ANISHA, THE TALENTED YOUNG WRITER
SOCIETYhas over the years portrayed women as weak, but 31-year-old Zambian author and blogger Anisha Namutowe also famed by her pen name “Anishagold” believes women are the strongest beings on planet earth.
Anisha, who is also a woman’s right advocate, is determined to change this perception about women and show the world the strong side of women, through her writing.
The young female writer also uses her craft to uplift and inspire women, especially those who have lost confidence in themselves and are on the edge of giving up.
Anisha, is the author of the captivating-Echoes of Betrayal, a fictional drama novel that tells true life stories about love, family, divorce, religion, gender equality and of course betrayal.
I recently had a chat with her and she gave me a brief back ground of herself.
Anisha- I’m a 31-year- old Author and blogger. I’m is also a qualified teacher of English, Literature, and History, although I have never taught before. I’m also a women’s rights advocate.
How did you realise your writing talent?
Anisha- I was quite young when I discovered I enjoyed writing. Maybe 5, 6…somewhere between 5 and 10. All I know is that I started off reading my childhood days away while my friends played in the dirt outside. Soon enough I wanted to tell people my own stories. I would share my stories to my siblings at night and they seemed to enjoy them.
Anisha- I was first inspired by a Canadian author by the name of Lucy Montgomery. She is the author of the very first book I read as a child that stood out to me so much I could literally picture myself as the protagonist of that story. The book is titled Anne of Green Gables, written in 1908. The book chronicles the adventures of this 11-year-old orphan girl named Anne Shirley. There were so many similarities between that character and me as a child back then that I decided I wanted to tell my own story as well, just like her.
Echoes of Betrayal is a work of fiction in the drama genre. With an African setting, the novel tackles themes of betrayal, divorce, family, love, nature vs nurture, gender inequality, fertility, parenting, culture, religion and many other issues faced by couples whose relationships have been plagued by betrayal.
Echoes of Betrayal is both an entertainment and inspiration novel. Despite being fictional, the fictional, and the exposition of the novel is neither driven by a complex plot with numerous twists and turns, nor does it promise a fantastical ending experience. The book is written in true to life form, with characters telling their stories from their points of view, what they saw, what their thoughts were in those moments, why they reacted the way they did and why they made the decisions they made.
Anisha- So far I have only published one book, Echoes of Betrayal, although I have quite a collection of stories on my blog online. Echoes of betrayal is probably going to be very different from all other books I will write in the future. It was inspired by personal events that transpired in my life that led me to seek certain answers from both God and nature. Writing the book helped me to cope with what was happening and to finally heal from it all.
I take pleasure in knowing that someone might be entertained, inspired, or informed by something I have written. Even if it’s just one person. Generally speaking, I have found myself motivated by things that happen around me, could be directly to me and maybe those around me. Sometimes it might be through an event I have witnessed from a distance, an article I have read somewhere, maybe even a movie or a book I’ve read. I draw inspiration from everywhere.
Anisha- I have faced quite a number of challenges on my journey as a writer. Firstly, it’s confidence issues. The fear of criticism or not being talented enough to write a great book despite your passion for it. I have so many manuscripts that are yet to be published but should have been published years ago.
Financial challenges. Being a self-published author, I struggled a bit to put together money required to get the book published. Every quality service or resource you need is expensive, especially the editing part. Then comes the printing and then the shipping of your books. It is extremely expensive to have books printed here in Zambia and in most cases the quality is very poor. Then there are marketing challenges.
Are you doing anything to empower women?
Anisha- I consider myself to be a women’s rights advocate. First and foremost, as a writer, I use my craft to paint women in a certain light. If you’ve read any of my stories before, you’ll realise that I invest a lot in developing and presenting my female characters. I am not a fan of the idea that women are weak. Physically, maybe we are compared to men. But in terms of character,
I think we have the most resilient and strongest characters to be reckoned with.
We might find ourselves in moments of weakness but eventually we rise and shine.
I have written a lot of articles aimed at creating awareness about the plight of women in modern day society. Whether you’re a single woman, a single mother, a divorcee, a career woman, etc. I study all types of women and I use my talents and other opportunities that come my way to shine a light on their work and on the challenges they face in their day to day lives. To encourage and uplift. It is my prerogative to do more for women, and I will continue to seek more opportunities in future that will allow me to keep shinning the light on women.
Anisha- I believe we would have to start from the grassroots, the home front. Parents and guardians need to give up the mediocre treatment of the girl-child against the boy-child. You tell the girl to take off her uniform the moment she gets home from school so she can help you in the kitchen while the boy throws his stuff around, kicks off his shoes and off he goes to play outside. Once the food is ready, the boy will come home, take a bath, eat, do his homework, watch some tv, and then off to bed he goes. Meanwhile, the girl is done cooking, she starts serving the family, once they’re done eating, she has to clear the table and wash the plates. Before she can even think about going to bed, she has to make sure the house is super clean because God forbid she ends up keeping a shabby home for her future husband! Her training has to start from home. Meanwhile, what are you teaching the boy?
Who is Anisha?
What and who inspired you to start writing?
Tell us about your latest book-Echoes of Betrayal?
What are some of the challenges you have encountered as a female writer?
How can we have more women in leadership positions?
What advice would you give to female authors
Anisha- Never give up. If you feel like life’s too overwhelming to achieve your dreams, then it’s time to start asking yourself if the people you care about love you enough to see you pursue and achieve your dreams. We have so many natural responsibilities as women. We deserve a break to live for ourselves every now and then.
No one will give you this break if you don’t demand it for yourself.
Tell the people around you about your dream to become a writer or to keep excelling as one. Let’s use our craft to tell a narrative that will help pave a future where women are treated with respect and dignity. We have the power to create such a world using our talent.
Where do you see yourself in the next few years?
Anisha - I see myself leading my own publishing firm. I see myself as a renowned writer with many titles under her name. Hopefully, a New York best seller. I see myself writing for both the small and big screen. I see myself travelling more and sharing stories of tremendous women around the world. I also see myself as a mother.