Against all odds – Sharon Eland- Lewis’ Inspiring Journey to Publishing Her First Book
In the photo above i Sharon Eland-Lewis with her book, Slegs ‘n enkele kans.
Deaf, homeless and quite often in the night shelter, Sharon Eland-Lewis overcame pain, suffering and lots of trials and tribulations to get her first book, Slegs ‘n enkele kans, published. The book was published by The National Library of South Africa, an agency of the Department of Arts and Culture.
Sharon Lewis was raised by her grandparents, Johannes and Johanna Eland, in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape where she completed her matric at Acadia High.
She married in Mossel Bay and had two children.
She walked out of her marriage after her husband became abusive towards her and left her two children in the care of her mother.
After moving to George, she found herself on the streets, homeless and quite often in the night shelter. After becoming fatally ill with MDR TB, she fell into a coma and had kidney failure. Bedridden and deaf, she regained consciousness in the Harry Comay hospital in George.
Her urge, passion and love for the written word drove her to write numerous poems which was published in the George Herald. After numerous inquiries from the public, journalist Michelle Pienaar introduced Sharon to Jeff, the owner of Three Chameleons clubhouse, where she became part of a book club.
After finding a place of her own, Sharon started to write with all eagerness.
Sharon’s book will be launched at George Library on the 21st August 2024 at 11am. The book is also selected for the Funda Mzantsi Reading Competition, Afrikaans language, which will be held in George from the 23rd-27 September 2024.
Sharon Eland-Lewis was placed on the agenda of a portfolio committee meeting during 2017 when the Library Department announced that the staff of library service, that is Rachel Williams (Manager:George Libraries), Hazel Springfield and Eurogine Carolus assisted her with the book by typing the whole publication for her when she approached them for assistance. James de Waal assisted with the proofreading of the book. Rachel Williams contacted Zanele Nikani, the Project Facilitator of the Community Programme at the Publishing National Library of South Africa. Ms Nikani arranged publishing (using the Community Publishing Grant), professional editing and proofreading for the publication. Well-known writer and poet Diana Ferrus assisted with further editing and proofreading of the manuscript. As Sharon is deaf, all correspondence to and from the National Library came through the office of the Library Manager. Although Sharon is vulnerable, extremely poor and a shack dweller, she is a very passionate library patron.
Sharon expressed her heartfelt thanks to the George Municipality, the George Library staff and everyone that assisted her on her journey. She listed all the people she wanted to thank in the book.