Sound voices in Tanzania Literature; Conversation with Baajun’s Omary Omary.
1) Briefly who are you?
I am a Young Pan-Africanist and Activist. Multi-award winning Poet and Author. Youth Programs expert. Records, Archives, Information and Communication Specialist.
2).What inspired you to write?
Agony was the first thing which inspired me to write.
3).Do books yield income?
Exactly! Only if you invest your time & energy, and you add value.
4).Literacy in Africa, do people read in general?
Yes, people read. The number is not that bigger but we still feel better that we have readers. Two things rise as one among the challenges and reasons: Illiteracy and Poor Readership Culture; of which it is our job now to eradicate illiteracy by sending children to school to get education. But also emphasise the communities to read.
5) What can one do to increase sales in Africa?
- Create Good work(s)
- Brand yourself
- Have Goals & Plans
- Showoff: Visit events, Get exposure, Grow your network.
- Support your friends’ crafts as you’ll need them to support yours later.
- Be unique, creative, and Trying person.
- Learn from best-selling
- Sometimes Focus on the specific community/audience/readers. Express their feelings & voices. Eg. Students.. etc. Sales can rise! This is from my little experience when I launched my first poetry book during my high school studies. It was a best-selling!
And in Feb. 2022 it won The Mulher Forte African Literature Award from Botswana.
6).Do you feel fulfilled when people buy your books?
Yes, but mostly when the People talk and discuss about them on how they’ve brought that little impact.
7).Can you encourage upcoming authors to write? Do you see a future for authors?
There are more than hundred ways to express feelings but Writing is more peaceful, enormous, and secretive way of expression. And good enough, it can burst ears and brains when you’ll now decide to make it Open! Believe me it has big Impact in bringing Changes! So Guys, Lets write!
Well, As long as there were Past, and there is Present, Future must be there.
8).Any movement and Toast masters or local government how did they help in promoting your work?
I had no one around to hold me up Except God The Almighty and Dearest Mom. Everything was Possible just for their Love! So I had have to put efforts and Yes, today I am running a Youth Movement & Initiative known as “Kwetu Ni Kwetu” in English “Home is Home” which now support thousands of Youth and communities in Tanzania.
9).Do you have any endorsements? What’s the importance of networking in book world?
I have no endorsement.
Networking helps to promote yourself and your work. It can be from events, social media, The Media, etc. You can find yourself get more deals and orders. And even more new ideas and opportunities.
10). Ebooks vs Hard copies do you think technology has come to kill the traditional hard copy or e books are simply continuation of the reading culture?
We both need all of these!
Nothing has come to destroy another. I think everything has come at its right time. The important thing is to understand how you can invest your skills and work into both Ways so that to reach inside and outside readers.
E-book is just a continuation of the reading culture. It is not a destructor. So, we need both of them in our daily lives. Especially in this time when globalisation grows.
I am concluding by saying that: Don’t Wait for Changes, Be a Change!
Mt Kenya Times