Just imagine if we could read the thoughts and learn the real experiences of our ancestors. We would understand how events in history unfolded and how they felt to ordinary people as well as get the inside story of those who have made history.
Writing a memoir gives you a voice. It is your chance to pass on your wisdom, opinions, and traditions to a modern audience. In many cultures, and especially those from Africa, if these traditions are not recorded by ordinary people, they will be lost forever.
Everybody has a book in them, as the old saying goes. Writing your memoir is a great way to free up your creativity and to reevaluate your past. It can be a painful experience if you have had tough times in your life, but it can be a healing process too.
If you approach the writing process with total honesty, you may relive a complicated past but will be able to understand more clearly your part in the bigger picture. It helps future generations understand how they got to where they are now.
For the reader, a memoir is important. It provides an authentic voice from their history and develops a greater understanding of events they may have only heard about. The problem is that oral stories are soon forgotten whereas a written record lasts forever.
If you write a memoir, you record your history
Some parts of history are unrecorded. After all, some say the word history is derived from the words HIS story and is usually recorded by society's winners. But what about the people who actually live through an experience?
What about the women who have rarely got a voice in events? What about the men who acted as foot soldiers rather than the generals, literally and figuratively? What about the families who were forced out of their homes to resettlement camps, losing everything overnight?
All these stories deserve to be heard and will provide an authentic voice from the past. They give readers a way of understanding their history and culture and reconnecting with their traditions.
The importance of recording the history of disenfranchised people
Black Americans have a long account based on an often complex society and culture that started way before their ancestors were sold into slavery. But because theirs was an oral tradition, most Afro-Americans do not understand their roots, tribal history, or even where they came from.
This creates a disconnect that has wiped out the memories of an entire nation of people, leaving a void for anything that took place before the rise of slavery in the mid-17th century. Thousands of years of history have been lost.
We cannot let this happen again, yet if nobody leaves a written record now of events that have occurred within living memory, they will soon be forgotten and lost to future generations.
Today with greater literacy levels across Africa, I encourage every tribe to check that their cultures, migration, and history are documented, and if not, what are you waiting for?
How will children who grow up in various refugee camps connect to your cultures if nothing is written? How will they track their ancestral home or land of origin if you do not guide them?
The tragedy of South Sudan
In South Sudan, history is being lost at an alarming rate. I wish we could have recorded memoirs of people like Gen William Nyuon, Gen Peter Chiro, Gen Ageer Gum, Martin Mawien, AKA Agangrial, and many more. These brave souls have passed away now; their histories are lost with them.
For veterans still alive, the Africa World Books Office asks you to put pen to paper with immediate effect and write your memoir of the past.
All authors are part of current and future history; 30 years of bush experience needs no research, and many veterans have a wealth of tradition and knowledge about the past that needs to be recorded.
Writing your memoir helps you build South Sudan's history
You may feel that you are not a writer, so you would never be able to write a book. This is not so. Remember that everyone has a book in them, and Africa World Books can publish anything, even if you only manage to write five pages.
The mission of Africa World Books is not to create the latest bestseller. It is to fight illiteracy and record the oral culture amongst our people.
When "Dinka history" was sent to a publisher elsewhere, the author was asked to pay $8000 US dollars upfront. Today we have made publishing available to all authors with Africa World Books. No upfront payment is required because we know this is essential work that needs to be heard.
All authors are given equal opportunities regardless of status, race, or religion; we aim to set down an authentic record of events in our troubled continent. We love our nation, and our people should be proud and appreciate the efforts exerted.
What if people criticize your memoir?
If you are worried about writing your memoir and suffering criticism for your efforts, try not to worry.
Some people may criticize – it is always easier to blame other people's efforts than to do them yourself. However, a more likely result is that your friends and family will be highly impressed and interested in what you say.
Remember that your words will add to our nation's historical record, so it is vital to bear this in mind if you need more confidence in your writing abilities. If you imagine you are talking to someone and using your everyday language to tell your story, you can do this as well as anyone else. You can do this!
We now send our congratulations to all authors and readers across South Sudan and beyond. This fantastic achievement deserves recognition and will help our nation build a valuable resource of contemporary history.
By the Africa World Books team
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