Interview with Author Shakirah Bourne

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I read Josephine Against the Sea in the month of June and knew immediately while reading that I needed to get Shakirah Bourne on here for an interview. This Bajan author is making her mark both in and outside of the Caribbean. If she's not already on your watch list, she needs to be!

What was the inspiration behind Josephine Against the Sea?

I grew up hearing stories about Anansi the spider, Bajan folklore characters like the Heartman and Ossie Moore, but apart from a few Anansi tales, I rarely read books with Caribbean folklore. Instead, I consumed Greek mythology–I am a Medusa stan–and was drawn to mythology around life underwater.

When I decided to write a book for the CODE Burt Award for Caribbean Literature competition, the first idea that came to mind was a story I read in English class about a fisherman who became obsessed with a mermaid. It stuck with me all these years because it’s the first time I’d read about a Caribbean mermaid.

In the story, though the villagers warned the fisherman to stay away, he’d visit her daily to watch her comb her hair by the river; he stopped caring for his family and himself, and one day, villagers found his clothing on the riverbank, and neither he nor the mermaid were ever seen again.

I always wondered what could have happened to them. Who was that mermaid? Did his family try to find him? I’ve been haunted by those questions since then and Josephine Against the Sea became my answer to those questions. It was my chance to write a fantastical book set in Barbados, exploring our traditions and stories, a book I wish I read as a kid.

What was your publishing journey like and how did the story change from when you originally published with Blue Banyan Books?

My publishing journey was very circuitous, mainly because I didn’t intend to write for kids as a career, and I certainly didn’t expect that four months later, I would have signed with my US agent, and also be selected as a finalist for Burt competition at the same time. I was not prepared, and “learned on the job.”

Blue Banyan Books acquired the rights to publish the manuscript in the Caribbean, and I was able to revise that initial 28,000 word draft with both my agent and Caribbean editor. Thankfully, they had a similar vision and it was a smooth process. On completion the book was 45,000 words, and was published as My Fishy Stepmom in the Caribbean region. I then went on submission to US editors and we got a Revise and Resubmit request from my editor at Scholastic.

In the My Fishy Stepmom version of the story, Josephine knows her Dad’s new girlfriend isn’t human, and spends the majority of the novel trying to figure out the identity.

In Josephine Against the Sea, Josephine has figured out her identity by the middle of the book, and spends the second half trying to figure out how to stop her. The characters and events are mainly the same, however, the book was rewritten to look at the scenes through a different perspective and motivation. There is more plot development in the US edition, and the final version is 61,000 words.

Thanks to some advance reviewers who read both editions, I realized that there are some elements of the Caribbean setting that aren’t included in the US edition, and because of the further story development, the US edition would be like having bonus scenes if you only read the Caribbean one. I encourage people to read both of them if they can!

One thing I loved about this book was how authentic to Caribbean culture it was with the creole on page without translation or explanation. Do you ever worry about losing some of the authentic Caribbean aspects in your stories when working with the US publishers?

No I didn’t. It’s a Barbadian story, set in Barbados, starring Barbadian characters and we have many internationally successful Caribbean writers who write in dialect. Over the years, I’ve written adult short fiction using Barbadian dialect in both the dialogue and narration, and I spent a long time being worried that foreign editors would think I didn’t know basic grammar, and may not recognize the spelling and sentence structure was deliberate to capture the rhythm of the language. I actually blogged about an encounter with Scottish author, Irvine Welsh, at BocasLitFest in Trinidad, and how it inadvertently boosted my confidence to use dialect in my stories. https://www.shakirahbourne.com/post/on-dialect-how-caribbean-people-supposed-tuh-talk-in-a-story-eh

I try to use contextual cues to help non-Caribbean people decipher meaning if necessary, and if I need to clarify something, I try to make sure the information is aligned with character development or written in an interesting way to educate and not over-explain.

My US editor was wonderful in highlighting any areas that may need more clarification for US audiences, but changing the dialect was never an issue.

Do you have different writing processes depending on what age category or genre you’re writing in?

The brainstorming/drafting process is similar for all of them, whether I start with a character, or a theme or a situation. I do need to outline and flesh out the idea to see if it would make a viable story. The writing process would only then vary according to the structure, e.g. if I’m writing fiction (Scrivener), a play (Celtx) or a film (Final Draft).

You're also a filmmaker. How does your writing process differ when it comes to film?

Writing for film actually made it possible for me to write books. I was a pantster when writing short stories, and I could not fathom writing so many words to complete a book, but when I transitioned to film, I had to learn the story structure theory to develop feature films.

I was able to apply the same Syd Field Three-Act Structure, or Save the Cat story structure to writing books. I like to know the beginning, turning point one & two, midpoint and ending of a story before I start writing, though this outline is just a guide. I still leave room for characters to surprise me and I am flexible enough to include new scenes or other plot elements that appear during the writing process.

With film, you have to visualize the story in images, and learn to move the narrative along without relying on dialogue. I use this same method when writing kidlit–using the dialogue to show character or add subtext.

Of course, with fiction there is more flexibility as you don’t have to worry about budget and run time, and you can get to describe inner thoughts.

 If you were on Master Chef what would your signature dish be?

I make a mean lemon cake, but that doesn’t seem fancy enough for Master Chef, unless we call it “Artisan lemon gateaux, drizzled with a tart citrus-vanilla bean syrup.” :D

If you could attend a writer’s retreat anywhere in the world, where would it be held?

Either in a castle in the Scottish Highlands, or a cabin in Iceland.

Are there any upcoming projects you’d like to talk about?

Right now I’m working on an MG Horror called Duppy Island, where a young filmmaker follows her family to a silent retreat, only to find the island haunted by faceless children. It’s also inspired by Caribbean folklore, in particular, a creature called a douen, which is a child that dies before they’re baptized.

I also co-edited a non-fiction YA anthology called Allies: Real Talk about Showing up, Screwing and Trying Again where 17 YA authors share their experiences about being and wanting an ally. I wrote a personal essay about my experiences with casual racism during my travels. That’s coming out with DK Books in July (UK) and September in the US.

You can follow Shakirah Bourne on Twitter and Instagram at @shakirahwrites