IHRAM African Secretariat, Cameroon’s Director, Dr. Geraldine Sinyuy, Spotlights One of Cameroon’s Passionate Budding Writers (Poet) Elsie Enanga Mange Jato

Geraldine Sinyuy: Hello Elsie. Thank you for granting this interview. Please tell us who you are.
Elsie Enanga Mange Jato: I am an English and Literature teacher. I was born in Victoria (present Limbe), Southwest Region, Cameroon. I prefer to still call my birth town Victoria because it reminds me of my past, my culture and my identity.

Geraldine Sinyuy: When did you start writing and what was the first creative work that you wrote?
Elsie Enanga Mange Jato: I started writing in high school. I had just lost my mother in 1994 and I found it difficult to outlive the memories. I decided to pen down my grief and that is how the inspiration came. I wrote my first set of poems in 1997 titled; “My Mother”. From then on, I started writing articles for my high school journal and eulogies for friends who had equally lost their family members.

Geraldine Sinyuy: I’m so sorry about the loss of your mother. Death of a parent leaves a void which someone else can hardly fill. That the death of your mother provoked the writing of poems in you aligns with William Wordsworth’s definition of poetry as “The spontaneous overflow of powerful emotions recollected in tranquility.” I however disagree with the idea of emotions being recollected in tranquility because it is sometimes in the most chaotic moments that we feel like pouring out our powerful emotions like in the case of the death of your mother, poetry sprung from the chaos within, isn’t it?
Elsie Enanga Mange Jato: It is. Actually, I never thought of Wordsworth’s definition that way.

Geraldine Sinyuy:  Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Elsie Enanga Mange Jato: I am inspired by tragic events in life in general. I am inspired by love relationships, family events, the birth process and societal happenings. I remember writing a poem titled; “The Christmas Pauper”; after a little boy knocked at our gate on a Christmas morning asking for food. I really felt touched by this lack of basic food on a day when many feed sumptuously and lavishly.

Geraldine Sinyuy: I am grateful that your family could offer food to a destitute child on that day. That is part of human rights activism. It starts with little though very significant acts of kindness, love and care. Sharing is being human. Alight, that said, let’s get back on the ball. What are specific themes that feature in your writing?
Elsie Enanga Mange Jato: I write on love and marriage, friendship, betrayal, death, social misconduct and injustices and bravery.

Geraldine Sinyuy:  Interesting. All those are crucial human rights themes that call for attention. What genre of writing do you find easier for you and why?
Elsie Enanga Mange Jato: Poetry is my favourite genre and I am passionate about free verse. This is because it gives me the latitude to describe emotions with clarity and without strict adherence to any particular form. I use the economy of words to depict a great idea that I find intriguing. I find poetry quite appealing unlike writing fiction because with a few words you are able to etch volumes of thoughts in the reader.

Geraldine Sinyuy: That’s powerful.  Free verse falls in quite well with me as well. Have you had any publications yet?
Elsie Enanga Mange Jato: I have no publications of my poems so far.

Geraldine Sinyuy: Have you been rewarded for any of your writing?
Elsie Enanga Mange Jato: Yes, I have. I received an award for best poetic entry titled: “Song of My Youth” by the Anglophone Cameroon Writers Association (ACWA). I have also received other awards for proposing best classroom practices in 2019 by the Ministry of Secondary Education, Cameroon.

Geraldine Sinyuy: What do you think is the role of a writer as far as human rights are concerned?
Elsie Enanga Mange Jato: The writer is the mouthpiece of the society. He has a role to decry injustices and propagate writings that instil in readers the call to take action against all forms of abuses. As such, every writer has a mandate to support their community against societal repression.

