WINDHOEK- A 38-year-old author, who recently released her first electronic book entitled “Her First Encounter” on Amazon, says she opted for that route to expose her novel to international audiences because Namibians do not really have a reading culture.
“It is unfortunate that most of my readers come from elsewhere in the word and not from Namibia. Most Namibians are afraid to use their bank cards to buy the book from Amazon. Maybe one day I will have a paperback. But for now, I am a novice writer and I will take it easy,” said Inge Marry.
The novel, which marks the beginning of her career as an author, tells the story of a young woman, who “struggles with life issues during her growing up”.
The book touches on a variety of life obstacles such as sibling rivalry, toxic friendships, and her relationships with the man in her life as well as the influence of family.
Inge Marry told Entertainment Now! that it all started in 2016 when the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture called for short stories in indigenous languages through newspaper adverts.
“It was actually some sort of competition. I wrote a couple of stories in Oshikwanyama and Rukwangali and submitted. It felt great putting pen on paper,” narrated Inge Marry. That is when she discovered the writer within her.
“In late 2017, over the holidays, I found myself writing ‘Her First Encounter’. To be honest, my love for writing was not inspired by anything. I actually just stumbled upon it. I did not know I can write stories until I started writing stories,” Inge Marry said.
Speaking about her writing challenges, Inge Marry said she struggled to find a professional editor. “I finished the book earlier but I took long to publish it because I could not find an editor. It was really a struggle,” she related, adding that knowing how poor the reading culture in Namibia is, she opted to publish an eBook so that anyone else can have access to it.
Apart from being an author, Inge Marry is an accountant and public auditor with 15 years of professional experience across the development, non-profit, and public service sectors.
She holds a Master’s Degree in Commerce as well as in leadership and change management.
She lives in Windhoek, where she has spent most of her adult life.
The book is selling for US$2.99 (approximately N$41.86).