In her insatiable quest to amplify the voices of women through literary storytelling, sensational writer Raki Jallow is set to launch her double books: “Because I am A Woman” and “A Bright Light Switched Off,” both of which chronicle themes of the suffering of women.
Born in 1989 and grew up with parents who were both educationists, Raki’s early interactions with books at a very tender age stimulated her career in writing.
“What stimulated my appetite to write is my early interaction with books. I grew up with parents who were both Teachers, and I started reading storybooks when I was still a child… that’s how I grew up scribbling short stories, which, I thought, were not lengthy enough to be in a book. I eventually wrote my first novel (SALLYMATA)when I finished high school in 2007, which was published in 2020 and launched in 2021.”
With a book (Sallymata) already in her name, she is set to launch another two books on the same day, December 16. “A Bright Light Switched Off” is a play on the harmful effects of early marriages. “Because I am A Woman” is a Nobel that chronicles what women go through in their marriages and society.
Speaking to The Alkamba Times, she was motivated to pen these books because women hardly talk about what affects them publicly. Thus, she is using literature to speak for women.
“What motivated me to write these books is that there are certain issues women hardly talk about because of the fear of being stigmatized. I have to believe that writing those stories down makes their voices heard, and their problems may have possible solutions,” she said.
Raki, hopeful of a successful book launch on December 16, said she expects a good turnout for her launch.
“We expect a big turnout on the launch day … we also expect the attendance of many notable people, especially women, to grace the occasion… I have a big aim of helping girls in school to have easy access to sanitary pads when the books get sold out InShaaAllah,” she pointed out.
