Bokani Machinya: In the Silence, She Found Her Voice

Bokani Machinya: In the Silence, She Found Her Voice

Bokani Machinya is not one to fit neatly into a single box. She is a lawyer with an LLB, a certified John C. Maxwell speaker, trainer, and coach, and a businesswoman managing multiple ventures in training, secretarial, and consultancy services. But perhaps the role closest to her heart is that of a storyteller, a role she has quietly cultivated for over more than a decade.

Born in Francistown, her family moved to Orapa and raised alongside four siblings, Bokani’s childhood was split between the diamond-mining town and her home village of Senete, where she spent her school holidays. Today, she lives in Gaborone, but her sanctuary is a rustic organic farm, where the pace slows, the mind clears, and creativity flows. “It’s where I pray and draw inspiration,” she says. “It gives me the energy to create.”

Her love for writing began early, nurtured through playful competitions with her younger sister. “We would choose a topic, each write something, and then read it to each other. It was simple, but it taught me to love the craft.”

That craft has now taken the form of her debut book, The Silent Room, a compelling collection of poems and short stories that pull no punches. It is an unfiltered look at life’s most profound moments: the ache of loss, the sting of rejection, the shadows of abuse, the complexities of love, and the quiet weight of mental health struggles. Yet, woven through it all is an undercurrent of light, the kind that comes only after darkness has lingered too long.

“The Silent Room is a space we all have, in our minds, in our hearts, where we sit with our thoughts and confront life,” Bokani explains.

Some pieces in the collection are deeply personal, while others draw from her observations of the world, from the streets to the quiet corners where untold stories live. The themes are unflinching: gender-based violence, prostitution, faith, and resilience.

The road to publication, however, was anything but smooth. Bokani chose to self-publish, coordinating editing, through a publisher, printing, and cover design with different companies. “The printing process was my biggest challenge,” she admits. “I had delays that meant I didn’t have the books ready on the day of my launch.” But despite the setback, the launch drew an enthusiastic crowd and set the tone for what would be an inspiring debut.

When writer’s block hits, Bokani turns to books, nature, music, or conversations with friends. Sometimes she escapes to the farm to clear her head and write among the peaceful and traditional farm environment. The greatest lesson she has taken from The Silent Room? “Patience with myself, and the reminder that all things work together for good, no matter the setback”

Bokani is already working on her next project, a fictional novel she plans to publish in 2026. And if The Silent Room were to be adapted for the screen, she knows exactly which story she would choose: City Gerl, a short story about a young village woman whose move to the city changes her life in ways she never imagined.

Her advice to aspiring writers, especially in Botswana and Southern Africa, is simple but firm: “There is never a perfect time. Just start, and push forward.”

For Bokani Machinya, the message behind The Silent Room is one she hopes stays with every reader: no matter the silence, no matter the struggle: perseverance, hope and faith are the cornerstones that can carry you through.

A copy of the Silent Room is available for sale at The Alliance Française of Gaborone: opposite the University of Botswana for P400.