[Interview] Catherine Czerkawska

Catherine Czerkawska is a poet, a novelist and a playwright.

Her books include The Amber Heart (Amazon Kindle, 2012), Bird of Passage (Amazon Kindle, 2012) and The Curiosity Cabinet (Amazon Kindle, 2011)

In this interview, Catherine Czerkawska talks about her concerns as a writer:

When did you start writing?

When I was very young I wrote poems, stories and fan fiction before fan fiction was ever invented – stories about The Beatles, especially John Lennon. I found some of them a little while ago in a box of old papers. They weren’t too bad, considering how young I was.

I think I probably wanted to be a published writer from the start. But it’s so long ago that it’s quite hard to remember. I submitted poetry and stories to all kinds of magazines and when I was still in my teens, I began to get personal letters instead of standard rejections. By the time I was at Edinburgh University, I’d had various poems published. My first biggish sale was a short story called "Catch Two" for She Magazine. (They paid well.) I was also writing plays, especially radio plays, and I sold my first short play to Radio Scotland when I was in my early 20s. I went on to write more than 100 hours of Radio Drama, some television and many stage plays.

How would you describe your writing?

I’d describe myself as a novelist, although I still write the occasional stage play. I’m an unashamed mid-list writer. Some of my novels are historical and some contemporary. I hope they’re well written (don’t we all?) but I also hope they’re good, readable stories. I write a lot about relationships, often in a rural setting, but I don’t always do happy endings. A sense of place is very important to my fiction. I do a lot of revision, a lot of honing. Maybe because I started out as a poet!

Who is your target audience?

When I’m writing, I don’t have any target audience in mind. I’m too involved with the characters and the story. At some point in the process, (but I couldn’t say exactly when) I start to think about the audience, the readers. Am I communicating this story in the best way possible? What am I trying to say? Will people understand it?

I would say I write for a ‘mid-list’ audience - the kind of readers who seem to be increasingly ill-served by traditional publishing, which spends too much time and money trying to predict the next big success on the basis of the last big success. And I don’t much like being tied to a specific genre. In some ways, I write the kind of books I like to read myself but I always love talking to readers about my novels.

Which authors influenced you most?

There are two distinct influences. The first involves Victorian novels, the Brontes in particular. In fact my novel Bird of Passage is something of a ‘homage’ to Wuthering Heights. It’s quite subtle, but it’s there. I love the way Wuthering Heights is so heartrending but by the end, past miseries are resolved in a loving relationship – balance is restored. I love that about these novels.

But I enjoy contemporary fiction too. I’m a big fan of William Trevor. I routinely think ‘I wish I had written that’ when I’m reading his stories. They seem deceptively simple, but they have untold depths and complexity.

How have your own personal experiences influenced your writing?

Obviously I’ve accumulated a lot of experience over the years. Everything feeds into the writing. People often ask ‘where do you get your ideas from?’ but ideas are everywhere, every relationship, every experience, (even the difficult ones). It’s a process of trying not to become cynical, trying to become wise instead, trying to tell the stories that might mean something to readers just as they mean something to the writer.

What are your main concerns as a writer?

Big question. I’m endlessly interested in the relationships between men and women, not just in their love stories, but in how we betray other people for all kinds of reasons, how other people betray us and how we come to terms with that.

I’m interested in how past suffering influences the present.

And – of course – as a writer of historical fiction, I’m fascinated by the attempt to recreate the past as it might have been – not as we might see it through modern eyes. Well, that’s practically impossible, I know, but if you immerse yourself in a time and place, you can make a good enough job of it.

Perhaps most important of all, I want my readers to believe in the world I’ve created. It might be a past or a present world. But they have to believe that it’s real and true.

What are the biggest challenges that you face?

Disillusionment with the process. I had quite a lot of success early in my writing life. I spent a number of years as a reasonably successful playwright but I always knew that fiction was where my real ambitions lay. Then I had three traditionally published novels, and each time I thought ‘this is it’. One of them in particular did very well. But for one reason or another – all of them to do with fluctuations within the publishing industry – I always seemed to be going back to square one and starting again. Maybe most writing careers are like that: a switchback rather than a curve.

On the other hand, I’ve developed a lot of persistence and it has allowed me to work at my craft. I think I’m a better writer now because of it. Most ‘beginning writers’ underestimate the sheer volume of work you have to produce to get anywhere.

Do you write every day?

I write just about every day but not always fiction. I do some reviewing and the odd essay and feature article. But I’m always thinking about the latest novel, and when I do get down to it, I write very intensively. I can keep going for twelve hours at a stretch!

I work best in the afternoons and in the evenings when the house is quiet. I like to stop at a point where I actively don’t want to stop – that way it’s easier to start again the following day.

I do a very rough first draft. I wouldn’t ever let anyone see it. Then I let the work lie fallow while I get on with something else. And then I revise. A lot. It’s quite a long process.

If I’m writing something that needs research, I’ll do some preliminary research, then write the first draft to find out what I don’t know. The Curiosity Cabinet consists of two stories, separated by several centuries. I wrote each part of that story separately and then put them together afterwards – printed them out and actually shuffled the pages about physically – it worked surprisingly well.

How many books have you written so far?

Novels

• Shadow of the Stone (Richard Drew, 1989): Novel written to go with my television series of the same name, first produced on STV with Alan Cumming and Shirley Henderson, all episodes now available on YouTube
• The Golden Apple (Century, 1990): A novel about a cross cultural marriage.
• The Curiosity Cabinet (Polygon, 2005): Alys visited the fictional Hebridean island of Garve as a child. Donal was her playmate. Now she has returned after a long absence and a difficult divorce. Interwoven with the story of their growing love, is the darker tale of Henrietta Dalrymple, kidnapped by the formidable Manus McNeill and held on Garve against her will. With three hundred years separating them, the women are linked by an embroidered casket and its contents, by the tug of motherhood and by the magic of the island itself.
• The Curiosity Cabinet (Amazon Kindle Version, 2011)
• Bird of Passage (Amazon Kindle, 2012): A novel about the shocking realities of state-sanctioned physical abuse in Ireland and its aftermath in Scotland. Bird of Passage is a powerful story of cruelty, loss and enduring love.
• The Amber Heart (Amazon Kindle, 2012): An epic love story set in the troubled Eastern Borderlands of 19th century Poland, this is a tale of obsessive love and loyalty set against the backdrop of a turbulent time and place.

Non-fiction:

• Fisherfolk of Carrick (Molendinar Press, 1979)
• God’s Islanders: A history of the People of Gigha (Birlinn, 2006): A well-researched hardback social history of the most southerly of the Hebridean islands – a readable and informative history of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland in miniature, just like Gigha itself.

Published Plays:

• "Wormwood" in Scotland Plays Anthology (Nick Hern Books, 1998)
• "The Price of a Fish Supper" in Scottish Shorts Anthology (Nick Hern Books, 2010)
• Burns on the Solway (Kindle, 2011)
• The Secret Commonwealth (Kindle, 2011)
• Quartz (Kindle, 2012)

How would you describe your latest book?

The Amber Heart is a love story set in the Eastern Borderlands of 19th century Poland. I think it tackles very adult themes sensitively, but there’s no denying that it’s the story of an intense physical obsession between two people, set against the backdrop of an equally turbulent time and place.

