Aleya Kassam1. Tell us a bit about yourself. Are you a full-time writer?

I was born and raised in Nairobi, and I’m a lover of books and words. I used to produce the Storymoja Hay Festival, and then prised myself away late last year to focus on my own creative pursuits. I run a blog and my writing has been published in The Sahan Journal, Brainstorm, Jalada Africa, UP Magazine and The Telegraph. I have also recently discovered a love for performance, and alongside being a storyteller, I am currently in the cast of Sitawa Namwalie’s acclaimed show ‘Silence is a Woman’. Having just joined the advertising world, during the day I write for other people, and in the deep hours of the night, I write for myself.

2. When did you consider yourself a writer? What inspires your writing?

I am not sure I consider myself a writer even now. It feels like a lofty assertion. I write. That is all. I used to write a lot in school, and then stopped for many years, only picking it up again early this year. I have always wanted to write, but been gripped with this ridiculous fear that nothing I write could ever do justice to the stories I wanted to tell. I am a consummate reader, and a friend once suggested to me that I should stop reading (GASP!), because I was being intimidated by all this great work I read, which was stopping me from writing myself. I have stopped chasing perfection, and now I just write, in the hope that one day, what I write will match up to my expectations and taste. I am inspired by what I read. I am inspired by the things around me. I am inspired by absurdity and beautiful language. I mainly draw inspiration from my own life.

3. How much impact does your childhood have on your writing?

Quite a lot actually. I am still a child inside, and am delighted by the nonsensical, and the truths that are buried in the ridiculous. I am a strong believer that you are a product of your history, so perhaps of all things, my childhood impacts my writing the most.

4. Why did you enter the Golden Baobab prize? Were you surprised that you made the longlist?

I too am a product of the world Chimamanda describes in her Ted Talk; I grew up on reading Enid Blyton and wondering about Ginger Beer. I was 21 years old, the first time I ever saw my world in the pages of a book. It was in MG Vassanji’s The In-between World of Vikram Lal. The experience was profound and left a lasting impression on me. No child should ever go through their childhood without seeing their world in the books they read. It validates your existence, proves that you and your stories matter. This is why I am so interested in writing stories that reflect the reality of our world here in Africa. I think the Golden Baobab is a fantastic initiative, as is Storymoja that works so hard to make sure these sorts of books are available to our kids.

I was completely surprised that I made the longlist! I had been planning to write a story when I saw the submissions open, but my procrastination got the better of me. Five minutes before the deadline, I sent in a story I had written a while ago that was sitting in my computer folder.

5. Do you only write for children? If so, why did you make that choice? If not, what else do you write?

No, I write for anyone who loves to read. This is one of my only stories that I wrote specifically for children. I always imagined that I would write fiction, but when it comes down to it, I find fiction very difficult. Perhaps my imagination is not powerful enough, but in a way, I feel like a fraud when I write things I don’t intimately know. So I find myself writing opinion pieces, personal essays, and once in a while flash fiction to dip my toes into the ocean of fiction.

6. What are your thoughts on children’s literature growth (or lack of) in Africa? Do you think there are enough children’s stories written by African writers for African children?

I think the scene is changing. There can never be enough! What frustrates me is that traditionally, so many of the children’s stories that are published, that are made available to children on the Continent have overtly moralistic tones. So many of them seek to lecture and teach, and I can almost see the wagging finger pointing at me from the pages of the books. What I wish to see more of is fantastical, juicy, delicious stories that are a joy to read, that kids will get hooked on, and ignite that thirst for reading for pleasure. Books that wander into new genres, books that don’t preach, but provoke, books whose characters are flawed, like human beings innately are, and books that don’t look down on children.

7. Which writer(s) do you admire?

As a child, I LOVED Roald Dahl. I still do. I think he respected a child’s intelligence, and knew that they would unravel the layers of humanity for themselves. He also painted the most twisted, fantastical, vivid, crazy worlds, with language that just begs to be read out loud. I enjoy Muthoni Muchemi’s children’s books that all have a cheeky mischief to them that children love. I could go on and on, as there are so many writers I admire. I don’t ever remember a time when I was not reading a book, so this question is very difficult!

8. Do you have a writing schedule? What is your process like?

My goal at this moment is to write consistently, so I try to write a new short piece every week, not always successfully. It starts with an idea in my head, which I will jot down in my notebook of ideas. Then I will let it swirl around in my brain, swoosh around, marinate and ripen. During this time, I am not very pleasant to be around. I can think of nothing else, and it irritates me that I can’t seem to be able to write this idea out yet. I will be grumpy and insufferable. Then, I will find a line within the story that finally pulls me to the page. This normally happens past midnight, at which point, I will vomit it all out on the page, and feel relieved and light for a minute. Then I start the process of editing. I really should find a more efficient writing process!

9. What advice would you give to a beginner writer?

I myself am a beginner writer of sorts, but these are some of the things I tell myself when facing the page.

Just write. Put yourself out there. Read widely. Read carefully. Read deliberately. Read gleefully. Be truthful in your writing. Be aware of your craft. Always strive to be better. Take chances and be you, don’t try to be anyone else. Tell your stories, and tell them with honesty.

Edit! I have been editing a friend’s work over the last year, and found that it has opened up in me new ways of looking at my own work, and made editing my own writing easier. I feel less precious than I used to about certain lines and words, and am getting more clarity when it comes to cutting the fat away. Of course, this is always a work in progress.

10. What ambitions do you have for your career?

Gosh. Well, I would like to have published a range of children’s books, which I can also use to storytell from. I did storytelling sessions recently at the Storymoja Festival, and was astounded by the response. A lot of the kids there were in their teens, and I thought would be too cool to listen and enjoy stories, particularly African myths, but they were spellbound, and I was mobbed for autographs after. I felt a bit like a rockstar. I wished I had those stories published in a book, so the kids could unravel new ways of experiencing literature.

I am also working on a stage musical, as well as flirting with the idea of putting together a creative non-fiction collection of pieces. I am particularly interested in finding ways of performing literature, and am working on my own show, taken from my writing, which I hope to put on mid next year.

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1. Tell us a bit about yourself. Are you a full-time writer? I was born and raised in Nairobi, and I'm a lover of books and words. I used to produce the Storymoja Hay Festival, and then prised myself away late last year to focus on my own creative pursuits....