KWEE Liberian Literary Magazine Jan. Iss. Vol. 0115 Feb Vol. 0215 | Page 33

Liberian Literary Magazine What book[s] are you reading now? Or recently read? Promoting Liberian literature, Arts and Culture book, although I hav e not started w riting yet – I am in the research phase, so it is too early to rev eal it. I can say that it is not related to a country. I am also w orking on my blog, Feast or Famine, w hich I try to update ev ery day w ith new s, articles, and photography. Have you read book[s] by [a] Liberian author[s] or about Liberia? I am currently reading Max Tegmark’s ‘Our Mathematical Universe: My Quest for the Ultimate Nature of Reality’ because I lov e books on mathematics and science. I am also currently reading Charles Timoney’s ‘An Englishman Abroad: Discovering France in a Row ing Boat’ because I lov e travel stories and adv entures. I hav e read quite a few w orks of Liberian poetry and songs, such as Bai T. Moore’s poetry anthology called Ebony Dust, and contemporary poets, as w ell as Bai T. Moore’s nov ella Murder in the Cassav a Patch. Any last words? May 2016 be a special year for ev eryone, transforming dreams into reality. Tell us your latest news, promotions, book tours, launch etc. I hav e recently released my new publication, The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament, w hich I am promoting and publicizing. What are projects? your current The beginning of the year is a time for me to plan my future consultancies in aid dev elopment around the w orld. I hav e also conceptualized a new Liberia's Deadest Ends is a novel based on fact. It is about trust and truth: what or whom to trust, and when. Truth in 19 Liberia during the civil war had become distorted, embellished, abandoned, and abused out of bravado, fear, shame, or self-protection. No one seemed to know the difference between truth and rumor anymore. The novel is set in Liberia from 2004 to 2012, after the declaration of peace and the end of two protracted and bloody civil wars: December 1989-1997 and 1999-2003. The country is recovering economically and mentally through government stabilization and services; recording Truth and Reconciliation statements of human rights violations; and the criminal trial of former president, Charles Taylor. Jorja Himmermann, an international aid worker, monitors the resurgence of education programs, peace building, community development, child labor, and the protection of former child soldiers. As the country's past truths are revealed, Jorja seeks her own truths: of elusive pygm y hippos; the burns on her driver's body; the extradition of her British friend; and her relationship with an enigmatic Moroccan journalist. It reveals whom Jorja can really trust. Martina Nicolls writes from her own experiences as an independent aid worker in developing countries, primarily in post-conflict countries and those with transitional or emerging governments. She advises donor agencies, provides technical assistance, and evaluates humanitarian and development programs. She lives in Canberra, Australia. Publisher's Website: http://sbpra.com/MartinaNic olls Author Websites: http://www.martinanicolls.net and http://martinasblogs.blogspot. com