She is not limited to that world, however, and her works examine the humanity of the people and cultural dynamics, such as an inter-racial love affair between a school principal and a disgraced former priest. She has released three novels, and has won multiple awards for her work.
The other writers included in the list - all of whom are award winners in their own right and cover a range of genre's are: Angelina Sithebe, Angela Makholwa, Lebogang Mashile, Panashe Chigumadzi, and Zukiswa Wanner.
The list and more about the writers, which was compiled by Rufaro Samanga, can be found on okayafrica's website.
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