MEET THE AUTHOR: Writing for a future generation

Nancy Sumari, who is Miss World Africa 2005, published her first children’s book titled ‘Nyota Yako’ (Your Star) in 2013. She speaks to Success about her book, her dreams and success as a writer.

Q. What motivated you to write Nyota Yako?

I had my daughter Zuri in 2011. After I became a mom, and even before that, I started thinking of what I wanted her to get from me as a parent. Like any parent, I wanted her to have good things that I didn’t have while growing up. So, I started buying children’s books before Zuri was born.

But in doing so, I noticed a tremendous gap in children’s books. Especially for younger ones who are at that stage where they are learning to read and write. I saw a need to tell stories that speak to them. I wanted to write not just a story of a rabbit and a hyena, as we are used to African folktales. But I wanted to write a story about a real person, in real time in a form that they will understand and also see themselves in these people.

There are inspiring stories about women. For instance, the first woman to vote in this country, you don’t find a book like that for a child. So I decided to write one. They say that if something isn’t done right, then do it yourself. That’s what I did.

Q. Growing up, what kind of women were you surrounded with and how did you gain your inspiration from them?

I grew up around my mom and dada, and two sisters. We are five in our family. I am right in the middle. My mom was a working mom, and she still is. She works really hard, and we saw that. We saw how hardworking she was. She would do anything and everything to see us have a good life. To be able to experience that life with her, was amazing. That was the kind of person I grew up to look up to.

Q. How long did it take to complete the book?

It took me a while. You don’t just wake up one morning, say I am going to write a children’s book and then write it. I started doing research, I consulted friends and experts. Slowly the journey gained momentum – and then there was the book. The journey started in 2011, towards the end of the year. It came to life in 2013.

Q. What challenges did you face?

It has been difficult because this is the first time that I have done it. There are a lot of things that I didn’t know. And even at the end, I wished that I had done some things differently. For instance, I wish I had more knowledge of the language. Writing a Swahili book is not as simple as it sounds. It is very intense. More so, writing it for children. It is a very complex language. So to be able to break it down, and still be authentic to it is not easy.

I don’t speak Kiswahili very well. I wish I did. I keep trying though, and will continue doing so. For the sake of my daughter, for her to grow up knowing her mother tongue well – writing, speaking and reading it well. Although I speak Kiswahili, English was the official language we used in school. 

I received my education in Kenya, and the English we spoke was very polished. 

Initially, I had written the book in my rudimentary Kiswahili. But when I went to the National Swahili Council, they completely shredded my book. I went to them because I wanted to get it certified. All my words were out of the window, and new words came in. What I was thankful for was that they stayed true to the thought – what the book was really about. I find this interesting because language evolves. To keep up with it and make it relevant is quite challenging.

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