Tumi Morake releases audiobook of bestselling biography: It brought back a lot of emotions

Tumi Morake had fans on the edge of their seats last year with her memoir And Then Mama Said ... and has opened up to TshisaLIVE about the emotional toll it took on her when recording its audiobook.

The memoir is now available on audiobook service Audible, read by Tumi.

She told TshisaLIVE that the readings were done in several sessions and at time was really difficult because of the emotions she had to revisit.

"Recording the audiobook forced me to read the book like someone who was actually consuming it. It was easier than writing because I knew what was coming next but also really difficult because I got caught in the emotions of it."

She said that reading one particular chapter led to her breaking down and questioning why she had decided to be so open about her life.

"When you are reading it out loud for someone to hear you and be in that moment with you, it felt like I was properly reliving those moments again. In one of the sessions we actually had to take a break. One of the chapters really hooked into my emotions and I needed time to recover. I stopped and asked myself why I wrote this and how I could go there. I was shot by my own honesty."

She revealed that this chapter was about her late sister-in-law.

"She really meant a lot to me. I always knew that but it was the raw emotion of remembering the loss, remembering her. She passed away at a time when I was very good at switching off my feelings. Talking about her again and talking about her passing wasted me."

The book touches on several major moments in the comedian's life, from a race row at Jacaranda FM and a car accident that led to cyber bullies saying she should have died in, to being body-shaming on the set of "Our Perfect Wedding."

Tumi said that she hoped those who listened to the audiobook would feel a portion of how she did when she went through those experiences. 

"I hope that people now get a more vivid picture of my story. I think it adds body. It adds more dimensions to the story. You get to hear the emotion in my story and you walk along with me on my journey."