It is also the story of the ‘pancake yellow’ house of Lisko, the heroine’s beloved childhood home, and the way in which the lives of the characters are disrupted by the political turmoil of the times. It has been described as a 'Polish Gone With The Wind'. It is very loosely based on a series of extraordinary facts which came to light when I was researching my own remote family history.

How long did it take you to write the book?

Unusually for me, this one has been on the go for about 20 years! I did a lot of the research while my beloved father was still alive – I’m very glad that I did because he gave me lots of information, lots of details which would be very hard to find now. The late great Pat Kavanagh was my agent at the time and although she told me she loved the book and she was one of the best agents in the business, she simply couldn’t place it with any publisher – lots of positive responses, but they said they didn’t think they could market anything with a Polish setting. We both got very frustrated about it. I filed it away and got on with writing plays. But I kept going back to it from time to time. It’s a big piece of work, 130,000 words. Then, over the past three years, I revised and rewrote it much more intensively. I had matured as a writer and I think it’s a much more readable story now.

When and where was it published? How did you find a publisher for the book?

Last year, I took the decision to go completely ‘Indie’ and start self publishing, initially to Kindle.

The Amber Heart is my third and most recent Kindle novel.

I think like most writers of my age and stage, I had begun years earlier by looking for traditional agent/publishing deals. I was headhunted by an agent who specialised in drama after a play of mine won a major award and then the agency asked Pat to look after my fiction.

At first all went well – my first novel was sold to a small publisher, my second to a much bigger ‘mid-list’ publisher, but the whole industry was changing. That publisher, the Bodley Head, old and distinguished, was bought over by one of the Big Six and after that even Pat couldn’t sell The Amber Heart.

Much later, returning to novels after years spent on plays, I was shortlisted for the Dundee Book Prize with The Curiosity Cabinet and it was subsequently published, but although the print run sold out, the publisher declined to look at the next book and wouldn’t reprint TCC. Neither novel fitting in with their future plans, so it was fair enough But both are now available on Kindle and selling well.

For a long time, it had struck me that there was a growing imbalance for authors. Many of us were getting what my fellow writer Maggie Craig calls the Rave Rejection – ‘We love this but the marketing department says it won’t sell in big enough quantities.’ Traditional publishers were – so my agent told me – looking for an ‘oven ready product’. They were also looking for a breakthrough book right away. When I first began writing and publishing, you had time to grow as a writer. Many best-selling authors today made that breakthrough with their forth, fifth or sixth book. Now they’d be dumped after book number two. I still remember the sudden shock of hearing my later agent say ‘I won’t submit this because although it’s good, I don’t think it’s a breakthrough book and if I submit two books by you which are turned down, nobody will even look at a third.’ It was as though somebody had placed a time limit on my creativity. It was appalling.

Then along came eBooks and Amazon. I don’t have any illusions that this is a particularly benevolent industry and I don’t plan to put all my eggs in one basket, but I still wake up most mornings thinking, God Bless Jeff Bezos. This is a company which has given me the professional tools to do the job. I don’t expect nurturing – just a good businesslike relationship. Long may it continue.

Which were the most difficult aspects of the work you put into The Amber Heart?

Punctuation. Although I have a degree in English Language and Literature, I’ve spent years as a playwright. You get into the habit of writing speeches the way you want the actor to say them, regardless of punctuation. Then, suddenly, you have to get it right.

The other challenge for me was having an editor – albeit not my main editor – suddenly advise me to chop off the last third of The Amber Heart and finish it a hundred pages earlier. I enjoy working with a sympathetic editor but this was a bridge too far and I said I wouldn’t do it. When I think about it now, I see that there may be a difference between what appeals to a male and what appeals to a female reader. I felt very strongly that to do as he suggested would have made the ending of the book deeply unsatisfactory. One or two female readers agreed with me. So I didn’t follow his advice, although it did send me back to the manuscript to tighten it up a bit.

Which aspects of the work did you enjoy most?

I would have to say, writing the sensuous scenes between the hero and heroine.

Fifty Shades this isn’t, but it is a story about an intensely physical but forbidden relationship - an obsession really - between two people – one that lasts for their whole lives. That’s not all it’s about of course – but it is certainly central to the novel and the key to the whole story. I loved writing these scenes.

What sets the book apart from other things you've written?

The background, I suppose. That Polish background was familiar to me from my own childhood, in Leeds, which was where my refugee father finished up after the war, and where he met and married my Irish mother – but I don’t think I realised just how strange it would seem to others. And how much subsequent perceptions of Eastern Bloc countries might colour other people’s idea of a ‘Polish’ novel.

Essentially, The Amber Heart would appeal to anyone who enjoyed the movie of Dr Zhivago but it’s quite a challenge to get that across to potential readers!

In what way is it similar to the others?

It’s a love story with a tragic twist. So is Bird of Passage. The Curiosity Cabinet has a happier ending. All of them have largely (but not wholly) rural settings.

What will your next book be about?

It will be finished later this year – I’m revising it at the moment. It’s called The Physic Garden, a historical novel set in very early nineteenth century Glasgow. The central character – and narrator - is one of the gardeners of the old Physic Garden (the medicinal garden) of Glasgow University. He’s a very old man when he relates the story of events that happened in his youth. It’s a story about friendship and horrific betrayal. He has spent his life trying to forget it, but in old age, he has to try to come to terms with it.

What would you say has been your most significant achievement as a writer?

Two things. Finally finishing and publishing The Amber Heart, against all the odds. (It’s a BIG book and very dear to my heart.) And my stage play Wormwood which is still part of the Scottish Higher Drama syllabus. It’s about the Chernobyl disaster and I think it may be the best thing I’ve ever written. The critics liked it too.

Related books:

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Related articles:

• Writer's choice 300: Catherine Czerkawska, by Norman Geras, normblog, April 5, 2011
• First Word: Catherine Czerkawska, The List, Issue 649, February 1, 2010
• Wormwood [Review], by Claire L Jarvis, The Journal, Issue 18, February 12, 2009

[Interview] Jean Holloway

Jean Holloway lives in Kennesaw, GA.

Her books include Ace of Hearts (PHE Ink, 2009)) which is also available as an audiobook; Black Jack (PHE Ink, 2009); Deuces Wild (PHE Ink, 2010) and Full House (PHE Ink, 2011).

In this interview, Jean Holloway talks about her concerns as a writer:

When did you start writing?

It all began when my sister, Lori, commented, ‘You read so much, I bet you could write book,’ and I answered, ‘I bet I can!’ and began writing Ace of Hearts in long-hand in 1980. I completed the manuscript in 1982.

I was 30 years old and the mother of six.

I never considered the possibility of becoming a published writer, in fact, if someone had told me I would become a published author at the age of 57, I wouldn’t have believed them. Lori pushed me into this career when she bought me a ticket to the National Book Club Conference in Atlanta and instructed me to print copies of my manuscript and give them to anyone who wouldn’t throw them back. That’s where I met my first publisher.

Two years later at a literary event in Houston, I met T.L. James, CEO of PHE Ink. I recognized a kindred spirit and switched publishers.

How would you describe your writing?

I’m a genre bender, writing risqué romantic thrillers with a splash of the paranormal.

My target audience is mainly women over 21. I thought they could empathize with my protagonist, Detective Shevaughn Robinson.

Which authors influenced you most?

All my life I’ve been a fan of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Tananarive Due and Jean Auel. I admired their ability to transport me into their world and take me on a roller coaster ride. I wanted to have the same effect on my readers.

