(Part I)
To uplift the mood of the bedridden whose life despair has eclipsed and to enthuse emerging authors they could climb to ivory tower even dragging their last leg from a morass with perseverance, there could be no better example than the footpath of internationally-published-renowned-author-poet Brenda Mohammed.
This journalist has got the privilege of e-mail interviewing her: Excerpts
Could you brief us about your upbringing, your family, and neighbours with your village, country and school as a backdrop?
My father was a school principal. I was born when he was principal of the Union Village Presbyterian school in Trinidad, my home country. I had six sisters and three brothers. Because of my father’s status, we were well known and respected by all in the village. Neighbours and friends regularly visited our home to seek his help in getting their children accepted at the school.
The principal’s home was in the same yard with the school and church, and we attended church and Sunday school regularly. My father held positions of responsibility in the church too. My oldest sister was the church’s organist, and at times she sang in the choir.
When I was seven years old, my father was transferred to another village in South Trinidad, and the setting of home, school, and church was the same. The people were just as nice.
My father was granted a Government scholarship to further his studies in the United Kingdom, and my mother took charge of the home, and cared for us singlehandedly until his return.
I won a scholarship to attend a prestigious high school in San Fernando, but after one year my father was promoted to Senior Inspector of Schools and transferred to East Trinidad. I and one of my sisters were therefore sent to St. Augustine Girls’ High School, another prestigious school in the east, from where we both graduated.
How was your educational pursuit? Does the profession you qualified in cross fertilize with authorship of both books–fiction and nonfiction?
My life in early years was based around my father’s career and moving from place to place. He was again transferred to the south, and he built a brand new home for us in Marabella in South Trinidad. After graduation, I did not want to return to school to do higher studies. Although I was just sixteen years old, I wanted to work at a bank and I got the job.
I also pursued studies in banking on a part-time basis and was successful. I received promotion after promotion, and achieved managerial status. As a Commercial Credit Manager, I was required to visit large businesses, assess their worth, write proposals for finance, and send them to our Head Office for approval. Most of the time I received clean sanctions, meaning that they were approved with no questions asked.
That built up my confidence in writing. To answer your question, my profession cross fertilized with authorship of both fiction and nonfiction books. In fact, I wrote a story, ‘Dead Business,’ and part of the setting was in the morgue of a funeral home that I visited to assess finance for a crematorium.
You were combating cancer? How was it like the life you spent? You have a book about how you overcame the dark spot in your life to flicker a ray of optimism. Will you allow as a chink into the book by way of a synopsis?
I consider my near death experience with cancer to be a blessing in disguise.’ I Am Cancer Free,’ was the first book I published. It became a bestseller and motivated me to keep on writing. It was an award winner in the category Health and Fitness in Readers Favorite International Awards 2018, and winner of Mc Grath House Indie Book Awards 2016 in the category Best Non-Fiction. It received a five-star review from Readers Favorite, and I will share the review instead of a synopsis.
Completed on:02/16/2017
Review Rating:5 stars!
Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers’ Favorite
“I Am Cancer Free by Mrs. Brenda C. Mohammed is the poignant memoir of the author’s personal battle with cancer.
Her faith in God and proving that ovarian cancer need not be a death sentence are what make this memoir a heartrending read. The author’s ‘never say die’ attitude, the decision not to give up in life, and finally being cancer-free will encourage everyone who has been diagnosed with the disease or who has suffered from cancer.
The memoir recounts from the time of diagnosis the experiences the author went through during the treatment, her emotions, fears, finances, until the successful treatment of the disease. It is a courageous story of survival, faith, and strength.
The author chronicles every step of her journey methodically, without leaving anything out, making the narration very personal, honest, and palpable to readers. The presence of God in everyone’s life, a positive attitude, and the power of prayers run through the memoir.
The author reiterates the fact that faith in God removes all obstacles in life. The conversational style of writing connects well with readers, making it easy for them to understand her journey.
The author has also shared the poems she wrote during that phase in her life, where she again speaks about her story, faith in the Lord, and a Higher Power.
For all those who are suffering from cancer and are battling the disease, this book is a must-read as it will give them hope, strength, and courage to fight the disease.”
As a prolific and decorated author displaying a meteoric rise in the literary firmament, from where do you get the stamina to climb from one rung of ladder to another, and still keep the tempo, which proves to be the difficult thing?
I am humbled that you have seen my accomplishments in such a remarkable light. My secret is, that I pray to God for guidance for each step I take. I give all credit to God.
Stunningly, not only being prolific you are also versatile in genres. What can you say about that? Do you conduct thorough research before writing books? The language fine-tunes with the theme to render your book palatable. Could you say a word or two about that?
Your question made me examine the genres I have written – memoirs, science fiction, romance, self-help, mystery, children’s books, psychological thrillers, poetry, and poetry anthologies.
My memoirs and children’s books are based on my careers and travels.
My Life as a Banker begins with my childhood and continues with my career in banking.
After leaving banking, I worked in Insurance and qualified for the Million Dollar Round Table, the Premier Association for Financial Professionals, several times. I travelled abroad to several conferences, and my books, Retirement is Fun and Travel Memoirs are filled with those experiences.
With science fiction, mystery, romance, and thrillers, I used my imagination, and did some research too. Most of my poetry are motivational compositions. My self-help books are about writing, and I wrote this to help aspiring authors.
You have bagged numerous awards. Tell us about the bright spots in your life concerning your authorship. What is the upside of giving an award? What must be the method of nomination (some complain about race/color… discrimination)?
I have won several literary awards in the USA, Peru, Kazakhstan, Seychelles, Nigeria, India, Romania, Argentina, Morocco, Philippines, Hong Kong, Barcelona, Indonesia, and the UK.
I made headlines in several newspapers around the world.
Many of my books were bestsellers when newly released and many received five-star reviews from Readers Favorite International.
In November 2018, I won two awards on the same night, from Readers Favorite International for my science fiction book, ‘Zeeka Chronicles,’ in the category Young Adult Thriller, and my Memoir, ‘I am Cancer Free,’ in the category Health and Fitness. I received those awards in a magnificent ceremony at the Regency Hotel in Miami.
Three of my books won gold awards in Connection EMagazine Readers’ Choice Awards – Zeeka Chronicles, in the category science fiction, [2018] Stories People love [2019], in the category romance, and How to Write for Success, in the category non-fiction. [2019].
In Sept 2021, my mystery book, Barry Holmes Mysteries, won me Best Writer – Fantasy Award in the CLR [ Culture, Literature and Research] Awards.
My science fiction book, ‘Zeeka and the Zombies’, has been approved by Cinebooks.com to be made into a cinematic book, and it is presently in production.
To answer your question, awards motivate a writer to improve and that is the upside. I do not think that race or colour should be factors when nominating someone for an award.
I give awards in my Literary forum to poets who are deserving and are considered five-star poets. Awards should be based on a writer’s work and nothing else.
Given your talent and the impacts your books about cancer and How to Write for Success, among others created, many wonder when is it you bag a Nobel prize in literature. What is your take on this?
Alem, to win a Nobel Prize, someone who has already been nominated for one, must nominate a writer. I do not know any of the nominees or winners personally. It seems way out of my reach, but with God nothing is impossible.
Have the five-star reviews you received motivated you for further thrust into literature?
Yes. They certainly have.
BY ALEM HAILU
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD NOVEMBER 7/2021
