AUTHOR/JOURNALIST

Today, LLR sits with the vibrant Liberian author, Elma Shaw. Elma wears many hats. She is a professional Broadcast Journalist  and Publisher, amongst many other things. Elma is a rising star on the Liberian Literary scene. 
 

LLR: Thank you for agreeing to this interview, we appreciate your efforts. Could you tell us a little about you- your early childhood, upbringing, education.

I spent my early years in Liberia, where I attended The Hilton Van Ee School until my parents moved us to England. I was 5 years old. Cousin Corinna, proprietor of the school and a good friend of my grandmother Eugenia, gave me a book to travel with. I have been an avid reader ever since. Getting an excellent education was always a central focus in our family. A few years after our return to Liberia, I graduated from 9th grade at J. J. Roberts, then went to CWA for a short while. I later went to Cushing Academy in Massachusetts and American University in Washington DC, and completed two Study Abroad programs in France. I continue to seize every opportunity to learn.

LLR: What inspires you to write generally?

Words have the power to inspire people and to bring about an end to the injustices of the world. Most of my writing is creative nonfiction, but I do write poems and stories when those seem to be the best avenues of expressing something. I love to use my skills and my understanding of people to tell the truth in a way that draws readers in and spurs them to action.

LLR: Who are some of the people/things that influence you?

I am influenced by Biblical principles and anyone who embodies them. In addition, when I became a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. in 1987, I promised to uphold certain ideals of living, learning, and serving. Together, these things are the foundation of all that I do.

LLR: Why did you choose to study Journalism and Film? When did you know you wanted to be a professional in that area?

My first degree is in Communication Media (with an emphasis in Broadcast Journalism), and my second is in Film and Video (with an emphasis in Screenwriting). When I was growing up, literature, visual media, and real life all had a profound impact on the way I saw myself, and the way I saw the world. I wanted to be able to impact others in the same way: reaching, teaching, healing, and inspiring using various ways of communication.

LLR: If you could change/improve one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I am constantly evolving! There is always some new revelation about my psyche, and some new skill to learn. I love being me at every stage.

LLR: Tell your fans something about yourself that they don’t already know.

I’ve been training in the powerful and beautiful art of pole and aerial dance, and recently became a certified instructor.

LLR: There's no right or wrong answer, but if you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be? What would you be doing?

If I could be anywhere in the world right now, I’d be enjoying a writing sabbatical at a tropical resort known for its fabulous cuisine.

LLR: Let’s talk books. What are your favorite Liberian books? Why do you love them?

I love Wilton Sankawulo’s Birds Are Singing because it’s an epic novel that reveals valuable information and insights about indigenous Liberian culture and about a crucial era in our nation’s history. I love Patricia Jabbeh Wesley’s powerful collection of beautifully written and arranged poems in Before the Palm Could Bloom. I love Cracking the Code: The Confused Traveler’s Guide to Liberian English, by John-Mark Sheppard. It’s a fascinating, entertaining, and important guide to our language, culture, and history.

Can you talk a bit about the inspiration for REDEMPTION ROAD? Why that title?

Redemption Road was inspired by real stories of the Liberian civil war. I wanted to tell those stories as a way to document our experiences for history, and to help survivors with the healing process. When I started to write, killers lived with impunity in post-war Liberia although we knew who they were and what they had done. There were very few programs designed to help survivors at the time, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission had not yet been established. I talked to both fighters and survivors to research for the book, and as I wrote the novel, the characters revealed the complexity of living through a war. Redemption Road tells a story through the eyes of Liberians from all walks of life, and from the view of a survivor and a fighter. The title comes from the name of the road where 12 prominent government officials were executed on April 22, 1980, shortly after the coup. In context of the novel, I hope it encourages us to look at ourselves and be the change that we want to see in a new Liberia.

LLR: What is your writing process? How do you do it? How do you pick your topics?

I tend to think superficially about an idea for too long. Things start to happen when I actually sit down (with those bare bones ideas) and actually put my fingers on the keyboard. With , it was as if the spirits of the departed – from all walks of life  – lined up eagerly to prod me and make sure that side came out. I don’t really pick topics to write about, but my heart tends to follow themes of social justice, women’s empowerment, and personal or spiritual development.

LLR: What advantages/disadvantages are there to being a Liberian author? 

The advantages and disadvantages of being a Liberian author are one and the same: At this point in our literary journey, a Liberian author is still considered a pioneer in the field. We’re still learning from those who came first, and trying to work lots of things out for the future. We have the power and the responsibility to forge a publishing industry and inspire a stronger culture of reading with and through our work.

LLR: How has Liberia influenced your works, and what do you think of the future of writing in Liberia? Where do you think it is headed?

I believe all of my work has been influenced by pivotal events in our country’s history.

I enjoyed a privileged life in my early years, and returned from England to Liberia just in time for the 1979 Rice Riots and the 1980 coup d’état. After boarding school and university in the US, I returned to live in Liberia during the administration of former President Charles Taylor (and the continuing rebel insurgency). I was also living in Liberia during the election of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as Africa’s first female president, and the establishment of the national Truth and Reconciliation Commission. I’ve always been fascinated by our history and by our personal and collective journeys into the future. I believe many Liberian writers will continue to explore these topics for a good number of years. In the meantime, it’s refreshing to see more general fiction being written by Liberians. We really do have a good mix out there already.

LLR: What are the greatest challenges for a modern Liberian writer – especially in terms of publishing, distributing and promotion?

I think the challenge for many begins with the mechanics of writing. Good, traditional publishers want well-written manuscripts and will work with authors to help them meet acceptable standards. Vanity publishers will publish anything submitted to them with a payment. Liberian writers who have challenges with English or with story structure might find themselves rejected by good publishers and turn to companies who will publish their work for a fee. Unfortunately, many of these books do not go through a thorough editing process. Fortunately, Liberian readers are hungry for books by and about us, so the quality of printed books is not always a consideration when deciding what to buy.

LLR: What is your view on E-books and self-publishing?

E-books are a great option to have when you need a book. They’re easy to download, and cost less than printed books. Self-publishing is often confused with vanity publishing. If you pay someone to publish your book, it is not self-publishing. In 2008 I established Cotton Tree Press to develop and publish the literary and nonfiction works of African writers. My own Redemption Road was the first book we published. We later published Wilton Sankawulo’s last novel, Birds Are Singing, and Mardia Stone’s memoir, Konkai: Living Between Two Worlds. Redemption Road won an Honorable Mention in the mainstream fiction category of the 17th annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards. This means I was in the top 6 out of over 350 entries from around the world. Self-publishing is not the right choice for everyone, but it works for me because I’m an entrepreneur with a specific vision and I need to be in control.

LLR: What advice would you give aspiring writers?

Find opportunities to improve your craft. I learned a lot from books about writing, magazines and newsletters for writers, and online writers’ blogs. Another way to improve your craft is to constantly seek and read excellent writing.

LLR: What are you working on? What are some of your future projects?

I recently finished collaborating on Big Belly Business, a Liberian women’s guide to a healthy pregnancy (published by The What To Expect Foundation). I’m currently working on new titles for Cotton Tree Press. Future projects include starting a children’s book imprint, a magazine, and a dance studio. Life is too short!