During Empress Ciku Kimani-Mwaniki ‘s last book launch, a couple met for the first time, started dating and it is going well so far. Ciku tells us to expect a wedding soon.
Now, Ciku, who has authored four books, will be launching her fifth book, NaiRobbery Cocktail, to coincide with her 50th birthday, next Saturday, November 30, at 910 James Gichuru.
Ciku has written four other books. They are Nairobi Cocktail, Immigrant Cocktail, Cocktail from the Savannah and A Cocktail of Unlikely Tales. NaiRobbery Cocktail is a romance and crime thriller.
Maisha Yetu held an interview with Ciku on her life and her writing.
Have you always done unique kinds of book launches – the party and all – or this is the first one of its kind?
Always a party. I am personally not very good with rigid events and I refuse to subject people to them. I prefer that people network, make friends and stakeholders in publishing get to meet, rather than discuss a book they have not yet read.
This particular launch – #The5thAt50 – appears to hold special significance for you, how so?
I just turned 50, and being the last born, still feels surreal. I want people to celebrate my birthday although it was three months ago. Also, this is the first time I am not self-publishing and it is worth celebrating. I have also, finally, accepted that I am a mainstream author. It is not a joke anymore.
It is not every day that a woman is this open and comfortable with their age, particularly when they hit the ‘wrong side of 40’…
Not me. I celebrate every birthday, loudly. Aging is actually a privilege we take for granted and I know this after losing too many people close to me, including my son, at eight months. Besides, I don’t know what the big deal is about being thought of as younger.
All your other books have been self-published, apart from this one. Tell us more about Mvua Press, your publisher, and how you came to know them?
A colleague, familiar with my work, introduced me to eKitabu. I was not too optimistic at first. It took two meetings with them for me to be sold. They gave me an offer I could not refuse, like turning my books into audio and ebooks, a very expensive affair, if you want to do it properly. Since then, my third book Cocktail from the Savannah has been published as an e-book, as will the other three. Mvua Press, under ekitabu, is my publisher and they made me feel in control of my creative input. So far so good, because they do not make changes without consulting me. I think it was also timely as I was ready to cede some control, and I needed help with distribution and logistics. With eKitabu, my books appear in international book fairs, and it is exciting.
What would you advise other authors, especially given that most complain about mainstream publishers shutting doors on them?
That was me, many years ago. I complained and held a grudge for so long but, when you think about it, it is hard for them to consider every manuscript they receive. I self-published because I wanted to prove a point. It worked, but it should not be the reason. Authors should just write, publish when funds are available and if you are good enough, and lucky, they will notice you. Then you can negotiate from a strong position
Your book, Cocktail from the Savannah, was received quite well, what does that say about the perception of Kenyans towards polygamy, a topic you tackled so well in that book?
It is a sort of taboo topic but it shouldn’t be; it happens all the time. We all know a polygamist or two. Many readers definitely saw themselves in the characters, or their friends.
Cocktail from the Savannah begs for a sequel. Should we expect that?
I think not! The message I wanted to pass, the discussion I wanted to open, happened. I shall let readers fill in what happened after for themselves. But perhaps the characters might appear in another of my works.
A number of your faithful readers really identified with Koome, a character in one of your books. What makes him tick?
Honestly, I have no idea. Koome was a character in the first book, Nairobi Cocktail, who ended up paying for sins he did not commit. I think we have all been accused wrongly at some point and people wanted Koome to find justice. I disappeared him in the novel and was surprised when readers started asking me where he went. I didn’t think he was that important. Readers asked about him so much that I had to bring him back in my fourth book, A Cocktail of Unlikely Tales, which is a collection of novellas.
All your books, including the one to be launched next Saturday, have ‘Cocktail’ in them, is that your brand?
Yes. My books are a mix of so many strong and different characters – a cocktail. Now, in many quarters people call me Ciku wa Macocktails or Cocktail Empress. I love it.
Did you always set out to be a writer or writing found you?
Writing found me. I only took it seriously in my 30s. I always wrote, but I thought everybody did. I did not have mentors, which is sad. Then a great man called Topi Lyambila sort of discovered my talent when I lived in London.
Has the journey into writing/publishing been easy or hard on you?
Neither, really, but it has been interesting. What has favoured me is that I was not taking it too seriously so there was no pressure. It still is a lot of fun and I hope it always will be, especially now that ambition is creeping on me slowly. I am not sure I like it.
Which Kenyan authors inspire you?
By their work ethic, Kinyanjui Kombani tops the list. Deborah Auko for breaking glass ceiling after glass ceiling, David Maillu for fearlessly tackling taboo topics. It is from him I find courage to write what I write. Grace Ogot and Muthoni Likimani because, think of what they had to overcome and still produced amazing works. My 15-year-old daughter Wambui, who writes poems and short stories, is my latest inspiration.
Based on your experience, does writing pay, here in Kenya?
Yes and no. A lot comes into play, luck, how you market your work of course although sometimes you can make money with under par work because you market and package it well. I know a few authors who are doing very well from writing, but others who should be doing better but they are not.
Talk about your mountain climbing adventures
I love mountains. There is freedom; there is healing. When I am up there, I feel insignificantly small because of the vastness and the size, but I also feel very powerful, like I drink from its energy! Mountains are energising. They push my mental and physical limits by a lot. I am hoping to conquer the ten highest mountains in Africa as soon as I make many millions from selling books.
In the last four or so years, we have seen many authors, most of them young, come out in a big way. And they are self-publishing. Has Kenyan writing finally turned a corner?
I believe it has and I am all here for it! It is awesome to witness it because when I started, I knew I would be only one more self-published author. I am sure there were more but they couldn’t have been popular. It was lonely. Now, the young ones are vicious, shameless and fearless in publishing and selling. I think Nigerians should be afraid as I think Kenya is the next literary powerhouse.
Ngunjiri is the curator of Maisha Yetu, a digital Arts and Books media platform [email protected]
This post was originally published on here
