Jonathan can write. Despite his protestations about his writing talent, I think the latest title from South African safari guide Jonathan Couzens deserves your attention. Go grab yourself a copy from Amazon today and let us know what you think?

Thanks to Tracy Buenk for her valuable editing expertise that helped shape To Be a Lion.

Your author name

Jonathan Couzens

Your book title

To be a Lion : From cubs to kings

Give us the elevator pitch for your book?

It’s an odyssey story of what male lions face when dispersing.

What would you give as your main reason or goal for writing?

To write, is a compulsion. No person in a right frame of mind would do the process for a yarn. You have to have a desire, an itch to sit down plot, think and hit keyboards and revise, revise, revise when other things are so much easier. It is so contrary to the immediate gratification found everywhere today. So my goal for writing is just that I have this compulsion and it drives the process.

Who was the book written for?

Readers interested in the natural world. Curious people.

How long did it take for you to finish the final draft of your book?

Stop, start for about two years.

What makes this book different from others on the shelf?

Fiction books on animals often embellish, I tried to keep it as true to life as possible. They live incredible lives, no need to amplify it any further.

What was the hardest part of the writing journey for you?

It is not easy, I’m not talented. Therefore none of it was easy, though I do know a little about my subject, so the knowledge of the subject was my foundation.

Your favourite place to write?

A cluttered desk, that I’m perpetually trying to tidy. No window in front of me.

What kept you motivated to write during the times you felt stuck?

My vainglorious fragile ego.

Tell us something about yourself that readers would not be able to guess?

I enjoy writing.

Have you written any other books?

Many, never good enough for publication, I submitted some and if I want to feel cringe, I go and read passages of them. But they taught me how to type fast and it was good practice.

Assuming you may not write full time, what is your day job?

A nature guide.

How should someone get in touch with you?

www.honeybadgersafaris.co.za and Instagram @jonathancouzens

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