From nursing to literature: Ntja-Ritchie’s 30-year journey home

More than 30 years after writing her first manuscript under the guidance of renowned Mosotho author Dr Masechele Ntseliseng Khaketla, Francina Ntseliseng Ntja-Ritchie is hoping to finally see the story published in her home country.

Ntja-Ritchie’s journey has taken her from nursing and midwifery training in Lesotho to life in the United Kingdom, where two of her books have already been published in English.

She studied nursing and midwifery at Maluti Hospital School of Nursing from 1995 to 1999. She later moved to the United Kingdom in 2004, where she continued with her career.

But even as life took Ntja-Ritchie in different directions and she took on new responsibilities, writing remained close to her heart.

Her literary journey began with “U Tla Nkhopola”, which she wrote under the supervision and guidance of Dr Khaketla, who was also her namesake.

Ntja-Ritchie describes being encouraged by the respected author as a privilege that helped build her confidence as a storyteller.

“Having someone of Dr Khaketla’s literary stature encourage me was an extraordinary privilege,” she says.

Although the manuscript was written more than three decades ago, it did not immediately become a published book. Life took Ntja-Ritchie in different directions as she pursued her career, moved countries and gained experiences that would later influence her writing.

Her experiences between Lesotho and the United Kingdom eventually inspired ‘Worlds Apart’, a memoir that explores migration, identity, family, sacrifice, resilience, belonging and the meaning of home.

Her second book, ‘Mark My Words: The Voice Within’, is a drama that grew from her original manuscript, ‘U Tla Nkhopola’. It explores family relationships, responsibility, faith, education, choices and their consequences.

The two books have already been published in English in the UK, giving Ntja-Ritchie an opportunity to take stories shaped by her Basotho background to an international audience.

For her, publishing internationally is not about leaving her roots behind. “Coming from a small country should not mean that our stories must have a small audience,” she says.

Ntja-Ritchie hopes her experience will encourage other Basotho writers to believe that their stories can also reach readers beyond Lesotho.

Despite her international publishing achievement, one part of her literary journey remains unfinished.

‘U Tla Nkhopola’ has not yet been published in Lesotho, as she is still in negotiations with Mazenod Printing Company.

Ntja-Ritchie says she wants the process to be handled carefully, particularly because publishing involves more than simply printing a book.

She says authors need to understand issues such as costs, distribution, royalties, publishing rights and the responsibilities of both the author and publisher before entering an agreement.

For now, she does not want to give a specific publication date. However, after waiting for more than 30 years, seeing ‘U Tla Nkhopola’ published in Lesotho would carry deep personal meaning.

“It would almost feel like bringing the manuscript home,” Ntja-Ritchie says.

Her long journey has also taught her that becoming a published author requires patience and courage. Writing a manuscript is only one stage, with editing, contracts, marketing, distribution and other publishing decisions forming part of the process.

Time has also been an important part of her story. Between her nursing and midwifery training, moving to another country and taking on personal and professional responsibilities, writing sometimes had to take a back seat.

Yet the dream never disappeared.

For Ntja-Ritchie, the return to her first manuscript after more than three decades is proof that dreams can survive long periods of waiting.

Her story is not simply about two books published abroad. It is about a writer who began with a manuscript in Lesotho, moved to the UK, gained new experiences and eventually found her voice in the international literary world.

Now, she is waiting for the story that started it all to come home.