Bless Me Father

Bless Me Father is the true story of an incredible South African life. Born into a violent and broken family, and growing up in a variety of institutions, Cape Town based poet and writer Mario d'Offizi tells his remarkable, often shocking and ultimately inspiring life adventure - one that spans several decades in a country undergoing radical change.

From his tough days at Boys Town to wild years in the advertising world, a stint in the restaurant business and a sharp edged journalistic adventure in the DRC, d'Offizi tells his critically acclaimed story with the unfailing sensitivity and warmth of a true poet.

Bless Me Father REVIEWS:

"...a searing look at growing up on the other side of the tracks, around the bend and up the wall. I am not easily moved by memoirs, but d'Offizi's story left me reeling on more than one occasion. This is an author who writes from the heart, not the head. And even though it is a heart that is surely covered with layers of scar tissue, it is not a hard heart. Rather, it is a heart full of kindness and compassion. Given the choice of reading Spud or Bless me Father, I would choose d'Offizi's book every time.”  - Ben Trovato


"If you read no other African writer this decade, read this one; we can all associate with his roller coaster ride through the latter half of last century and onward into the current one - you'll laugh with him, cry with him, mourn with him, rejoice with him and ultimately triumph with him."  -  Leadership Magazine

 “...I would advise that you get this book for the boys and the men in your family. I think it's a phenomenal, affirming story of manhood. I highly recommend it.” - Karabo Kgoleng, SAFM Literature

 “The... story is light-hearted, shocking, inspirational, poignant and optimistic, and one that any reader cannot help but be deeply touched by.” - The Times

 “This book is an absorbing read that offers the example of what can be achieved by not sweating things, big and small, and ultimately surviving life with a smile on your face.” - The Mercury

 “Bless Me Father has elements of the raw beauty of prose written by a poet, but it is about so much more than this intensely personal experience. The autobiography weaves an amazing web of distinctly South African stories and experiences.” - Southern Anglican Magazine

“Bless Me Father is a journey that every South African should undertake. Its compelling intensity and honesty speaks to a simple desire for truth. Mario d'Offizi's story is a colourful account of a life, threaded with the lives and experiences of many compositely drawn characters, all reflected with great generosity. This book is a truly compelling read that reveals disturbing personal events, while showing that the human spirit is irrepressible.” - Zenzile  Khoisan, journalist, author and Truth and Reconciliation Committee researcher

“Bless Me Father is a confessional journey from the diaspora of an apartheid childhood. Mario d’Offizi’s voice in the present and his venture into Africa echoes the effect of a fostered past recalled, cherished and betrayed.” -  Ian Gabriel, Director, Forgiveness

“dis kenmerkend van d’Offizi se ­lekker leesbare, onopgesmukte op-die-man-af-skryfstyl (hy was eens ook ’n hoogaangeskrewe ­advertensie-kopieskrywer) dat hierdie diep emosionele episode netjies, sonder doekies omdraai vertel word, en die effekte en morele aspekte daarvan bepeins en dan koelkop verwerk word.” - Die Burger