I recently started reading another book from legendary author and Nobel Laureate, Han Kang, entitled Light and Thread. In it she reflects on her previously published works, exploring the various ways in which they are all seamlessly connected. One thing that struck me immediately, was how she highlighted that with each book she has written, she has struggled with a different, profound question. In the end she succeeds in boiling this down to two fundamental and intimately linked questions that have coursed their way through the veins of every book she has written:
Why is the world so violent and painful?
And yet how can the world be this beautiful?
This has triggered me to reflect on my own writing journey and the questions that I have been (and still am) struggling with. There are undoubtedly profound questions that I have been wrestling with when writing my books, although it is hard for me to distill them as succintly as Kang does. Nevertheless, I will do my best to commit to this exercise.
In my first book, Squash Diary: The Story of How Squash Saved My Life I dealt with the question of how to heal and find hope in the face of (overwhelming) adversity? My near fatal accident taught me volumes about overcoming adversity and being resilient. Getting back up to try again without being bitter or fatalistic about the misfortune I had faced.
Subsequently, in my memoir Walking in Footsteps of Promise I tackled a similar question, but perhaps on a grander scale, by reflecting on the vicissitudes of my entire life on this planet until the ag of thirty one. Essentially the question I focused on was how to face and overcome repeated (overwhelming) adversity without giving up? So this theme of resilence and persistence is definitely one of the key questions I have been repeatedly confronting in my writing journey.
If I now consider my debut historical fiction novel, Children of the Ocean God, I find myself once again facing the question of how to keep going in the face of adversity? This time, through the lens of the Garifuna struggle against the Britsih. In the story, the greatest Garifuna warrior and military leader, Paramount Chief Chatoyé is killed by the Biritish just days into the Second Carib War dealing a near fatal blow to their war effort. However, there is a slight twist in this story. In addition to this theme of perserverance and determination against seemingly insurmountable challenges, I also explore the question of whether true romantic love is sufficient for two people to be together or not? I do this through the interaction between Ranee and Warramou, the main protagonist. They are madly in love with each other, but realize they can never be together. Interestingly, this latter question is derived from my own battle with this subject in my personal life.
And turning my attention to my current writing project, Musteech (aka Warner’s Bacchanal) I’m grappling with the question of whether guilt and righteousness can be influenced by perspective? Through the contrasting lives of Colonel Philip Warner and his half brother Thomas “Carib” Warner, who is murdred by Philip in cold-blood, I delve into this subject. The theme of overcoming adversity also features prominently in this story, since Philip is confronted with many difficult cicrumstances due to his killing of his brother. In particular he risks receiving the death penalty for the murder. Despite being guilty, he still seeks leniency.
Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to read this reflection on my writing journey. I hope it also helps you think about the questions confronting the authors of the books you have enjoyed reading. Happy reading and reflecting!
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