And how have your own personal experiences influenced your writing?

I thought the influence was minimal until my sister, April pointed out the similarities of my characters (especially Shevaughn’s) experiences to correlating events and attitudes in my own life. What an eye-opener!

What are the biggest challenges that you face?

I think my biggest challenge is getting readers who are unfamiliar with my work to give me a chance. I find there are a lot of readers who only read their favorite authors and won’t gamble on someone new.

How are you dealing with this challenge?

I’ve put excerpts on all my social networks. Usually, once they read a smidgen, either they love me or hate me.

Do you write everyday?

No, not every day. I usually write when my characters tell me to. A session starts when I hear one of them whisper in my mind. Then I go to my computer and write what I hear. It ends when they get quiet. Since they seem to be nocturnal, sometimes I find myself jumping out of bed at three in the morning running down to the computer to get down our thoughts before I forget.

How many books have you written so far?

• Ace of Hearts, PHE Ink – Writing Solutions Firm, July 13, 2009, Second Edition
• Black Jack, PHE Ink – Writing Solutions Firm, May 14, 2009
• Deuces Wild, PHE Ink – Writing Solutions Firm, October 10, 2010. That was my 60th birthday present to me!
• Full House, PHE Ink – Writing Solutions Firm – November 22, 2011

The four novels complete the Deck of Cardz series.

Detective Shevaughn Robinson is the main character in all four novels. You get to follow her life and career from rookie to Captain of the Homicide Division. As Portsborough, NY’s first Black female homicide detective in 1981, you watch as she strives to prove herself in a male-dominated workforce. You also meet her new partner, Jared Benjamin, and Tony O'Brien, an unexpected love interest.

The series introduces you to a series of sexual predators, starting with Eric Becker in Ace of Hearts, a psycho who has the inexperienced Shevaughn in his sights.

What is your latest book about?

In Full House, the final novel of the Deck of Cardz series, Captain Shevaughn Robinson is at the pinnacle of her career and living the challenging life of a single mother of two. It doesn’t help that her adolescent daughter still communicates with the dead and is in a relationship that’s way too serious for her age. Or that Nonna, the only one she can depend on, is beginning to show signs of Alzheimer's.

When she hears allegations that the police are ignoring the growing number of missing black women in Portsborough, Shevaughn pledges to personally investigate their disappearance. It leads her to one of the most unusual crimes in her entire career and gives new meaning to the phrase, "honor thy mother".

How long did it take you to write the novel?

Full House took me a year because it’s the last novel of the Deck of Cardz series and after working on this series since 1980, I really hated to let it go. I procrastinated a bit.

Which aspects of the work did you enjoy most?

I loved seeing how everything came together.

I don’t use outlines or storyboards or anything. I write by the seat of my pants and once I’m through getting it all out, I have to arrange everything chronologically like a time puzzle.

What sets Full House apart from other things you've written?

This time I have an entire dysfunctional family instead of my usual one psychopath.

In what way is it similar to the others?

Shevaughn is one tough cookie from start to finish.

How did you choose a publisher for the book?

When I met T.L. James, we clicked. I chose PHE Ink because it’s a small, independent press which allowed them to give me the personal attention I wanted. It’s more like a literary family. I really don’t see any disadvantages since I’m now Managing Partner.

What will your next book be about?

I’m contemplating collaborating with another author or maybe another series, but haven’t worked out the details as of yet.

What would you say has been your most significant achievement as a writer?

Ace of Hearts was nominated against the esteemed Walter Mosley’s The Tempest Tales in 2008. Of course, he beat me like a bad child, but what an honor!

Now Ace is an audiobook, but not your usual audiobook; it has music and sound effects like a classic radio show. And last year, I became a member of the GA Peach Authors. I’m proud to be touring with such a group of well-respected authors.

Related Books:

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Related articles:

• Literary Drama and Dinner with a Purpose, by Cyrus Webb, The Examiner, July 27, 2012
• Gail McFarland [Interview_2], Conversations with Writers, April 5, 2010
• Jean Holloway [nterview], A Book Blogger's Diary, July 7, 2008 

[Interview] Jennifer McBride

Jennifer McBride has written and published books that include Touching the Trees (2011); Cape of Leaves (2012); Basement Daisies (2012) and Child Less Parent (2012).

In this interview, she talks about her concerns as a writer:

When did you start writing?

I began writing a few years after I began to read. My first "produced" work was in 2nd grade. I was around seven or eight years old and I wrote a play that my teacher allowed me to make into a classroom production. At around the same time, I wrote a story that my uncle read aloud to a large family reunion. I was hooked after that.

What made you decide you wanted to be a published writer?

I resisted the urge to be published because I thought it was too difficult to achieve but once self-publishing became an option, I explored this avenue and found that I really enjoyed being involved in every aspect of the publishing process.

I majored in writing in college, but didn't do much with that for almost 15 years. Then I began taking writing classes at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis and knew I wanted to work at being a published author. More interesting, though, is that about six years ago I made a conscious decision to not write. I was trying to find a way to stay in a relationship and I knew writing was going to lead me to find myself... and lead me away from the sad comfort of that situation. So, I sat in a bar in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and announced "I will not be a writer."

In that funny way life has of changing one's mind, though, it wasn't three months later that the urge and desire and calling to write became overwhelming and I began taking classes again. I haven't stopped writing since.

Needless to say, I'm not in that relationship anymore.

How would you describe your writing?

It's funny you ask that. I'm kind of a Kelly Clarkson writer. I dabble in many genres... nonfiction, essay, blogging, poetry, and fiction... just like she's able to sing in many different ways: country, pop, soul, rock, etc. I am, however, primarily a non-fiction writer right now.

Who is your target audience?

My target audience has been slightly different for each book I've written.

Overall, my audience is women and men who have had to make significant changes in their lives, whether it's because of relationships, job transitions, illness, etc. I became motivated to write for this audience when I became divorced and in search of an identity other than "wife" and "carpooler."

In the writing you are doing, which authors influenced you most?

Mary Oliver and Billy Collins have influenced my poetry. I try to write accessible poems that express deep emotions. Mary Oliver's poetry sung to me and I heard Billy Collins speak in Minneapolis many years ago and I thought, "Wow. I really like his poetry. I should try writing some."

For my non-fiction, I'm inflenced by Elizabeth Gilbert and Anna Quindlen. Both women are frank, unashamed, and witty. I long to write like them!

For fiction, my "mentors" are Janet Evanovich and Jonathon Kellerman. I'm trying to find a balance between murder mystery, humor, and societal issues.

Have your own personal experiences influenced your writing in any way?

That's all they do! I write nonfiction "self-help" because I needed help and finally feel I can share what I've learned with others.

When I was getting divorced, I thought there had to be a better way to "do" the incredible changes that come from such a traumatic life experience. I didn't want my divorce to be in vain... I wanted to be a better, stronger, more alive person because of it.

One of my books is in reaction to finding out more about Parental Alienation Disorder and how un-noticed and un-handled it is in the family court system. One book was written as a series of affirmations for my father-in-law, who is/was going through cancer treatment. The book I'm working on now is all the things I wish I could tell my teenagers (if only they could hear me!).

In addition, I may be the most unknown writer to have a stalker, but because of that, I've had to make very conscious decisions to ignore the fear and threats and keep writing. Many times it would have been easier to power down the laptop (and I have shut down five different blogs because of this), but I can't let that person or uncertainty stop me. Not now. I do try to be a little more careful with what I write and have chosen an entirely different name for my fiction writing, but those are the only two concessions I'll make.

