
Staff Reporter
14 Feb 2025
Chikuse credits Shadreck Chikoti as one of his biggest inspirations. He recalls a moment at Story Club Café when Chikoti encouraged him to take publishing seriously
Writer Emmanuel Chikuse has published his first book titled Jacaranda Blossoms, an anthology of poems that together tell one story. Today, he received the physical copies and shared his excitement, calling them his "babies in print." He expressed his deep joy, saying words cannot fully describe his happiness.

The book is mainly a collection of love poems. Chikuse started working on it in 2021, and it was selected for publication the same year. The publisher, Montfort Media, will distribute the book across the country through its offices.
One of Chikuse’s writing heroes, Onjezani Kenani, was the first to buy a copy, making the achievement even more special.
Chikuse credits Shadreck Chikoti as one of his biggest inspirations. He recalls a moment at Story Club Café when Chikoti encouraged him to take publishing seriously. Chikoti had told him, “I can only call you a writer when I see your book in print.” These words stayed with Chikuse, pushing him through moments of doubt and delay. After about five years, he finally turned that motivation into reality.
Chikuse acknowledges the contributions and mentorship of notable writers such as Qabaniso Malewezi, Muthi Nhlema, Chisomo Mdala (Nyamalikiti), Memory Sawala and Onjezani Kenani.
He also thanks Tionge Mhone for supporting and advocating for the book's publication.
Now, with his book published, Chikuse is celebrating a major milestone in his writing journey.