In this edition, Lise Nova Berwadushime (Rwanda) talked with Chantelle Chiwetalu, the Wakini Kuria Prize for Children’s Literature 2023 winner.
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Lise: It’s a pleasure to have you, Chantelle. How would you introduce yourself to people who do not know you?
Chantelle: It’s great to meet you! I’m Chantelle, pronounced shon-TEL. I’m a dynamite girl. If you stick around long enough, you’ll find out why. Okay, that’s a joke. It’s more…elevator-pitch-y. But I always mention that I’m a lawyer. It opens doors.
Lise: Wow! Dynamite Lawyer indeed! How would you describe yourself in 5 words?
Chantelle: Brilliant. Creative. Witty. Bold. Resourceful.
Lise: Perfect! How long have you been writing Children’s Literature?
Chantelle: About two years. Ghostwriting, mostly.
Lise: So many people struggle with Children’s Literature, saying that it is hard to write. Would you say the same?
Chantelle: Not hard, just restrictive. That delicious moment at the end of regular stories that puts the whole plot in perspective. You can hardly employ that in children’s literature. Children’s stories are, more often than not, a little on-the-nose, and for someone who hates clichés, it was a bit of a problem, starting out. But children’s stories have an enduring beauty, and they’re pure-hearted and devoid of the world’s complexities. That itself is a gift.
Lise: Tell me about the prize you won (Wakini Kuria Prize for Children’s Literature) was it your first prize?
Chantelle: No. I’ve won a number of prizes. If we’re restricting it to writing though, this is my second prize. I came second in the first World Intellectual Property Organization (Nigeria) essay contest. I was also a reader-in-residence for one issue of Smokelong Quarterly, which is a dream magazine that other dream magazines aspire to. And my work was nominated for the Best of the Net Anthology in 2022.
Lise: Allow me to congratulate you once again.
Chantelle: Thank you!!
Lise: What motivated you to go for the Wakini Kuria Prize for Children’s literature?
Chantelle: The desire to win, simply. It’s a genre I’m well acquainted with, and I was moved by the late Wakini Kuria’s biography.
Lise: And you won! That’s awesome. What prompted your love for CL (children’s literature?)
Chantelle: I like children’s literature because it’s simple and pure. All you need is creativity and a heart. Yes, a heart. You don’t have to weave complex stories. Your characters and plot just have to be compelling enough to leave a mark, to resonate. Your audience is not a tough one. Children are not jaded. They open books or listen to stories with the intent to be entertained, no more, no less. I also like the fact that children’s literature transports me to my childhood, when things were much simpler.
Lise: I agree with you. Now, children’s literature really transports most adults to their childhood. Judging by what I see either in my country or other African countries, especially in East Africa, we have few people who write CL. What do you think is the reason why we have few CL writers?
Chantelle: I feel that people think that it’s not a ‘serious’ genre. Not everyone can write children’s literature because of what many may perceive to be its confines. Reducing your thoughts into elementary language can be quite challenging. Then there are words that you cannot use, and personal values that you cannot apply. The first children’s story I wrote made me laugh because I knew that it did not really reflect reality. But that’s the idea, isn’t it? To transcend reality?
Lise: Definitely
Chantelle: Again, the idea of a story having a moral lesson or being motivational may also be a discouraging factor. That’s what I think. Also, there aren’t many prizes for children’s literature. In addition, I don’t imagine that the children’s literature market is very profitable- especially if you do not have the resources to have them added to a school’s curriculum or something. Again, these are just my thoughts.
Lise: I see. Anyway, I loved Tato, the story that won a prize. Now, imagine you are Tato in a room full of children. What would you tell them/like them to know?
Chantelle: Thank you so much! I would tell them that they can do anything. They have their whole lives ahead of them, and the only thing that can stop them is themselves.
Lise: Do you perhaps have children of your own?
Chantelle: No, I do not have children.
Lise: Do you think there are enough safe children’s stories out there for children to read?
Chantelle: Yeah, there are a lot of safe children’s stories out there. But then I’ve also seen children’s stories that enraged me. Children are children, and exposing them to content far beyond their years is beyond reprehensible.
Lise: Sure! Chantelle, what do you like to do in your free time?
Chantelle: Explore new places and sleep.
Lise: Exploring new places while sleeping hahaha!!
Chantelle: Hahaha!!
Lise: Is there anything you would like everyone who will see our conversation to know?
Chantelle: Yes. Tato’s only a potato, but he’s got the right idea. Don’t let people’s opinions define you. Don’t be held back by limitations, perceived or real. It’s impossible until someone does it. Within the confines of good values and legality, try everything.
Lise: Noble advice this one!
Chantelle: Also, when you can, catch me on Medium. Just type my name in. It’s chaotic, but you’ll love it!
Lise: Alright. Thank you so much, Chantelle
Chantelle: Thank you for this interview!
Read – Marial Matueny Awendit – Winner of the 2023 African Writers Award for Poetry
