“An economy that is spiraling downwards traps everyone within it, so that they are slowly driven by the impulse to survive rather than to make a difference, give back, or do something that will better society as a whole, although they never become cynical nor lose their desire to do more for society, their families and themselves,” says Dr Valerie Tagwira as she narrates about her latest book, ‘Trapped’.
Zimbo Jam’s, Sarah Nyengerai, had a chat with Dr Tagwira after reading the book (which is her second novel) and below are some interesting insights on what it means to continuously feel stuck in testing and dispiriting personal and economic situations.
SN: As a specialist obstetrician-gynaecologist and writer by profession, you exhibit multiple talents that are seemingly polarized. What impelled you to publish/get into writing?
VT: I’ve always been drawn to books and I remain an eternal bookworm. Writing is something that I enjoyed from my early school years. Creating a story allows one to explore an idea from different points of view.
I wouldn’t use the word ‘polarized’. Being a doctor and an author may appear antithetical, but far from it. A good doctor must learn about her patients and their lives, must practice compassion and understanding, essential qualities in any good writer. Moreover, as a doctor you meet people from all walks of life, so developing your own breadth of understanding, which is also necessary if you want to try and write well.
SN: What motivates you to tell stories that capture social and political movements of our time?
VT: Socio-political matters affect all aspects of our lives, and the lives of everyone around us, whether we acknowledge it or not. I see this every day as a doctor and writing gives me the opportunity to explore and process events, which are impacting our lives, from more than one perspective.
SN: Your second novel is titled Trapped. A very apt title – please share with us the reasons for your choice.
VT: My characters are facing hardship. Despite their best efforts to fulfill their moral obligations and their ambitions, their trajectory after graduation is all downhill and through no real fault of their own. An economy that is spiralling downwards traps everyone within it, so that they are slowly driven by the impulse to survive rather than to make a difference, give back, or do something that will better society as a whole, although they never become cynical nor lose their desire to do more for society, their families and themselves.
SN: What do you hope readers to learn or take from the novel?
VT: That family and friends can provide valuable support systems in times of difficulty. That hardships can compromise our values but with resilience we can survive and emerge on the other side with our integrity still intact.
SN: Reading Trapped left me feeling hopeless and exasperated. Mainly because there are a lot of similarities between the Trapped era and Zimbabwe today. Needless to say, I found the book, in particular, the experiences of the characters emotionally draining, as they reflect the recurring trapped-situations Zimbabweans continue to face. Take us through your experience (emotional) of writing the book.
VT: I am sorry that you found the book so bleak. Yes, the main characters do face recurring hardships, but there are many positives, which allowed me to enjoy writing the book, such as the value of friendships and family support systems; tenacity in overcoming the odds through resilience, and the importance of keeping hope alive. There was humour too. Your question would seem to suggest that you might prefer writers to avoid reality, but as a doctor as well as a writer I prefer to explore the reality I know. Good writing is not evasive.
Moreover, when people are depressed or struggling, they often feel that the responsibility is theirs alone, and the difficulties they face are their fault. I hope Trapped will help us to appreciate that we are all in the same boat, facing the same challenges together.
SN: The experiences of the characters in Trapped are raw and mostly heartbreaking. Are the characters individuals you know personally?
VT: None of the characters are based on people that I personally know. As so many writers have said, and as I have found, once you create a character, they take on a life of their own. Nor would I say ‘heartbreaking’, even though two of the minor characters do not survive, in the end: Cashleen is working as a journalist, taking pride in creating her blog; Delta has committed herself to study for a Master of Arts degree, Unesu still has a job in a hospital, though he has decided not to work any longer in an illegal clinic, and the friendship between all three of them remains very strong regardless of some ups and downs.
Yes, I raise issues about corruption, health, personal choice and I explore a possible fall-out when rules or laws are broken because people either do not understand the reason for them, or had to break them to survive, or simply wanted to make money no matter the danger to others. But a novel is a wonderful way to have readers thinking and talking, engaging with the ideas and refining their own opinions based on the experiences of the characters.
