Meet Lucian: Philanderer. Alcoholic. Sell-out.
On the brink of separation, disillusioned at work, and desperately clinging to his glory days as a DJ, Lucian confronts the toxic truth about himself:
Yes, he is a naai.
In his attempt at reformation, Lucian stumbles his way through nine steps – from ruthless self-acceptance to ultimately channelling his inner naai. In other words, he will try anything except go to actual therapy.
How to Stop Being a Naai is a satirical take on the self-help genre. It serves as a brutally funny, fictional guide to become a better person.
Because, if we’re being honest, there’s a bit of a naai in most of us.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mia Arderne is a Cape Town-based writer. Her debut, Mermaid Fillet, is a magical-realist novel which was longlisted for the Sunday Times/CNA Literary Award in 2021. Mermaid Fillet was taught as a prescribed text at the University of Cape Town in the English Literary Studies curriculum from 2022 to 2024. Other works include a Young Adult romance entitled A Thousand Eyes on You, as well as several short stories published online and in print. She has bylines in the Mail & Guardian, Daily Maverick, New Frame, and Ground Up, among others. She endeavours every day to be less of a naai.
'How to Stop Being a Naai' is published by Kwela Books, an imprint of Jonathan Ball Publishers