Geraldine Sinyuy: Can literature actually make an impact in the society? If yes, please highlight examples.
Elsie Enanga Mange Jato: Literature is great a great tool to challenge injustices and propel positive change. A case in point is the works of Eunice Ngongkum and Anne Tanyi-Tang.Anne Tanyi-Tang portays Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) as a human rights abuse and advocates for change. Eunice Ngongkum’s Manna of Life charts the hopes and anxieties of ordinary Cameroonians as they confront economic hardship, navigate red-tape, and dream of life abroad. Her realistic prose, punctuated by moments of gentle irony, brings to life intimate dramas of family loyalty, identity, and resilience.

Geraldine Sinyuy: That’s impressive. Thank you. What was the first book you read in your childhood?
Elsie Enanga Mange Jato: As a kid, I read a lot of fairytale classics; “Jack and the Bean Stalk”, “The Princess and the Frog” and a host of others. However, I progressed to reading the Pacesetter series and later on, I read The African Writers Series, Cry the Beloved Country, Things Fall Apart, The Old Man and the Medal.

Geraldine Sinyuy: Feminism is one of the key issues that are recurrent in world literatures. What can you say about this?
Elsie Enanga Mange Jato: I believe in complementation and not competition between the female and male genders. I do not believe that one gender is above the other. Both genders, that is, male and female must work together to form a harmonious society.

Geraldine Sinyuy: Who is your favourite African/Cameroonian author?
Elsie Enanga Mange Jato: I have several but I will name these: Eunice Ngongkum, Imbolo Mbue and Buchi Emecheta.

Geraldine Sinyuy: How do you manage work, family and other responsibilities alongside writing?
Elsie Enanga Mange Jato: I have a very supportive husband and my children are now grown so they lend a helping hand when they are free. Equally, I do not hesitate to ask for help when I feel the weight of responsibilities.

Geraldine Sinyuy: What challenges do you face as a writer?
Elsie Enanga Mange Jato: There is lack of training for writers and as always to get published is no easy feat. We equally have a good number of people who shy away and prefer other activities rather than reading. The reading culture faces a real threat with the advent of social media content through videos.

Geraldine Sinyuy: Do you identify any creative writing talent in some of the people around you?
Elsie Enanga Mange Jato: Oh yes! There are many creative writing talents around me. They only need nurturing and grooming.

Geraldine Sinyuy: What do you think about AI and the future of creative writing?
Elsie Enanga Mange Jato: Artificial intelligence will never be able to fully replace human reasoning. Creative writing has its place and automated content will never have the flare and quality human of experience. However, it is worth noting that AI-generated content has made significant progress in recent years, and some argue that it can offer benefits such as efficiency, consistency, and scalability. Ultimately, the choice between automated and human-written content depends on the specific goals, audience, and context.

Geraldine Sinyuy: What was the funniest book you ever read?
Elsie Enanga Mange Jato: Your Madness, Not Mine: Stories of Cameroon by Juliana Makuchi Nfah-Abbenyi. Even though it is a collection of short stories instead of one continuous novel, this book is packed with witty scenes that make fun of everyday life in Cameroon—things like family arguments, long waits at government offices, village gossip, and the odd moments of modern living. Nfah-Abbenyi’s clever but warm humor gives the stories a fresh, light-hearted feel, making it one of the most enjoyable and funny works by a Cameroonian writer today.

Geraldine Sinyuy: Thank you very much Elsie. It was nice having you on this conversation. We look forward to getting more contributions from you in the nearest future.
Elsie Enanga Mange Jato: You’re welcome, Geraldine.

Elsie Enanga Mange Jato is a passionate EFL educator and teacher trainer with a flair for writing. Award-winning author, recognized by the Anglophone Cameroon Writers Association in 2014. Recipient of the prestigious Study of the United States Institutes Program for Educators at the University of Montana, USA, in 2019.Recipient of the Ministry of Cameroon's Best Teacher Award and the Cameroon English Language and Literature Teachers Association (CAMELTA) Award for Best EFL Teacher in 2022. Dedicated to empowering educators and learners through innovative teaching practices and literary pursuits.