THE Butcher of Soweto will keep Mzansi audiences glued to their TV screens.
The Butcher is a character in the new Showmax series Red Ink, which premieres on 13 February.
The series, which stars Bonko Khoza and Nqobile Nunu Khumalo, is based on Angela Makholwa’s debut novel Red Ink.
The 2007 book is about the journalist and publicist Lucy Khambule (Nqobile), who is asked by an imprisoned serial killer, The Butcher (Bonko), to tell his story.
Angela said that turning the bestseller into a TV series was exciting for her.
"A writer's fear usually comes from having to let go of their baby, this thing they’ve raised. For a writer, every book is a labour of love. So, handing it over to someone else to move it to another medium is always nerve-wracking.
"But I’m actually quite excited. I’m less worried than you’d expect. I’ve already turned one book into a film, but I was hardly involved in the production: Love, Sex & 30 Candles. As Red Ink is my debut novel, it feels even more precious. I found the whole process so more exciting,” she said.
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The writer said the series will show a lot about Mzansi and why it has been dubbed the murder capital.
"Red Ink asks why Mzansi is one of the most violent societies in the world. For years, we were the murder capital of the world, which is certainly a dubious honour to claim.
"The fact that this kind of violence is inflicted on the most vulnerable among us – women and children – is something we really need to unpack. We don’t confront it and fiction is the most liberating way to open that discussion," she said.
Angela had a plea for fans of her book not to judge the series too much, because most readers have complained that the TV series usually don’t reflect the books well.
"Being part of the process, I can understand why certain things work from a literary point of view but don't quite hit the mark from an audiovisual point of view because the communication mediums are different. As the author of this book, I made a commitment to stay as true to the story as possible. That’s what I fought for.
"Even if I couldn’t make a certain point stick, I only deviated from it, if I thought it would be good for the show. So, if we deviate from the book, it’s only because we’re trying to make it more visually interesting. Ultimately, I want a show that is compelling, interesting and engaging," Angela said.
