Rémy Ngamije
Rémy Ngamije (born 1987) is a Rwandan-born Namibian author, editor, publisher, photographer, and literary [educator]]. He is the founder and chairperson of Doek, an independent arts organization supporting literature in Namibia, and the editor-in-chief of Doek! Literary Magazine, Namibia's first literary magazine. His debut novel, The Eternal Audience of One (2021), received a Special Mention at the inaugural Grand Prix Panafricain de Littérature and won the inaugural African Literary Award from the Museum of the African Diaspora. His short-story collection, Only Stars Know the Meaning of Space (2024), further established him as one of Africa's leading contemporary literary voices.
Quotes
[edit]- "Good writing cannot salvage a bad story: ‘there is no such thing as a good story that is told with bad writing; if the writing is weak, then the story is weak. No one, after all, appreciates one good ingredient in a bad meal—the same goes for a story."
- "Between the ages of seven and thirteen, I was into children’s literature. Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl—those kinds of writers. I think I enjoyed reading about young boys and girls who had adventurous lives, lives that I was not living in Windhoek, Namibia. Later on, in my teenage years, I was into magical fantasy. Anything with dragons, dwarves, elves, mages, wizards, sorcerers—Book One of Three, Volume 2 of X—serialized high fantasy was my jam. I think I was in my escapist years, when fictional worlds made up for the disappointing reality and monotony that was, again, my staple living in Windhoek. I also enjoyed many satirical books. In my later teenage years, I was reading Terry Pratchett a lot. Even to this day he is a writer I still gravitate towards. His insights, his humour—timeless."
- "I would go with any Discworld novel with Commander (formerly Captain) Samuel Vimes, one of the Discworld’s main characters. He is, I think, a man with too much on his plate. How he manages to make it through the tasks and challenges he faces in the wild and crazy city that is Ankh-Morpork is beyond me. I like his grit and gruff sense of humour."