What are your main concerns as a writer?

My biggest concern is being able to make a living being a writer. I deal with this concern by producing quality work at a brisk pace. I network, seek out new venues, and make connections. Mostly, I believe that I'll reach my goal of self-sufficiency through writing and then I don't have to worry about it!

The biggest challenges I face are finding the right audience and convincing that audience that they want to read my work. I deal with this challenge by learning all I can about marketing, audience desires, and trends. I work on positioning my work, both in timing and content, to have the biggest impact on the market.

Do you write everyday?

I write about five days a week. Each session starts with poking around on the internet, checking email, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Once that's all done (or I'm irritated with myself for procrastinating), I pull up the piece I'm working on and re-read just a little before where I'm picking it up.

I learned during NANOWRIMO 2008 (National Novel Writing Month) that the best way to move forward in a piece is to keep going back to re-do what's already been written. And it's true. When I get busy editing the first part, I don't always get around to writing the next part.

My writing sessions end when I have to be somewhere, the kids come home, I'm exhausted, or I've reached a good stopping point. I've been known to write for five or six straight hours with almost no breaks. I always wonder where those days have gone!

How many books have you written so far?

I've written six books so far:

• Child Less Parent: "Snapshots" of Parental Alienation: a primer, with photos, of what Parental Alienation is, how to prevent it, how to correct it, and (if all else fails) how to have hope that life will go on. Written with input from members of the Parental Alienation Awareness Organization. Published in April, 2012 by my company, CCS Communications.
• Basement Daisies: a book of thirteen affirmations and accompanying photos for people who need hope. Originally published with the blessing of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, Basement Daisies was a fundraiser to honor my father-in-law. Now it's available to all. Published in October, 2011 by CCS Communications.
• Cape of Leaves: a compilations of poems about relationships and identity. I feel they are similar in style to Mary Oliver's work. Published in February, 2011 by CCS Communications.
• Touching the Trees: a motivational memoir about finding identity through crisis. This book is a series of metaphors/stories that highlight all the changes one has to go through to find an authentic voice and life. Publishing in December 2010 by CCS Communications.
• The Parents' Guide to Boys' Lacrosse: written under the name Jenni Lorsung, this book is a parent guide to understanding the sport of youth lacrosse. Published in January 2009 by CCS Communications.
• The Parents' Guide to Girls' Lacrosse: written under the name Jenni Lorsung. This book is the companion guide to girls' youth lacrosse. Published in January 2009 by CCS Communications.

How would you describe the books you are working on at the moment?

My latest book is non-fiction and focuses on the ways I think "being" and "not being" are vital to a healthy life. For instance, in this case I'm "being" forthright in sharing my story with you!

I'm also concurrently working on a novel about a reporter who has great struggles in his relationship with his ex-wife and daughter while also chasing down a serial killer. I'm working on "not being" anxious about getting it done soon!

I'm still working on these two books.

Generally, how long does it take you to finish writing a book?

Child Less Parent and Basement Daisies each took about 4-6 months to write. My other books took over a year each.

For my longer non-fiction books, I allot about a year to do research, write, edit, and produce.

I self-publish all of my titles. I don't do this because I'm a control freak. Instead, I chose self-publishing so I could have tangible work product and potential income as soon as possible. I use CreateSpace as my production company because of their link to Amazon and (especially now that I've used them so much) their ease of developing a book. I also use Kindle as my exclusive e-book distributor. The disadvantage is that I have to do all the marketing myself, which is not my strength.

Which were the most difficult aspects of the work that went into the books you have published so far?

In Touching the Trees, I found it extremely difficult to be honest and vulnerable. I'd come from many years of silenced feelings and it felt very frightening to put all those feelings out in the world for anyone and everyone to see.

As I suspected, my family (current and ex) wasn't all crazy about some of what I wrote, but I believe that I have a right and an obligation to tell the story truthfully. Based on reactions to the book, it was the right decision to stare that fear down and write it anyway.

Which aspects of the work do you enjoy most?

I enjoy the beginning and the end of the book-writing process.

I love having the brainstorms and squirting out thousands of words a day getting a book started. At the end, once the editing is complete, I really like designing the interior and the cover and planning a marketing strategy.

The middle part... editing... is hard for me.

What sets Touching the Trees apart from other things you've written?

I try to bring a sense of hope and trust to all of my work. I don't want my audience put-off by proclamations, so I write to be disarming and compassionate.

Touching the Trees is the most autobiographical book I've written. The others, with the exception of Cape of Leaves, are more objective non-fiction. Touching the Trees gets to my core.

What are your plans for the future?

My next really big project will be about a place in Northern Minnesota that hosts very old inns and has great histories of dynamic, eccentric innkeepers. I see so much potential in this book and have begun interviewing people and visiting the inns.

What would you say has been your most significant achievement as a writer?

My most significant achievement as a writer is that I've been able to touch lives in ways I didn't know I could.

It's not the awards or the accolades that mean the most to me. It's the honestly... or hesitantly... written emails and comments that show me that my words have found a way to lodge themselves in someone else's soul and have made a positive difference. I always knew words had that effect on me... I just never realized I had the power to use my own to have an effect on others.

It's a privilege to be read.

Related books:

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Related articles:

• Review of Jennifer McBride's "Touching The Trees" Book about Divorce [Video], GarnetMierau, October 17, 2011
• Self-Publishing And Ebook Sharing: The Industry's New Bellwethers, By Suw Charman-Anderson, Forbes, June 28, 2012
• Self help: forget positive thinking, try positive action, By Richard Wiseman, The Guardian, June 30, 2012

Interview [3] _ Mark Adam Kaplan

School teacher and screenwriter Mark Adam Kaplan has written and published two novels, A Thousand Beauties (Bewrite Books, 2009) and Down (Bewrite 2012) as well as an illustrated picture book, Monsters Do Ugly Things (BookBaby, 2011).

In this interview, he talks about his latest novel:

How would you describe Down?

Down is a contemporary, urban, YA thriller about a 15-year old trying to stay out of lock up. Leon Mendoza starts the school year with an ankle monitor and an upcoming court date. He's determined to stay out of trouble. But how can he with the pending charges against him, his P.O. breathing down his neck, a father in jail, a mother in deep depression, and even his home boys pressuring him to quietly take the rap?

Will the attention of an attractive school girl, the support of a few teachers and a part-time job make a difference to Leon? Or is he destined to follow in his father's footsteps, and spend his life in and out of jail?

How did the idea behind the novel come about?

I teach middle school in East Los Angeles, I have seen how disconnected from pleasure reading most of my students are. Reading for their classes is not just a chore for some of them, it is torture. A surprising number of middle school students in the inner cities in the United States have never read a complete book. A good number of them haven’t read any books since the third grade.

But I was lucky enough to come across Townsend Press, and their Bluford Series. These books offered adult, urban themes about teenagers at a very accessible reading level. Paul Langan, Anne Schraff, and John Langan have done a remarkable job creating high-interest books for urban teens. As a teacher, I assigned the Bluford books to my students, and I cannot count the number of formerly non-reading students who read not just one book of the series, but several.

Then one of my students, a 15-year old eighth grader, handed me Sapphire’s Push, which was turned into the movie “Precious”, and I saw further proof of these students’ needs.

