How do you approach the writing of your books? How do you go about presenting the facts and interesting your readers?
Ms Uwineza said the most important element was being “authentic to the truth.” Half of her book is written from her experiences as 10-year-old, so the reader can try and understand how she saw the genocide whilst it was happening. She also appreciates that writing from the perspective of a child means that it can be better used in educational settings. Furthermore, Uwineza was determined to be clear that the genocide involved Rwandans killing Rwandans, and that everyone has both good and bad inside them. She has also tried to start talking about PTSD and depression and the importance of mental health.
Mr Domosławski discussed the multi-layered elements of his writing: “it has elements of news, which is journalism, but also essay, story and sometimes drama.” Most of his writing encompasses human stories, which means that “an entire world” needs to be created for the reader to understand the context and narrative. It is also important, however, to keep to the facts and allow people to understand how serious many of these cases are.
Finally, Ms Grupińska stated that, when writing about the Holocaust, she had one rule: “I was the ear and the hand.” She was determined to use the language of those she talked to, even though this often meant differing accounts of the same events. On the other hand, she is still trying to work out the best way to write about the Tibetans, particularly as she comes from a totally different part of the world.
The audience’s questions touched upon topics such as writing in native languages; the idea of forgiveness; and journalists reporting on the genocide in Rwanda.