SN: Your debut novel, The Uncertainty of Hope, published in 2006, won the 2008 National Arts Merit Award (NAMA) for literature. For those that read the book when it debuted, it served as a reminder of a period Zimbabweans would prefer to forget. Yet here we are, again, in so many ways reliving that era. Do you see a light at the end of the tunnel? And in your opinion what will it take to get to that light?
VT: You’re quite right. We are living in a period today which feels like history repeating itself. I have spent most of my adult life looking for that elusive light at the end of the tunnel and I still don’t see it. I think for us to get there, we need our leaders to have the will-power, commitment and determination to change things for the better and to stamp out corruption. We also need to pull together as a nation, not forgetting that the bedrock of values within any society is the home.
SN: During times of recession such as we are experiencing now. The Health sector takes a hard knocking. Trapped highlights the plight of a crucial sector and the myriad of ways the recession affects the well-being of trained medical professionals and the citizens they serve. How have you kept your spirits up and professional pride when dealing with such a demise?
VT: I must say, there’s a lot of trauma overall in my profession, especially when you lose patients whom you know could have lived if only basic healthcare resources were available. I have kept my spirits up through the mutual support that we give each other. Moreover, we share a sense of professional pride when things go well and lives are saved against the odds.
SN: Often times, specialists deal with misconceptions regarding their professions. What are some of the common myths surrounding obstetrician-gynecologists’?
VT: One myth is that all we do is deliver babies, but managing complicated pregnancies is only a fraction of our work. Another myth is that we are not specialists… I once had a patient who said, ‘No I don’t want to see a specialist, I just want a gynae’.
SN: Gynecology and writing books are undoubtedly both very demanding vocations. How do you balance both roles? Is there a special secret?
VT: I wouldn’t say there is a special secret. I take both occupations very seriously, but because I am not established enough to make a living from writing, it tends to play second fiddle to my medical work. I do fantasize about being a full-time writer one day and maybe if the economy recovers and people invest as much in books as they do in going to see the doctor, or buying medication, I will be.
SN: If you could tell your younger writing self-anything, what would it be?
VT: Some of my weaknesses are self-censorship and fear of tackling taboo subjects. If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to ‘’stop it!”
SN: What book(s) are on your night stand?
VT: I am currently not in my usual environment, so I only have a bunch of medical textbooks and Amanda Lovelace’s The Princess Saves Herself In This One.
SN: World over people are grappling with a Covid-19 pandemic which has caused tremendous strain on personal lives from work schedules to life plans. How has the lockdown experience been for you? What have you done to cope?
VN: The lockdown upended most of my 2020 career plans, as well as my personal life. My daughter didn’t have the graduation ceremony that I’d anticipated, and even if an actual ceremony had been held, flight restrictions would have still deprived me of my planned, precious 5 minutes of ululating while jumping up and down on the stage!
But seriously, it’s been very tough. Coping has been through staying positive and adopting an attitude of making the best out of difficult situations. We have to support each other through this, remembering that whatever we choose to do or not concerning pandemic management guidance, will affect our lives and those of other people.
SN: In closing please share with us 3 things that would surprise readers about Valerie Tagwira.
VT:
1. I am a business woman. I run a service station.
2. I am instinctively shy
3. I enjoy fashion
Although the characters in Trapped are fictional, Tagwira is truly gifted when it comes to telling Zimbabwean stories, which capture the mood of social and political times that reflect the apprehensions, fears, concessions and optimisms of citizens.
Given that, Trapped ends with a heartwarming scene from the solidarity march of November 2017 (to celebrate the dawning of a ‘new era’) readers will undoubtedly feel perplexed that come 2020 Zimbabweans are still facing the same socio-economic challenges.
Nonetheless, despite the dire circumstances depicted, we would do well to remember this key takeaway from Tagwira;
“Family and friends can provide valuable support systems in times of difficulty and although hardships can compromise our values, with resilience we can survive and emerge on the other side with our integrity still intact”.
Copies of Trapped and The Uncertainty of Hope are available on Amazon and at weaverpress.
