Mallex Shipanga
Seventeen-year-old Julia Shaama from Ongha village in the Ohangwena region is seeking assistance to publish her debut novel, Behind Me.
Shaama, a learner at Dr Abraham Iyambo Secondary School, has completed her manuscript but faces challenges in getting it published.
“The book is complete, but I still have not published the book. I do not know where to publish the book. I have got no sponsors,” she said.
She expressed her pride in completing the novel and her eagerness to see it published.
“With happiness and a smile on my face, I will be proud to see that I am one of the teens who wrote novels,” she said.
Shaama shared the premise of her novel, which revolves around themes of trust and betrayal.
“The book is all about two twins that were born by their mom. The mom killed the boy and the boy came back for revenge. Later, he ended up killing more people,” she said.
Shaama revealed that her love for storytelling stems from her vivid imagination.
“I used to have many thoughts and creativity kept growing in me, so I created the book,” she said.
Beyond being an avid reader and writer, Shaama aspires to become an astronaut.
“I want to be an astronaut. I just want to know how it feels to be in space. When I watch NASA videos on YouTube, it really inspires me seeing people in rockets going to space,” she said.
She hopes to combine her interests in space exploration and writing in the future.
“It will be a delight to me and pride to my mother, after aiming for what I have always been keen to do,” she said.
Shaama offered words of encouragement to others with big dreams, urging them to ignore negativity.
“Some say, ‘That dream, you will never achieve it. Not everyone can become an astronaut,’ but I do not care about what they say. Never listen to the negativity,” she said.