Twenty years ago, in “For Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Wasn’t Enough, Ntozake Shange said something like, “The New York TImes never said nothin’ to me.” She repeats it over and over.

That sentiment is still true.

Regardless of the advances so-called “minorities” have made in the political arena, urban kids today are inundated not with personally empowering works, or slice-of-life stories designed with respect for the audience. They are bludgeoned with senseless violence, or idiot humor - the Saw series, Scarface, American Me, Blood In Blood Out, any Adam Sandler film, SpongeBob, etc. The only other outlet they are afforded is sports, and many of them have parents who don’t let them out in the neighborhood to play sports because the area is dangerous.

As I looked into what else is available, I discovered Street Lit, and realized that I wanted to be a part of this movement. Although my life was blessed compared with some of my students’, I faced my own issues as a teenager, including getting thrown out of both a middle school and a high school (both public).

I realized how much I wanted to write a book for my students who are struggling readers. My personal writing process led me somewhere between Bluford and Precious, and I believe that Down will speak to a wider audience than those for whom I wrote it.

How long did it take you to write the novel?

The book gestated in my mind for a couple of years before I put it down on paper. But from the time I sat down to write until its publication this past May took about 22 months.

Did you write everyday?

I teach full-time, have two small children and a marriage that requires my attention. We home school our girls, so that is an additional demand on my time. I write when I can, where I can. Some times I don’t get to write for a week or two. Other times I can get a good three days in a row.

What happens most often is that I get time to write between 11.00pm and 1.00am. On a good day, I‘ll get in an hour or two before dinner.

As a teacher, I have periodic vacations, and my most productive times are usually then.

Which aspects of the work you put into the book did you find most difficult?

By far most of my difficulties have surrounded creating a genuine voice for Leon. The slang was not the problem, nor the tone, nor the inflection. What I found particularly difficult was being consistent with Leon’s syntax, and maintaining an appropriate grade-level vocabulary.

Early on, I decided that Leon’s voice would be confined to his speaking, but his thinking might operate at a higher level. But in conversations with my editor, Hugh McCracken, it became clear to me that the whole thing was in Leon’s voice, so I have to adjust all of the prose to be delivered with a third- or fourth-grade vocabulary. This insight engendered an enormous amount of work, and its efficacy continues to haunt me.

Which aspects of the work did you enjoy most?

I have been a teacher, on and off, since 1989. The best part of the book, for me, has always been the knowledge that I am writing something for struggling readers that might interest them enough so that they will finish it. I also enjoyed working with the character of Mr. Chong. Playing up the dynamic between Leon and Mr. Chong was really fun for me.

What sets the book apart from other things you've written?

This book is different from my other published work because it was written with a focus on maintaining an accessible reading level. I enjoy the interplay of words, and take pride in my prose. A Thousand Beauties is truly a beautifully written book. Down contains prose that is much more raw. The play of ideas is limited because Leon’s thinking is limited and Leon delivers this book.

There are similarities in that both Down and A Thousand Beauties are realistic, contemporary explorations of societal expectations, mores, and values. Both Leon (Down) and Ruskin (A Thousand Beauties) pressure themselves to perform well under immense duress. Both make terrible mistakes. Both characters are imperfect and multifaceted, and both try to maintain lives spiraling out of control. There are other similarities, but these, I think, are the important ones.

How did you choose a publisher for Down?

The novel was published by Bewrite Books, Canada, May 25, 2012, and is available in all digital formats.

Bewrite Books published my first novel, and I enjoyed (and benefited from) their editorial process. I have relationships with Neil and the people at Bewrite. They know me as more than the author of this one book. Their editorial process is enjoyable, and is designed to produce the best product possible. The disadvantage is that they no longer offer hard copies of the book.

What will your next book be about?

My next book is a historic, romantic farce set in Southern California around the turn of the last century. That’s about all I can say about it right now.

Related articles:

• The Future of American Fiction: An Interview with John Brandon, by Emily Temple, Flavorwire, July 3, 2012
• Mark Adam Kaplan [Interview_2], Conversations with Writers, November 27, 2011
• Mark Adam Kaplan [Interview_1], Conversations with Writers, July 30, 2009

[Interview_2] Julius Sai Mutyambizi-Dewa

Julius Sai Mutyambizi-Dewa is the author of Preaching to Priests (Timeless Avatar, 2007); Candid Narratives (i-Proclaim Books, 2010); and, Two Faces One Woman (i-Proclaim Books, 2011):

In this interview, Mutyambizi-Dewa talks about his latest play:

How would you describe Two Faces One Woman?

The story I tell in Two Faces One Woman touches on contemporary post-colonial societies, especially the crossroads that Zimbabwe finds herself in post-2000. In approaching the topic, I had to set aside my own political affiliations and sympathies and approached the topic from the position of an innocent bystander. I liked the whole idea of a Debbie Scott, a young white Zimbabwean, being the chief defender of the black government where Takubona Mapembwe, the son of a war veteran, comes out as black Zimbabwe’s chief antagonist.

What motivated you to take this approach?

I have this thing in mind that tries to get the races seeing beyond race and I believe writers have a role to play.

Readers will notice that my writing, especially where it regards the whole point of the liberation struggle and the post-colonial Zimbabwe, will be approached from this philosophy. I want to see a stronger Zimbabwe emerge which is not painted in colour and which is based on merit. We have to demistify this thing of race war in Zimbabwe. There were more blacks in the Rhodesia National Army than there were whites and we have white Zimbabweans who died fighting for the liberation cause. We also have people like Rob Monro, Professor O.T. Ranger, Jeremy Brickhill, A.V.M. Welch and others who suffered in one way or the other during UDI in Zimbabwe. Post-independence we have people like Ian Kay, Roy Bennett etc who helped black farmers in their neighbourhoods.

I am driven by this philosophy, to tell a story of integration... white, Indian, black, Kalanga, Shona, Venda, Ndebele, Tonga etc... we are all a mix of villains and saints but unfortunately we have created a society where the villains and saints are identified by race, tribe and creed not deeds. This therefore sets Two Faces One Woman apart from any story I have told so far.

The issue of racial, ethnic and religious integration will continue to define my characterisation and writing for the forseeable future.

In what way is Two Faces One Woman similar to other things you have written?

It is similar to other work that I have published and that I will publish in future because I am that same writer who never took an English literature class in high school. I believe I am original and I do not have so many literary influences speaking to me as I write. I enjoy this aspect so much as well.

How did you choose a publisher for Two Faces One Woman?

All my books are self-published. I write in genres that are very difficult to place with mainstream publishers... poetry and plays... and this has meant I have to self-publish.

I started Two Faces One Woman in 2010 and finished writing it in 2011. I then sent it to Penguin in South Africa but although they expressed interest in the idea be book, they advised that they did not publish plays as there is no market for plays. After trying two more publishers and they too expressing some doubts about a market for plays, I abandoned the project and started writing the story in the form of a novel. But something wasn’t coming out even as I tried, the idea had been a play originally and to change it would kill off the very qualities I want to maintain. I then decided to self-publish and bring the story out that way.

Some colleagues have said they will be serialising the play in an online newspaper, which, to me is welcome news.

What are your plans for the future?

I have already finished my next book, Ndimirwa, a play about a Lozwi/Rozvi heroine.

I think I have written my last play for now as I am now concentrating on the novel form.

