WATCH | Eusebius McKaiser remembered

JOHANNESBURG - Fellow writers have lauded Eusebius McKaiser's contribution to making sure South African writers find the right spaces on bookshelves.

Journalist and Author, Joanne Joseph, also paid tribute to McKaiser at a memorial service held in Johannesburg.

He died suddenly last week at the age of 45.

"He was concerned that when one walked into a book store, it was first the international writers whose works you'd encounter while local writers would constantly play second fiddle," she said.

READ: Eusebius McKaiser dies aged 45

"Eusebius wanted to change that mindset in the publishing and book retail industry. He longed for us as Africans to find our stories and to take pride in them."

Redi Thlabi has also told mourners of the illness that eventually took her friend.

She said: "He bore this illness with courage and fortitude but he kept it away from you because he wanted you to treat him as an equal. To come to him with all that robust energy and engage him without feeling sorry for him."

"He had epilepsy since 2008, he had been hospitalised before but none of us thought there would be that one moment where it becomes fatal."