"To create something from nothing" – A conversation with Jenny Robson, 2023 Afritondo Shortlist
Jenny Robson is one of five writers shortlisted for the 2023 Afritondo Short Story Prize. She works as a music teacher in Botswana, and her short story, Water For Wine won the 2021 Kendeka Prize for African Literature.
In this interview, she talks about her writing journey over the last 30 years and getting on the shortlist for the Afritondo Prize.
Read somewhere that you started writing in your 30s. What was that like, and what made you pick up writing?
Back in my school days, I loved writing stories. Writing took me to a whole different world. And then, life happened: family, work, studies, day-to-day concerns, and I forgot about it.
In my mid-thirties, I faced a shattering crisis that drove me to the verge of suicide. And as I began to recover and re-assess my life, more and more I felt this burning urge to write.
After 30+ books and several accolades, what keeps you going?
To create something from nothing, to know other people are finding some value and meaning in what you write, is one of the most exciting experiences I know. It was there the first time I had a story published. And it is still with me today.
Writing also keeps me thinking, never taking anything at its face value, always questioning what I believe, constantly wanting to understand more.
Does teaching music (and invariably having a flair for the craft) affect your writing?
I feel so grateful to the people who created all the songs and music I love to teach, so glad that they were prepared to put in all the hours of work required. So that inspires me to put in the work myself.
Also spending time with children daily keeps me in their world where everything is still possible, where there is so much still to learn and understand and so much fun to be had.
My passion for teaching music is as strong as my passion for writing. They feel like two sides of the same coin.
What is your writing process like? Do you set out to address a particular theme or societal issue, or do you just go with the flow?
Usually there is some specific human situation that grips me and sets me wondering about the people involved and how they view it and how it affects them. Only after I’ve explored it for a while, do I start seeing the larger issues that surround it and impact it.
Running the prize, we see a lot of young Africans from different walks of life trying out writing. What advice would you give to young people, sometimes trying out writing for the first time or are afraid to try?
If the passion burns in your soul, don’t let anything or anyone extinguish it.
Don’t dream it, BE it.
If you want to be a writer, then write.
My favourite true story is this: back when I first began trying to write in 1988, I took a long-distance course in Children’s Writing with a college in Manchester, UK. The tutor there read a few of my stories and told me: “You don’t have what it takes to be a writer. You should try another hobby.”
That just made me mad and more determined.
Hah! The college no longer exists. But I am still writing. So like I say, don’t let anything or anyone discourage you.
How did you find out about Afritondo and the short story prize?
I am always searching online for writing opportunities, especially those for African writers.
Did you write the sister-in-law for the prize, or was it something you already had? And why did you write it?
The story is loosely based on a short local news report from a few years back. It was a shocking, heartbreaking story.
Over time, I became more and more fascinated by what had happened, how it had happened and why it had happened. I began to imagine more and more how the various people involved had experienced this same situation: the wife, the young girl, the young girl’s family, the man’s family, the man himself. The most important thing was to choose whose viewpoint to tell the story from.
I chose to tell it from the viewpoint of the girl’s older sister.
What did it feel like getting longlisted and then shortlisted for the prize?
That was so exciting. Most especially to be recognised among African writers.
I was just sad that my husband is late and couldn’t share in my excitement. He was always my greatest cheerleader and shared in every joy and every disappointment on this journey – and helped me with all the techno and IT aspects that still bewilder me totally.
I have heard many good things about Botswana and planning to visit soon. What would you recommend as a must-do in Botswana?
Botswana is full of beauty and
awesome sights for the tourist: the Okavango Delta, the Kalahari Desert, the big five in abundance. Almost every evening, the sunset is a magical event.
But for me, Botswana is not a tourist destination. It is my home. It is the only place where I feel truly myself and where I felt free to learn to write. The day I was granted Permanent Residence here was one of the most wonderful days of my life. There is a spirit of gentleness and acceptance amongst the people here that I have not felt anywhere else. I feel most privileged to be known as a Motswana writer.
The award ceremony for the 2023 Afritondo Short Story Prize will be held online on April 7, 2023. You can register here.
