By ALEM HAILU
(Part II)
Last Sunday the first part of this interview about the internationally-published-renowned-author-poet Brenda Mohammed’s fight against cancer and her meteoric rise in the firmament of literature was presented. Excerpts
Your poems appear in reputed journals. What inspires you to write poems that some think is a restricted domain to the select few? You have a circle of poets. Would you relate to us about that?
I do not think that writing poems are restricted to a select few. In fact, I believe there are more poets than writers of fiction and non-fiction. I am a member of numerous poetry groups on Facebook, and I am being invited to join more new ones, which are being formed every day.
Of the 42 books I have published to date, ten are poetry books. I expect to publish my eleventh one for my birthday on 1st December.
How and why did you establish a literary network on How to Write for Success?
I started the How to Write for Success Literary Forum in February 2018, with a mission to spread Literary Talent Worldwide. At that time, I had the help of four Administrators.
In 2019, we were concerned with the number of suicides in the world, and decided to publish an anthology with poems to prevent suicide. Since it was our first attempt at an anthology we kept it low-keyed.
We opened a sub-forum to collect the poems and named it – Poems for Prevention of Suicide Literary Forum.
Poets from around the world participated in A Spark of Hope: A Treasury of Poems for Saving Lives, The Kindle versions of the book were given free of charge, and the book achieved Amazon No 1 bestselling ranking within a couple of days.
In 2020, we published Part II of A Spark of Hope, and that too earned Amazon No 1 bestseller ranking.
The Covid pandemic started early 2020, and caused chaos in the lives of citizens all over the world. There was a rise in Domestic Violence and the Administration felt there was need for an anthology against Domestic Violence.
Another sub-forum, – Literary Forum for Poems Against Domestic Violence was created for this purpose.
Volumes One and Two of Break the Silence: An Anthology of Poems Against Domestic Violence were published in 2020 and 2021.
Again, the Kindle versions of the book were given free, and both volumes achieved Amazon No 1 bestseller rank.
With the success of How to Write for Success Literary Network, and the popularity of my book How to Write for Success, many members published books. We saw the need to establish the third sub-forum, Library of How to Write for Success – Books only.
The fourth sub-forum, Grupo Hispaniomundial De Escritores – UHE Trinidad and Tobago was formed as a result of my appointment as National President of UHE Trinidad and Tobago, by the President and Founder of Grupo Hispaniomundial De Escritores, Carlos Hugo Garrido Chalen.
Today, we have sixteen efficient persons who help with different aspects of the Administration of the Literary Network which comprises of the main forum, four sub-forums, and members in excess of 13000.
In February 2021 we started a half yearly magazine and have published two issues in March and September 2021. The next issue will be on the fourth anniversary of the network.
We also have a website and YouTube channel.
Did covid-19 and the economic meltdown affect your penmanship? (Some say on the other end covid-19 promoted readership)
Covid19 brought about many changes. It stopped me from travelling, but I spent the time writing. I believe it also promoted readership because book sales have increased.
Do you have a plan to be a publisher and help emerging authors?
Becoming a publisher would entail hiring a big staff. I do not have future plans to do so. However, I believe that if I have succeeded in mastering self-publishing, every writer can do it. My reasons for publishing’ How to Write for Success Volumes One and Two’ are to help emerging authors master the art of self-publishing, and save the expense of hiring a publisher.
Do you have a plan to write a fiction about Trinidad so that others enjoy the story of your motherland?
Some of my fiction books are set in the beautiful island of Trinidad. They are The Gift of Love, The Axe Murderer, What Happened to Mary Loo, Barry Holmes Mysteries, and Heart-Warming Tales. I may write another one soon.
You are an advocate against domestic violence and suicide. What works did you (and friends) do to such effect?
Together with several bestselling authors from my literary forums, we have published four Amazon No 1 best-selling anthologies for these causes: A Spark of Hope I and II: A Treasury of Poems for Saving Lives, and Break the Silence I and II: An Anthology Against Domestic Violence. We have had many heart-warming reports that these books have helped to save lives.
The Ethiopian Herald November 10/2021
