Emancipation

Born and raised in the dusty streets of Katutura, Paulina Moses takes her readers on a mental journey of freeing her mind from oppression in her first, and very opinionated, book titled 'Journey to Emancipation'. She considers herself as one with respect for nature and humanity and believes the world can only be changed if we invest in being decent human beings.

tjil (T): Whilst growing up, did you read much and if so who are your favourite authors?

Paulina (P): I grew up in the era when libraries were popular, that alone influenced me to read and my love of books grew. I did not at all have a favourite author; I just read any book that was appealing to me.

T: What book or books have had a strong influence on you and your writing?

P: My writing has not been influenced by any external body, but while I was writing this book, I also read Assata Shakur's autobiography, and should I write a second book, my influence will derive from her writing.

T: Do you have a specific reason or reasons for writing this book?

P: I have unintentionally learned so many things in life and the day I said, “That is nonsense” is the day my journey to mental freedom began. I wrote this book for my future self. This book is my diary, my retrospection, my therapy and my promise for a better day for the African continent. I came to a point in life where I questioned myself. I disconnected from what the world wanted and focused on what I desired.

T: Let's talk about Journey to Emancipation, without giving much away, how you would tell someone what it is about? Why that title?

P: The title is self-explanatory. I am on a journey to emancipation - mental emancipation.

This book is a non-fiction tale about an African woman who is on a journey of remembering who she was before the world told her who she should be. I reflect on how the world forced me to forget my African identity by forcing me to assimilate into a world that has become too small for individualism.

T: There are ten chapters, which one is close to your heart and why?

P: The chapter on African Independence. This chapter outlines the need for us Africans to unite, the need for us to embrace one another as a single unit. While we strive to free ourselves from economic oppression we should be attentive to comprehend how we will achieve that. It is of no use to breed entrepreneurs who are greedy and hungry for quick cash, in turn damaging the community instead of building it. It is of no use to become producers of consumer goods when we as Africans have not mentally freed ourselves from the oppression of thinking being black is a setback, because the black consumers will opt to shop from a non-black. We need slave insurrection to triumph autonomously.

T: What does being African mean to you?

P: Being African is who I am. Being African is how I identify myself. Being African is loving myself as an African, being at peace with our flaws, but praising our prominence simultaneously.

The war for independence of the African people is far from over. The freedom we now enjoy is but a small fraction of what freedom really is. Freedom of the mind is greater than freedom from chains.

T: What is the message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

P: Each and every one of us would have to embark on a journey of retrospective, because as the African proverb states, “look not where you fell, but where you slipped”.

It is hard to change the world or face the future when you do not understand who you are or how you acquired your character.

T: How hard is it to establish and maintain a career in creative writing in Namibia?

P: If I am to give my opinion without judgement, I would say that art in Namibia is still undervalued, only but a small percentage are able reap the benefits. It is however encouraging to know that we have recognised the need to support our own. I am just not sure if support is monetary or simply exaggerated social media shout-outs. But never underestimate what a talented, passionate and visionary person can accomplish.

T: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

P: I would do my own editing. But the way the arts fraternity works, every piece of writing requires an editor, no matter how good the writer may be. Apart from that, I am very proud of the book in its entirety. It is an honest and concrete reflection of my being and I would not change a word.

T: What are your thoughts on good/bad reviews?

P: Reviews from journalists are very important. Sometimes a review is truthful, sometimes it is a good lie and at other times simple an echo of how the reviewer woke up that morning. Take a bad review as critism for improvement; if you do not listen to bad critism, you are only setting yourself up for failure. But also take a good review in the same light. Do not be consumed with how good people say you are, because only those who are hungry for improvement or those eager for climbing the next ladder, excel.

T: If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been and why?

P: The Devil's Alternative by Frederick Forsyth. This book was published in 1979 and I read it decades later as a teenager.

The author combined fact with fiction in such a captivating manner. I am one with a great interest in spies, military and to some extent conspiracy.

This is the book that first sparked my interest in writing, to an extent that during my teenage years, I wrote an action fiction novel, but it is yet to see the publishers.

T: What advice would you give to a young novelist that you wish someone would have given you?

P: Save your work everywhere you can. I lost my USB at some point and had to start all over again.

T: How can someone get hold of your book and how much is it?

P: The book is only N$150.

Please follow the page on Instagram @journey_to_emancipation for orders via Direct Messaging or email at [email protected].



June Shimuoshili