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Back to Featured Interviews >> MEET VUCANI NYIRENDA
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| Vucani Nyirenda |
I was born and raised in a small rural village community in a remote part of Zambia, Africa. The community was almost 100% illiterate but through my father’s efforts and determination, I attended various schools, went to our local university and finally obtained a Masters of Social Work degree from Yeshiva University, in New York, and a Doctor of Social Welfare degree from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). After that, I worked at various jobs at the university and in my country’s public service. Upon retirement I rekindled my childhood love of writing. To arm myself for the new venture, I took writing courses with Long Ridge Writers Group and the Institute of Children’s Literature. It was during the time I was taking my second course with the Institute of Children’s Literature that I wrote KALULU THE HARE OUTWITTED. I have since published several stories in children’s magazines like Skipping Stones Magazine. I have also published stories in BrooWaha, a community newspaper that is published in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York. I now live in the Los Angeles area and I am a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
Can you tell us about your book KALULU THE HARE OUTWITTED and what inspired it?
KALULU THE HARE OUTWITTED is a Zambian children’s folktale. In the story, a drought threatens the lives of all living creatures and all animals, except Kalulu, pitch in to help dig a pond. The other animals decide to prevent Kalulu from accessing the water but fail until Fulu the tortoise comes along with an idea that beats Kalulu’s smartness. I was inspired to write the story because I wanted to show that Kalulu, who is always portrayed as the smartest of the animal world, can meet his match and be defeated at his own game.
What do you hope children take away from your book?
That even the smartest guy can be defeated. The senga of Zambia say, Uchenjele ujimete? Meaning: “Can the smarty give himself/herself a hair cut?”
What do you hope to achieve through writing for children?
My personal goal is to share my cultural experience growing up in a rural community with children of the globalized world by writing stories that entertain and instruct. Today’s children need to know what’s beyond their backyard.
How long have you been writing for children?
It’s now 12 years since I started writing for children. Before that, I was a published academic; I contributed chapters in nonfiction academic books and published articles in professional social work journals.
Where do you get your ideas from?
Ideas are everywhere waiting to be picked: they are in the writer’s own childhood experiences, children’s conversations, social events, books, newspaper articles, travel, etc. From these, a writer can generate an idea for a particular story or book. For me, my childhood, growing up in a rural village rich with folktales and other children’s activities, is the basic source of my story ideas.
Was KALULU THE HARE OUTWITTED accepted immediately? Or did you experience a number of rejections?
Surprisingly, the book was accepted immediately. Of course the editors asked for minor revisions, explanations, and a synopsis which I gladly did. The book grew out of an assignment I was doing for my course with the Institute of Children’s Literature and therefore all the revisions and tightening had been done before submitting to the editors supported by a convincing cover letter. The publisher then went ahead and had the illustrations done by an artist of their choice. Thanks go to the Institute of Children’s Literature for having prepared me for the process.
Do you have other folktales from your bank of ideas that you are ready to write?
Yes, I have many folktales and other story ideas that are begging to be written, time permitting. Right now I have two stories that am working on that could be developed into story picture books.
Do you have any advice for beginning writers?
- Read, read, and read again – about the writing craft, children’s literature, and published books in the genre of your choice;
- Take a writing course;
- Join a critique group,
- Write constantly and regularly. Writing is a practice skill; if dormant it will develop mould;
- Persevere, don’t succumb to rejections but view them as a challenge to improve your work