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Showing posts from March, 2011

[Interview] Miriam Shumba

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Novelist Miriam Shumba lives in Michigan in the United States where she works as a teacher. Her books include  Show Me the Sun  (Genesis Press, 2010) and  That Which Has Horns  (Genesis Press, 2010). Her short stories have been published in magazines in countries that include Zimbabwe, South Africa and the United States. In this interview, Miriam Shumba talks about her writing: When did you start writing? My earliest memory of enjoying story-telling is when I used to sit on a rukukwe and listen to my grandmother, Theresa tell us stories that began with, " Paivepo ". The stories were mythical, sometimes scary, but they always had a lesson in them. That warm feeling remained with me when I started creating my own stories, at times writing long hand in school exercise books. At the age of 10 my mother sent one of my comics to a publisher who sent the most memorable letter in my writing career. The publisher was very gracious and I was a bit embarrassed because th

[Interview] Gordon Jack

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Gordon Jack is Reader in Social Work at Durham University. He has more than 30 years' experience in social work practice, education and research with children and families. His work includes The Missing Side of the Triangle assessing the importance of family and environmental factors in the lives of children (2003, Barnardo's); Child and Family in Context: Developing Ecological Practice in Disadvantaged Communities (2007, Russell House) and Hitting the Ground Running: The survival guide for newly-qualified child and family social workers (2010, Jessica Kingsley Publishers). In this interview, Gordon Jack talks about the challenges faced by newly qualified social workers: How did you first become involved in social work? I think I probably have to blame my mother for that. I come from a family of five children, but despite the demands that this obviously placed on her, my mother has always found time to do regular voluntary work with disadvantaged or vulnerable grou

[Interview] Daniel Tyler Gooden

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Daniel Tyler Gooden was born in Independence, Missouri and graduated from Baker University in 1998 with a degree in English. His short stories have been featured in magazine and anthologies that include  Crown Tales (Dark Quest Books, 2009), Nth Degree and Alien Skin Magazine . His second novel, The Unmade Man was published by Outland Entertainment in 2009. In this interview, Daniel Gooden talks about his writing: When did you start writing? My first story came after watching a horrible Leslie Nielsen Dracula spoof. I thought it was so corny that anyone could write something more entertaining. That evening I tried my own short horror piece, and while I can’t remember it being good either, I distinctly remember how spooked I was while writing it. The thrill definitely hooked me. I think that I got my first taste of the story being in control, the sense that it was a creature moving under its own power. I got my degree in English, and after college found myself writing