Featured Interview With David Ssembajjo
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Uganda and studied until High school. I began writing for a long duration of time. I have written five books and they have different themes, subject matters and genre. I have self-promoted my books as an indie author and I have appeared on book festivals and appeared on Radio BBC Radio Birmingham. As indie author I have taken on the role of a publisher and have tried to seek the work of a publisher and literary agent with scant lack. I have found writing a book is the easiest bit and marketing a book is the hardest. I grew up in Uganda and am currently living in the United Kingdom. My play My Youngest Son was long listed for the Papatango New Writing Prize and my book Servants of the Underground was selected among the 60 best books submitted for the North Street Book Prize and lastly my play The Messiah’s Life was selected for a second reading the Papatango New Writing Prize
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was in college where teachers instructed us to pick up subjects or set books at the age 14 and I opted to study literature and began reading Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield and advanced to secondary school where I studied English Literature. When I came to Britain I advanced in my reading test and continued reading extensively and expanded my reading habits. I appreciated books and books are part and parcel of my world. While studying they were heated debates among students over the set books, they were severe arguments taking place and they were times where I had to defend the importance of literature for a developing world. Books continued to fascinate me and coming to Britain was an apogee in being fascinated by books. I began writing in 1991 and was inspired to write with all books.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I have a wide list of writers which include English writers, like Charles Dickens, William Golding, George Orwell to mention but a few. Of European writers I like Gogol, Fyodor Dostoeyevsky, Pushkin and of African writers I like Chinua Achebe, and I like John Steinbeck, James Baldwin and Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou and lastly but not least Gabriel Garcia Marquez. My favorite genre to read is romance, dystopian and mysteries or politics.
My inspiration to write is the world offers a resource, wisdom and knowledge. The world is surrounded my wise writers. By studying writers like Chekhov am able co-relate my book. Most writers inspire me and enrich me with knowledge and am immersed in my understanding of the world. All writers have their own world they exhibit in their creative world. Writers are creative creatures and offer a fundamental duty to the world of writing. I am inspired to write by all writers. All writers possess an inspiration and they are ambitiousness in their formations and craftiness.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
Mr Batwala’s Farm is about a freed African slave who opts to return to Africa after his bondage. Before leaving for Africa he works diligently and the master is content and decides to free him. He is rewarded for his hard work. He had opted to become a slave [as he was searching for his parents] as his parents were sold into slavery leaving him to fend for himself as a young boy and his community couldn’t fend for him and was languishing in the village. He was determined and courageous in working as a slave and through his hard work as a slave he was rewarded and secured his freedom from bandage and he was adamant in building up the master’s estate and empire. He was committed in building up the tower of wealth and the master was overjoyed.