Diana Mosoba's book that publishers wouldn't touch but readers love

Diana Mosoba is in the growing list of young self-published writers who are giving book lovers good value for their money and making the visit to the bookstore a pleasurable experience.

When Mosoba’s book Till Death Do Us Part came out, she hit the ground running, marketing her book on social media. She even went to Zambia, by bus, to promote it. It helps that she has a sizeable following on Facebook, which she exploited to push the message out there.

As the noise about Mosoba’s book got louder, I made a mental note of squeezing it into my long waiting list of to-read books.

Mosoba has not only woven a highly readable story, but has also managed to infuse lessons on domestic and gender-based violence into a love story without being too preachy.

Now, Till Death Do Us Part is the sad tale of Tara, a single mother working in Nairobi. She meets and falls for a dashing young man, who works as a mechanic and moonlights as a club deejay.

Unknown to Tara, Joe, the object of her fancy, has a dark past and even darker character. One thing leads to another, and she finds herself expecting Joe’s child.

In the intervening period, she had noticed some disturbing qualities in Joe’s character. He was a man given to explosive anger. Psychologists will tell you that a person who does not know how to control their anger is a red flag in any relationship.

Maisha Yetu sat down with Mosoba for an interview. Below are excerpts of the interview.

What is the most interesting feedback you have received on your book?

A reader reached out to me and said that she could relate to a lot of chapters from the book. She is a domestic violence survivor. She left the marriage after twenty years, with grown children. She is in her 50s.

Your book brings GBV into sharp focus. What motivated you to address this very sensitive topic?

I stayed in Kangemi with my elder brother immediately after high school. We had a neighbour. She was my age with two kids. She was married to this guy who used to beat her harder than the Legio Maria drums. It took a while for me and her sisters to persuade her to leave the guy; she eventually did. If she had stayed, I know she would be dead by now.

You must have put in quite some research on the topic of GBV. In your view, where is society going wrong, given that we are seeing a rise in such cases?

I did quite extensive research on GBV. First of all, there is victimization. People usually ask, “What did the victim do to anger the assailant?” That should never be a question.

Once the victim leaves, there is no proper guidance, no therapy to help the victim cope with their new life. This is why most times, they end up back with their oppressors, and it doesn’t end well.

Why didn’t Tara, the main character in your book, walk out of the relationship yet her boyfriend kept on brutalising her?

First, trauma bonding. You get bonded to that which hurts you the most. Second, Joe took everything that she stood for away from her, family, work, social life. She was dependant on him. She had no life of her own, he got into her mind and she believed that she was nothing without him. That is what happens to GBV victims. The person totally owns them, they are unable to think for themselves, decide for themselves or even charter a plan for themselves. They are almost helpless.

What should young women, who form the bulk of GBV victims, be on the lookout for, before or when getting into romantic relationships?

The red flags are always there. Look for those. Don’t ever think you can change someone. A violent person is just that, violent. A cheater is just that, a cheater. A liar is just that, a liar. Usually, people see the character flaw, but they think that this person can change and be better, which really never happens.

Cases of GBV are on the increase. Are our laws, as presently constituted, enough deterrence?

Our laws are the biggest letdown as far as GBV is concerned. In most cases, they don’t make it beyond the police desk. When someone goes to the police to make a report, they are usually told to go and solve it at home. How can you solve something with someone who reacts with fists?

If the victim goes back to their parents, most of the time the parents encourage her to go back and be good to her husband, and especially stop provoking him. This, in most cases, comes from Christian parents or those from very poor backgrounds.

Most GBV cases have women as victims; do men suffer the same violence?

Men suffer a lot. It is just that they don’t talk about it. I don’t know if it is out of fear or shame.

Why did you opt to self-publish?

My book is an all-around book. It has the full cycle of life, sex included. A lot of traditional publishing houses shy away from publishing ‘erotica’.

Also, self-publishing ensured that I maintained the goal of my book.

Aren’t you being a bit too harsh on publishers here? Did you get negative feedback from them?

Without mentioning names, one publisher took more than a year to respond, and the other told me to get rid of the erotica.

From your experience, what has been the most challenging aspect of self-publishing?

The cost. It is expensive to self-publish.

Any regrets from self-publishing so far?

No regrets, I will do it all over again. Though I am considering giving one of my manuscripts to Mvua Press.

Self-published authors have been accused of being individualistic. Do you think this accusation is merited?

No, it doesn’t. We have simply burst the bubble that what was thought to be impossible.

You travelled to Zambia to promote your book. How did this come about?

When I officially put the book on the market, a friend of mine who lives in Lusaka invited me to their book club. When I made the post that I was going to Lusaka, the people from Pen Zambia reached out to me. They granted me an interview. Apparently, one of them is my follower on social media.

You were quite close to your late father. To what extent did he influence your writing?

My dad was passionate about community work. Every time I wrote something and I was in doubt, I would send it to him. Sometimes, he would tell me, ‘This is trash, how about you go at it like this or that?’ He was my biggest cheerleader.

When are we reading another book from you?

I have three manuscripts ready, it should be soon. Just polishing them before we start the publishing process.

Finally, do Kenyans read?

Kenyans read. Kenyans are now reading more, especially Kenyan-authored books.

Ngunjiri is the curator of Maisha Yetu, a digital Arts and Books media platform