My previous work with Mapupo Theatre Group, a drama group that I founded in 1991 in Zimbabwe may explain why I have this love for plays. However, my first piece of writing was a novel in Shona which I wrote in 1988. Those days it was very difficult to get published. It was also very difficult to self-publish. So, members of the Budding Writers Association of Zimbabwe decided that performing our work was the only way we were going to be heard and that’s why we had Albert Nyathi, Cynthia Mungofa, Nhamo Mhiripiri, Titus Motsebi and many others becoming dub-poets. To me drama and plays became a natural choice as I tended to write more stories than poems.

Related books:

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Related articles:

• Julius Sai Mutyambizi_Dewa [Interview_1], Conversations with Writers, May 14, 2011
• Are African governments suppressing art? By Isaac Esipisu, Reuters, May 31, 2012
• So you want to be an ebook superstar? By Patrick Barkham, The Age, June 7, 2012

Interview _ The Coffin Factory Folks

In this interview, Laura Isaacman and Randy Rosenthal talk about The Coffin Factory, a magazine that has been described as "a nexus between readers, writers, and the book publishing industry."

How would you describe The Coffin Factory?

The Coffin Factory is the magazine for people who love books.

We acquire stories, essays, and poems from at least a handful of more-recognizable authors and publish their work alongside those of lesser-known writers, whose work we believe is as compelling and thrilling to read.

The high-quality design and content from writers and artists from around the world signals to our readers that each issue is worth reading cover to cover, just as they would a book.

What role do you play in the magazine?

We are publishers, editors, art directors, and we do the design of both the print magazine and website.

What are the most challenging aspects of the work that you do?

Publishing a printed, visually engaging magazine that features some of the best authors and artists in the world on virtually no budget.

How do you deal with these challenges?

We keep our chin up.

What do you like most about the magazine?

The white space. There's tons of it.

When was the magazine set up?

The idea for the magazine began in April of 2011. The first issue was in stores in October.

Why was it set up?

We believe that quality literature and art are essential for the existence of an intelligent society, and we want to perpetuate an intellectually engaged culture.

Who was involved in setting up the magazine?

Both of us. We also have two wonderful Managing Editors who helped to develop the idea as it grew from a baby into a toddler.

What was the nature of their involvement?

They converted us from Scotch to Bourbon.

Are all the people who were involved at the beginning still there?

Yes. Because they share the same passion for literature as we do. And we have a fun time putting an issue of our favorite authors together, and being able to share that with readers.

What were the most challenging aspects of the work that went into setting up the magazine?

Entering the publishing business without any experience in the publishing business.

Why do you think this was so?

Because we had no experience in the publishing business.

How did you deal with these challenges?

We're still learning the publishing business.

How has it been received?

Very well.

Who is your target audience?

People with good taste.

How do you find them?

They find us.

Where are your contributors coming from?

From all over the world. We're pretty sure we have the most diverse list of authors and artists in any North American magazine.

What would you say about the range and quality of submissions you are receiving at present?

We receive a lot of submissions. And the writers that are familiar with the magazine's particular aesthetic taste submit very good work.

What is The Library Donation Project?

The Library Donation Project is our effort to introduce young readers to the world's most exciting contemporary writers. We are donating 1,000 magazines to universities across the country, with a goal to raise $3,000 to help cover the cost of shipping.

What motivated The Coffin Factory's involvement in the project?

We hope that the next generation of readers will know that it's cool to be smart. It's important to try and save the younger generation from participating in the degeneration of language, which, sooner or later, will affect the level of our nation's intelligence. Can't be a superpower if you're super stupid.

Related articles:

• Finding Equilibrium, LJ Best Magazines 2011, By LJ Reviews, Library Journal, May 4, 2012
• Magazine Review #9: The Coffin Factory, Issue #1, By Nancy Smith, The Rumpus, November 18, 2011
• Talking to the Editors of New Lit Mag The Coffin Factory About Publishing Dead Nobel Laureates [Interview], By Mark Asch, The Measure, October 27, 2011

[Interview] Virginia W. Dike

Virginia W. Dike is Professor of Library and Information Science at the University of Nigeria where she specialises in school libraries, children's literature and library services.

She is also one of the founders of The Children's Centre, a comprehensive educational and recreational facility for children and young people that includes a model children's library.

In addition to that, she is a director with the Libraries for Literacy Foundation, a non-governmental organisation that works to extend library services to schools, communities and prisons and to generate local learning resources.

Her books include Library Resources in Education (Abic, 1993) and the children's non-fiction books, Birds of Our Land: A Child’s Guide to West African Birds (2nd ed. Abuja, Nigeria: Cassava Republic, 2011) and Why We Need Trees (Cassava Republic, Forthcoming).

In this interview, Virginia Dike talks about her writing and about the state of Nigerian children's literature:

When did you start writing?

I began writing during my teenage and college years, with journals containing my thoughts and experiences, a little poetry, and long letters to friends. This was writing just to express myself and communicate with others. Writing became especially important as a means of expression during the two years I spent in Tanzania after graduating from college. I was living in a small village where no one spoke English, only Swahili and KiBena - so I relied on letters home to articulate my experiences and keep my English, even.

Having said that, I now remember childhood beginnings - in second and third grade we wrote compositions, with a drawing, of an experience we’d had each week. It was pretty rudimentary (mine usually ending with “We had fun.”), but I took great pride in it. In the middle grades, I wrote an episodic chapter book about two girls’ primary school adventures and a musical play of medieval romance (perhaps inspired by Robin Hood and Ivanhoe movies), performed in my neighbourhood and on a visit to family friends. Those were my last forays into fiction.

In adulthood, most of my writing has been academic, as a lecturer in library and information science, until I started writing for children.

Looking at this background, I wonder if young people today have the same opportunities to develop writing craft. Education in Nigeria, as I’ve known it through my children’s experiences and my work with primary school pupils, often lacks these kinds of writing opportunities, both in creative and expository writing, as well as the copious voluntary reading on which writing skills are based. And looking at the world generally, others have as well commented on the decline in thoughtful journal and letter writing in an age of e-mail and text message communication, and the implications of this for writing craft, as well as for historical records.

I think we have much to do to encourage writing and the development of written communication skills.

How did decide you wanted to be a published writer?

I don’t remember deciding that I wanted to be a published writer. What happened was that I came to Nigeria and fell in love with the beautiful and fascinating birds I discovered here. I wanted a book that would allow me to share this excitement over West African birds with my children - and I couldn’t find such a book. This was about 1979, the International Year of the Child. Conversations with a friend, Miriam Ikejiani-Clark, about the possibility of our teaming up to write books on birds and trees for IYC led to contact with her cousin Arthur Nwankwo, the owner of a local publishing house. Fourth Dimension had just embarked on publication of a picture book series, and the first edition of my bird book, Birds of Our Land, eventually became part of this series.

It was a long process at that. I had to do considerable lobbying for the book, even though my friend Judith Osuala was their very knowledgeable and committed children’s editor at the beginning of the process. After Judith left to join the University of Nigeria, the publishers tried to veer it toward being more like a textbook and for a higher level. In response, I added a brief guide for parents and teachers, which turned out to be a good idea retained in the new edition. But due to their lack of conviction about a market, few copies were printed and the book almost immediately went out of print, without reaching the intended audience, this even though there were indications of high demand.

