17 May 2008
interview
Jackee Budesta Batanda is a communications officer at of Refugee Law Project. She has been Writer-in-Residence at Lancaster University, England, and Peace Writer at the University of San Diego, California. Her short stories have been short listed for the Macmillan Writers Prize for Africa. She has published The Blue Marble, a children's book and currently working on a novel.
What does your book shelf say about you?
That I am a great lover of fiction. I am slowly getting into other genres to enrich my library and knowledge too.
What was the first book you fell in love with and why?
Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat. The simplicity of the story and the narrator's voice just grew on me. I could not put it down till I was done!
Is there a book you borrowed but wished you didn't have to return?
The Poison Wood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. I found it a major piece of literature. It is based on an American missionary family in pre-independent Congo. It fuses both fiction and nonfiction, for example, the role the CIA played in the assassination of Patrice Lumumba. It entertainingly explains the history of the DRC and provides an explanation for some of its problems today.
What is your opinion on the state of contemporary African writing and books?
It is a good time to be an African writer. There is an international interest in books from African writers, so it gives our writers a chance to talk to a non western audience about Africa. The number of books by African writers published on the mainstream market is evidence of this renewed interest. A fantastic short story collection, Miracles, Jazz and Dreams, published by Picador Africa showcasing the future of African writing is now available on the market.
Is there a book you refer to for life's lessons?
I can't point at or exalt one particular book. There have been many good books that have taught and still teach me.
As an author, what do you think makes a book tick?
Writing from the heart that is true to the subject.
Which book, if any, got you thinking that you too could write and why?
Breath, Eyes, Memory. It was a simple story and it made me realise that even mundane things can make a good read.
What is your favourite quote from any book you have read?
"If you think you can, or you think you can't, you are absolutely right." Henry Ford, quoted in Start Up by Liz Jackson.
If you were to sit down and talk about favourite books or quotes, who would you do it with? (Dead or Alive)
With the members of my new book club
What are you currently reading?
Beasts of No Nation by Uweala Uzondinma
Jackline A. Olanya
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