Anwar Mc Kay's 'The Invisible Boy from Bramble Way': A Journey of Healing and Resilience

The memoirs of Anwar Mc Kay, captured in his debut book, The Invisible Boy from Bramble Way, were launched at the Baxter Theatre in Rondebosch on Saturday, September 6.

The mini theatre was filled with Mr Mc Kay’s close friends, family, teachers, and members of the media, who listened to a panel of speakers that included Baxter CEO and playwright Lara Foot, sexologist and trauma specialist Dr Marlene Wasserman, his cousin Shamiela Chadwick, and his husband Marc Lottering. The event was hosted by Cape Talk presenter and author Sara-Jayne Makwala King.

Ms King gave an introduction to the book.

“The journey is about a little boy who grew up in Bonteheuwel and felt invisible. He experienced a number of traumas and fought to revive himself, which he has captured in the pages of this beautiful book. Anwar’s story isn’t just his own - it is a mirror for so many of us, a manifesto of what it means to take on the responsibility of healing your wounds.”

Mr Mc Kay said the idea for the book was sparked during the COVID-19 lockdown.

“I had a lot of time to reflect,” he said, adding that at the same time, his late mother, Toheerah, fondly known as Tyra, was falling ill.

“That period prompted me to research my past and heritage and ask my mother more about her childhood and family, who were originally from Doornhoogte before apartheid’s forced removals, an area where Rylands is situated today.” 

Although it took a few years for the book to be published, it took Mr Mc Kay nine months to write the book.

“I instinctively knew that the raw truth was going to guide me.”

Ms Foot said Mr Mc Kay’s story carries a universal message.

“Around the world, people are living through trauma and even genocide - experiences that are hard to grasp unless you have lived them yourself. The book also speaks to everyday traumas such as bullying and isolation.”

Ms Foot said that reading the story was less about following a narrative and more about evoking the imagery of Mr McKay’s experiences.

“The writing was so honest that it wasn’t just like stepping into their shoes - it was like becoming them and inhabiting Anwar’s world as your own. The book may be about the invisible boy, but it ultimately makes the reader more visible to themselves - enlightened.”

Shamiela Chadwick, his cousin, said she was disappointed that although they were very close, “I didn’t see his pain, didn’t see what he was going through. And that makes me very sad. He was always there for me, but somehow I thought, 'Why wasn't I his person - why would he hide that?' When I read the book, I told myself, ‘Had I known, I would have been his shield’.”

Dr Wasserman has been Mr Mc Kay’s therapist for 20 years. She said when she read the book, she thought Mr Mc Kay was  “unbelievably courageous and vulnerable to be able to make the invisible boy so visible”. 

Dr Wasserman said the book highlights the collective trauma of the country, placing his life within the political context of the time.

“Through one person’s story, readers around the world can gain a deeper understanding of what South Africa was experiencing. Anwar’s trauma unfolded on multiple levels - the collective trauma of apartheid -  but also the trauma of class, race, sexual orientation, and gender.”

Dr. Wasserman explained to Ms Chadwick that Mr McKay’s silence stemmed from the shame of feeling he did not belong anywhere. She said that this sense of disconnection compounded his trauma, leading him to internalise both shame and self-blame.

“With all the blame and shame that come with trauma, you need at least one person to watch your back, and in Anwar’s case, it was his mother. Having someone in your life serves as a buffer that makes survival possible,” said Ms. Wasserman.

Mr. Lottering said: “As Mr McKay’s partner, I read the script twice. It is quite traumatising and painful in many parts, but it reflects the story of so many others. I am super proud of him, because he wrote it with such raw honesty and was able to put that experience into words.”

The book is available at Exclusive Books Waterfront, Cavendish, Tyger Valley, The Book Lounge, Clarkes, Wordsworth Sea Point, and Dean Street.