The other problem had to do with illustration. A picture book, and a guide to birds at that, absolutely depends on illustrations of the highest quality and appeal. I was left to find an illustrator. My observation was that most Nigerian artists are more inclined to abstract or impressionistic art, rather than the naturalistic style required for a book off this nature. I was fortunate to locate a budding landscape painter, Robin Gowen, a young American woman visiting her parents in Nsukka that year. She had grown up in Nigeria and loved birds, so it was a perfect match. However, the publishers did not see the role of the illustrator as we did, as an equal partner in creating a picture book, which is a holistic blend of text and illustration. In spite of all our protestations, Robin’s name did not appear on the title page, nor was she given copyright to the illustrations. I am happy to report that these problems did not re-occur with the new edition, also illustrated by Robin and published by Cassava Republic.

How would you describe the writing you are doing?

Nonfiction literature for children.

While I very much enjoy fiction for all levels, I have not felt inclined to write fiction or felt that I have a gift for it. I began writing for children as the result of the need I saw for a particular book, a guide to West African birds. Then in 1994 I participated in a workshop organized by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), Nigerian Section to create nonfiction literature for children, which had been identified as a major need. For that I produced manuscripts on the uses of trees and the West African seasons.

More recently I have written on flowers. Natural history then seems to be my niche in writing, which is interesting since my background is history and social studies.

Long after I started writing, I began to read more about nonfiction literature for children as a genre - its importance as well as its under-valuation, the observations and insights of writers specializing in nonfiction literature - and so to place my writing in a larger context.

Who is your target audience?

Children from about 3 to 12 years.

My areas of specialization within library and information science are school librarianship and children’s literature and library services, so I am concerned with literature for this age-group in my teaching future librarians and teachers.

Most of my experience in sharing literature is also with this age group - first with my five children - then through the Children’s Centre Library I helped develop at the University of Nigeria and my work with local primary schools.

There is also a great need for Nigerian children’s literature at this level. It is ironic that the ages that need local literature most have the least. From the beginnings in the 1960s, the emphasis in Nigeria has been on fiction for pre-adolescents and secondarily for adolescents. There have only been a handful of picture books over the years. Yet these should be a child’s first books, since they build up an association between reading and pleasure, develop language skills essential for reading, and foster personal development in all areas.

Three major gaps in Nigerian children’s literature that impact particularly on younger children are locally based picture books, nonfiction literature, and books in Nigerian languages. I have tried to contribute to meeting the need in the first two areas by writing nonfiction picture books introducing the local natural environment.

As a writer, which authors influenced you most?

I read general literature before I came to writing for children. I believe the aspect that influenced me most in terms of my own writing style was the poetic prose found in some novels. Among those that made a deep impression were the opening of Charles Dickens Tale of Two Cities (“It was the best of times...”) and for African novels, the description of goldsmithing in Camara Laye’s African Childhood and the opening passage of Alan Paton’s Cry, the Beloved Country. Then there was poetry, including the descriptive poetry of the Bible, as found, for example, in the books of Job, Psalms and Isaiah.

More directly, in the course of sharing books with children, I came across many picture books that made such wonderful expressive use of language. One from my own childhood is The Littlest Angel, by Charles Tazewell, with such wonderful words as “precipitous,” “vociferously,” and “disreputable” - no controlled vocabulary there!

A few of the many examples I could mention, especially where the prose has a poetic quality, are Tomie de Paola’s The Legend of the Bluebonnet and The Clown of God; William Steig’s Sylvester and the Magic Pebble; James Riordan’s The Three Magic Gifts; and Gail. E. Haley’s A Story, a Story. There are so many others, including humorous stories in rollicking verse, like Horton Hatches an Egg by Dr. Seuss and The Duchess Bakes a Cake by Virginia Kahl. What I learned from these is that literature for children can be of the highest literary quality. It can help develop a sense of beauty in language, as the illustrations can also do in terms of art.

How have your own personal experiences influenced your writing?

I grew up attuned to nature wherever I found it, including my childhood home in urban Indianapolis. Then there were family vacation trips to my grandparents’ home in Texas, the Rocky Mountains and Southwest desert, the land-of-a-thousand-lakes in Maine. When I was 1l, my parents bought a vacation home in beautiful northern Michigan - an old one-room schoolhouse overlooking the lake; surrounded by pine woods, meadows and cherry orchards; a land filled with birds, trees and wild flowers. My parents were both enthusiastic birdwatchers and given to long walks down country roads, through the woods, along the lake.

Through my mother and secondary school English literature classes, I was also introduced to poetry, especially romantic poetry describing nature. Towards the end of secondary school, I became very interested in Eastern religions and wrote a term paper on the Chinese religion Taoism, which emphasizes wholeness with nature. I was also drawn to Judeo-Christian traditions that envisioned the inter-connectedness of the whole spiritual, natural and human world, for instance as found in St. Francis of Assisi. This fed into a growing awareness of environmental issues and the need for environmental conservation and biodiversity.

When I moved to Nigeria in 1975, I was immediately taken with the many beautiful and intriguing birds I found there (like the brilliant blue and orange kingfishers and wing-beating flappet lark). I began to keep a journal sketchbook of my observations and consulted guide books in the library to learn more about them. However, when I wanted to share these birds with my children, I discovered there was no children’s book on local birds.

I was also interested in learning more about Nigerian trees and flowers, tasks which proved even more daunting since even adult guides were missing. Again, in the Children’s Centre Library there were numerous books informing about the seasons of the temperate zone (winter, spring, summer and fall), but nothing about tropical rainy and dry seasons.

I also found that many children as well as adults lack an appreciation of nature and the need for a healthy environment.

All these helped lead to my choice of nature books for young children as the focus of my writing.

What would you say are your main concerns as a writer?

As a writer of nonfiction literature for young children, specifically books in the area of science, my concern is to find ways of opening the natural world up to children, of exciting and involving them in the world around us. This involves increasing their knowledge about birds or trees or the seasons but also interpreting their prior experience with these in the local environment. It also concerns heightening their powers of observation and analysis. Equally important, I want to encourage certain values and attitudes - appreciation of the value and beauty of the natural world, awareness of the importance of a healthy environment for human welfare, scientific thinking and a sense of inquiry as well as a sense of wonder.

To accomplish this I have to find an approach that will speak to children, an approach that will meet them at a point of their own experience and stimulate their imagination and curiosity to explore further. I also need to find the words and mode of expression that will communicate effectively to children at their own level.

What are the biggest challenges that you face?

The biggest challenges are two. One is getting and verifying the information I need in areas where there are few authoritative and accessible sources, even for adults. And these are in areas of science where I am not an expert but am learning as well. After all, I began this journey to answer my own questions.

I have tried to deal with this challenge by consulting experts in the field, for instance botanists; by broadening my search to materials on other tropical areas in Africa and the Caribbean; by consulting children’s books on these topics written in other countries; and by making informed use of the many sources now available on the Internet.

The second challenge is communicating what I have found in a way that will speak to young children. The concepts have to be expressed in simple and concrete terms that children can understand. This is a challenge often cited by well known writers of science books for children, like Millicent Selsam, since scientific ideas are often complex and abstract. Moreover, these must be expressed in simple language, simple in terms of both vocabulary and sentence structure. This can be a serious constraint. One must always strive to achieve a balance between saying things in the way that best describes or expresses a thought in literary or scientific terms and being understood by the children reading it. Having said that, I believe that reading good literature expands children’s powers of expression, both in terms of language expression generally and vocabulary, and that it’s better to err on the side of style than to produce writing that is ordinary and mundane.

