Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine April 2018 | Page 124

Kalilah
shared with Mélange . . .
About what attracted her to
journalism
I began considering a career in journalism
when I was in high school, after realizing it was
the perfect combination of the two things I
enjoy the most - writing and following current
affairs, especially politics. At the time, I wanted
to be more of a creative writer, become the
great Belizean/Caribbean novelist. Some
parts of me still want that, but as my career
has become more demanding over the years,
I've unfortunately had less time to pursue my
creative passions. On the other hand, I still
really enjoy what I do though both the written
and spoken word. I never imagined I would
end up in broadcasting, but it's proven to be a
very fulfilling career.
About the books she has written
I’ve written and self-published two books.
“Unfettered”, published in 2005, is an
anthology of poems, while “Shades of Red”,
published 2006, is a collection of poems, short
stories and essays. Both are currently out of
print, but are available online for free at
issuu.com/kalilahe
About the radio show she co-hosts
Nationwide This Morning is one of the
flagship programmes of Jamaica’s #1 news
and current affairs radio station, Nationwide
News Network. My co-host, Dennis Brooks,
and I mix fun and banter with hard core serious
matters through reasoned commentary
and interviews with the country’s top news
makers every weekday morning. Our popular
features also include “Passport to Paradise”,
which takes listeners to a vacation destination
in Jamaica each month, and the weekly
“FitNation”, which challenges listeners to live
healthy lifestyles. Nationwide This Morning
airs weekdays from 6 to 8:30 am, and can
also be accessed online live and on demand
via nationwidenewsnetwork.com or the
Nationwide Radio app available on Google
Play and the App Store.
About a favourite poem she’s written
There are a few of them actually. One of
my favourite poems is called "Roots", which
was written about 15 years ago when I was
transitioning to wearing my natural hair.
Natural African hair wasn't as accepted and
fashionable as it now, and I would constantly