Nelson Mandela Bay author Wesley Roodt at the Gqeberha launch of his debut novel All the Saints. (Photo: Supplied / Wesley Roodt) 
Attending one of the country’s most esteemed schools, with a rich tradition and a lengthy list of top achievers, sounds like a privilege very few are afforded.
But as a young boy, Isaac Kingston realised that this privilege comes with myriad pitfalls, especially when you are struggling to come to terms with your own identity and sexuality while navigating school politics, social hierarchies and homophobia inherent in all-boys schools.
Only after his 20th birthday, when a film school assignment requires him to make a five-minute video about himself, does the puzzle pieces of his teenage struggles fall into place and he is able to truly come to terms with his own identity.
Kingston’s story comes to life on the pages of Nelson Mandela Bay author Wesley Roodt’s debut novel All the Saints, and while the timelines are muddled and some of the characters are combined into one persona, Kingston’s story is very much a reflection of Roodt’s teenage years in the halls of the prestigious Grey High School.
“At times the book revolves around some challenging and dark themes, but the fact that I was able to write it implies that it has a happy ending and that I in fact made it,” Roodt laughed.
/file/attachments/orphans/AlltheSaints1_896393.jpg "Nelson Mandela Bay author Wesley Roodt's debut novel, All the Saints. (Photo: Supplied / Wesley Roodt)")
The 30-year-old was born in London, where his news-correspondent parents were living at the time. They moved back home to South Africa when he was still a baby and settled in Gqeberha where Roodt was raised.
He attended Grey Junior and Grey High School – unaware that it would fuel his creativity and be the subject of a novel published through the Jacana Foundation’s From Pitch to Publication programme.
“I actually started writing the book during the Covid-19 lockdown. The idea had been mulling around in my head for some time, and with nothing better to do I thought about writing a series of short stories.”
But in 2022, after landing the Chevening Scholarship and studying film, television and moving pictures at the University of Westminster, his collection of stories took the form of a manuscript as part of his studies. But years passed, and All the Saints just gathered dust on his laptop.
“One night last year I was having a drink with friends when my mother sent me the link to the Jacana programme. It must have been around 8pm and the deadline was midnight. With nothing to lose, and complete manuscript ready to go, I submitted my application about 15 minutes before the deadline.
“One thing led to another and in November I attended the Gqeberha launch of my debut novel,” Roodt said.
While many parallels can be drawn between Isaac Kingston’s story and that of John Milton in the popular Spud book series, All the Saints brings many aspects that are unique to Nelson Mandela Bay and surrounds. They include scenes from the school grounds, a life-changing drive to Sundays River, and a sinister reference to the incomplete sections of the Settler’s Highway.
The characters are also very relatable as every school has its own versions of the exemplary Devon Edwards, boerseuns Waldimar and Otto, and “art class rebel” Rod Saunders.
Roodt’s initial intention was to write a book aimed at giving hope to queer teens going through the same challenges he faced growing up.
“I don’t want it to come across as a trauma diary. I want people to realise that through the challenges there are always highlights. Looking back, I really enjoyed my school days, and I have experiences, memories and friendships that I am truly thankful for.
“And I hope it shows others that there is always light at the end of the tunnel and there are people that will love and support you, no matter who you are.”
He said that since publishing the book the feedback has been very positive, and proved what the team at Jacana told him all along – that his book is for everyone.
“I got a letter from my old English teacher congratulating me on the book, and other staff members and pupils from Grey have also reached out. I’ve even had parents, whose children have come out to them, thank me as the book showed them a first-hand perspective of what it means to be in the closet. It showed me that different people will read it for different reasons.”
Asked if his readers can expect a follow-up to All the Saints, Roodt said there are a million more ideas bouncing around his head and he hopes to put another project out into the world soon. DM