Do you write every day?

Since my primary assignment is university teaching and administration, writing for children, while growing out of my area of specialization, is something I do on the side.

With the bird book, ideas often came on my morning walks - like the day I saw chattering weavers zooming back and forth carrying fronds from some palms to the tree where their nests were, and began playing with words and phrases to capture this sight for children. I can mull over passages in the course of daily life - walking; cooking lunch; driving on the highway; listening to music.

Since I’m writing nonfiction, once I get an idea the next step is usually research. In writing about birds, this was a combination of fieldwork (observing the birds directly and recording notes and sketches) and library research (checking the guide books and, in a few cases, the Internet).

In preparing to write about trees in the early 1990s, I discovered a wonderful series of old articles on economic uses of trees in Nigeria Magazine, like from colonial days. The problems were that many of the names given to the trees were no longer in use and information had to be updated, since uses of tree products have changed over time. I couldn’t find a satisfactory guide to Nigerian trees, but more recently I found a great source in the Internet, especially in getting details of some specific species. For flowers, I took a lot of photographs on morning walks, then consulted with a botanist friend to identify the flowers by name and pick up any interesting facts. I’ve also been to the Internet for specific species and consulted numerous American children’s books on flowers and plants.

Along with the research, I try to develop a focus, a central idea that will organize the content. This was relatively straightforward for Birds of Our Land, since it was organized as a guide to 25 West African birds, beginning with an introduction and ending with an activities section. However, several themes ran across the various entries - adaptation, classification, the interdependence of different forms of life, observation as a method for collecting information.

The book on trees posed a greater challenge in this regard. Information on individual species was less available and aside from economic trees, there were few common English names to easily identify them. I also felt that children, and most people, have a greater affinity for birds, which have so much in common with us (behaviour, social interaction, family life, movement), than for trees and other plants. For these reasons, I decided to focus on what connects trees to us - the uses of trees, both in terms of their role in the environment and products we get from trees. So the book is organized in terms of uses, the various environmental uses and the many types of tree products - artefacts, food, medicine, industrial products, etc. When this was getting a bit dry, I took my editors’ suggestion of including portraits of a few individual species as detailed examples. So the baobab is featured as an example of trees offering homes and food to animals, ebony as an example of numerous wood products, from chess pieces to piano keys, the shea nut tree as an example of foods, oils and medicines from trees.

Flowers presented even more of a problem than trees in terms of identification and human connections. I looked at a number of children’s books on plants, flowers and trees and found such a variety of approaches. Some were general guides to trees or wildflowers, for instance one in which children talked about their favourite tree. Some took up a particular group, like poisonous or medicinal plants. Others focused on a particular species; one I especially liked was on the banyan tree as the centre of an Indian village. Still others looked at the life of a tree, why we need trees, the role of flowers in plant reproduction, pollination, and the role colour plays in pollination. I decided to focus on colour as a way of introducing flowers to young children, with more detailed portraits of a few familiar or unique flowers. I also became interested in the socio-cultural role of flowers, as brought out so effectively in the book about the banyan tree. All this is preliminary to the actual writing.

How many books have you written so far?

• Library Resources in Education (Enugu, Nigeria: Abic, 1993). A university-level textbook in three sections: the first discussing the relationship between modern education and school libraries; the second on various types of resources, nonfiction, literature, and audiovisual resources; and the third on the role of the library in promoting readings habits and skills, developing information skills, and expanding learning resources.
• Birds of Our Land: A Child’s Guide to West African Birds (1st ed. Enugu, Nigeria: Fourth Dimension, 1986; 2nd ed. Abuja, Nigeria: Cassava Republic, 2011). An introduction to West African birds, including basic features of birds and hints for observation; portraits of 25 memorable birds; and bird watching activities. 
• Why We Need Trees (Cassava Republic. Forthcoming). Focuses on the uses of trees, first in helping create a healthy environment and then in providing products of so many kinds, from furniture to musical instruments, from foods to art, from medicines to varnishes. Finally, a conclusion on how to save trees and activities involving trees.

Also books on flowers and seasons and perhaps more, all part of a nature series for children.

How did you find a publisher for your latest book?

My latest book, and also my first children’s book in a new edition, is Birds of Our Land: A Child’s Guide to West African Birds, published by Cassava Republic Press of Abuja in 2011, but just out. The name indicates the content: the new edition features 25 familiar or notable birds of West Africa. I wrote the original edition about 1980-1981, based on my observations of Nigerian birds carried out from about 1978.

The new edition developed out of my meeting with Bibi Bakare-Yusuf of Cassava Republic at a seminar organized by the Spanish Embassy in 2009. There was little additional editorial work: I added seven new birds and an activities section to the new edition, made more inquiries about names of birds in the three major Nigerian languages, and conferred with the illustrator in creating all new illustrations.

In this case, the publisher found me. Bibi was attracted to my book, which I used as an example during the seminar. It was just the kind of book she had been seeking for a new nature series of picture books that Cassava Republic wished to bring out. She immediately proposed they publish a new edition of my bird book.

What advantages or disadvantages did this present?

I already knew of Cassava Republic from their novels, which impressed me greatly both in terms of literary and production quality.

From everything said, it was apparent we shared a common philosophy about children’s books and a fruitful partnership was born. We agreed on the crying need for local nonfiction literature for Nigerian children. We likewise agreed on the importance of quality in every aspect of the work, including illustration and physical production, and on the need to acknowledge the crucial role of the illustrator in creating a picture book. I have also appreciated the very thorough editing of my proposed book on the uses of trees and the team of critics who helped to improve the work.

Any disadvantages have been due to Cassava Republic’s status as a new, small and yet to be fully established company. There have been delays in production - due to efforts to find sponsorship to support the work; due to locating a printer with the best balance of quality and cost and, as a result, relating to one in faraway India; and due to other unforeseen circumstances, like the January general strike over fuel price increases.

Marketing is also a major challenge for Nigerian publishers, especially those aiming at innovation and quality. But the need is so great, as are the possibilities: I feel Nigeria is where I can make a meaningful contribution.

What will your next book be about?

Three books in the nature series are at various stages - the one on uses of trees has been edited and is at the stage of layout and illustration, those on flowers and the seasons have been accepted.

Ideas for future books include small mammals and reptiles, insects, fish, foods... there is no end to possibilities.

What would you say has been your most significant achievement as a writer?

I think it is too early to talk of significant achievement. However, I believe I have created a beautiful book that can open the world of West African birds to children, and even adults. (Actually, many of the same or very similar species occur in East and Southern Africa as well.)

I believe that the three of us working in cooperation - I as writer, the illustrator and publisher - have created a model for a quality nonfiction picture book based on Nigerian environment. I hope this book will call attention to the need and value of nonfiction literature for children as a way of opening up the world of knowledge and discovering the pleasure and excitement to be found in the natural world. I hope it will help begin to fill this enormous gap in Nigerian children’s literature and lead to more high quality books in the future.

Photo credit: Nigerian School Library Association

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Related articles:

• Q&A with Virginia W. Dike, by Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, Sunday Trust, February 26, 2012
• Representations of Nigerian Culture in Children's Literature, by Ariel Villano, Nigerian Literature, March 21, 2012
• Birds of Our Land by Virginia Dike [Audio Interview], Africa Unchained, March 25, 2012