Impressive Endeavors in Unfrequented Waters
By Juliet Mwangi
The recent outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a season of global anxiety and uncertainty that is too grievous to ignore for anyone including passionate writers like Kevin Gundi, a freelancer and recent graduate of the Write Your Passion Course offered by Writers Guild Kenya. When asked to share his secret coping mechanism during this devastating period, he replies optimistically, “I’m breathing in and out! Basically I’m just keeping hope alive.” It is simple but it is all any of us can do anyway.
With regards to his decision to enroll in the WYP class, Kevin confesses that a writers’ training course was just what he needed to hone his writing skills and harness some of his prospects. In many innumerable ways, the course addressed some of the issues he has encountered as a writer such as, how to develop and stick to a writing schedule and demystifying both the book publishing process, as well as the editing process including what editors look for in a piece.
“Much appreciation to the ever generous, ever brilliant, ever outstanding WGK team for providing an avenue to help raise my social capital and get the chance to commune with many intellectual writers who essentially shared their skills and experience. I have often looked for such a congregation.” he remarked.
One of the most impressive discoveries I made after engaging in conversation with him is that he is currently working on a book on Climate Change and its impacts in Kenya. He desires it to be an environmental resource book with a compilation of associated human stories. A dire and pressing issue that is barely given more than a memorable mention in most writing circles. A very impressive endeavor for a writer in this era we are in, plagued by technological advancement and politics.
With a lot of humility however, he reckons that for his legacy he simply strives to continue writing to the best of his abilities, pour his love and passion into the craft and apply the most creative techniques available to him to learn and utilize. “I’ll leave it to posterity to pass its own fair judgement, rather than dictate a legacy for them to ascribe to me.”
