Mrs Lina Mali could neither read nor write. Forcefully married at the tender age of twelve, Lina never had the opportunity to attend school. But it was her desire for education, and her vision to bring about change in her village that changed all that. Against all odds, not least risking humiliation in her village, Lina enrolled in an elementary school where she was taught the basics of arithmetic and writing. Her zeal for knowledge saw her eventually graduate through high school and go on to university. Lina became the first woman in her village to attend university, if not the only one to study engineering. It was a feat unthought of for a woman her age.

I am a South African novelist, short story writer, biographer, historical and investigative writer. I grew up in Johannesburg and later Limpopo, where I finished my high school. I studied Chemistry, Business Administration as well as Labour Relations at the University of South Africa, and worked as a lab chemist for 16 years. My first literary work was a collection of short stories which appeared in 1986. Since then I have written over 10 books that are available both in paperback and ebook format. I had success with two award winning stories, "The Good Samaritan" and "The Journey," that scooped prizes in 2004 and 2005 respectively. Of course writing is not my only occupation. As a qualified chemist, I manage a company which supplies chemicals and laboratory equipment to various sectors.