JHB West - Nov 21

Alta Strauss: Writer, motivational speaker and radio presenter
While Alta enjoys many things, nothing excites her more
than books. From reading the HAT Afrikaans dictionary to
psychology and philosophy books and then, to hold a new
book for the first time.
“I love everything about it, the crackling sound when you
open it for the first time. The smell of the paper and the ink.
The touch. And then there’s that incredible feeling holding a
hard copy of your own book in your hands.”
Alta is no newbie to writing. She’s been a co-author for many
inspirational books, but it is poetry that ultimately makes
her heart beat a little faster. Over the years she has penned
her thoughts and feelings in poetry form. Eventually, friends
hinted that she should really consider publishing it. Finally,
an opportunity came knocking. Just a few months ago,
Alta and René Roux published their first poetry book, Steeds
Vrou, sharing their losses and the hope they brought along.
Now on a roll, Alta’s very own poetry book, Net Ek, hits the
bookshelves this month. And what makes this book extra
special is that the striking cover image was taken by Alta’s
daughter, Esteè Strauss.
Not one to rest on her laurels, she’s already planning on
writing another book. But next time, it will be more about the
intriguing ways the mind work and how it influences how we
think and behave.
“So, you’ve got things you want to say, and you’ve probably
had a book idea for a long time. But actually writing it? Too
daunting? Well, I’m telling you, yes you can write it. Everyone
has at least one book in them, some people a hundred. We all
have something meaningful to say. So your message should
be clear, insightful, and genuinely helpful. And then get a
strong publishing team on board.
“When the whole process is finished, you’ll enjoy the
immense satisfaction of handing the book to someone who
will genuinely benefit from it.”
Alta’s favourite book of all time? 12 Rules for life by Dr Jordan
B. Peterson. “As a psychologist, he combines ancient wisdom
with decades of experience to provide twelve profound
and challenging principles for how to live a meaningful life,
from setting your house in order before criticising others
to comparing yourself to who you were yesterday. Truly
insightful and a brilliant read.”
When Alta is not reading or writing, she loves to go on
road trips, explore new places, and spending as much time
possible with people close to her heart.
“This past year taught me to take nothing in life for granted.
Forever is just a moment. It can be this very moment. So
make it count.”
ABOUT NET EK:
“This is a compilation of poetry I have written and re-wrote
over 20 years. It is my first thought ... bare, authentic and
honest. It deals with emotions and experiences we have
all felt sometime in our life ... loss, hope, intimacy, romance,
depression and adventures. With Net Ek, I hope that it
will help readers to articulate their own emotions and
experiences better.
To help them find
their truth and
meaning in a nonconfrontational
way, allowing them
to confront their
fears wilfully and
overcoming them
by doing so. We are
all human. More
the same than we
are different. We
are and should
all aspire not to
compete with
others, but with
ourselves. Always
trying to be a better
person than we
were yesterday.”
Get your copy from
info@altastrauss.
com for R200.
14 Get It Magazine November 2021