Running the Rift
Please can you tell our readers about your current novel Running the Rift?
Running the Rift is a coming of age story set in Rwanda. It follows a young Tutsi boy, Jean Patrick Nkuba, through the years surrounding the Rwandan Genocide, from the time Jean Patrick knows running will be his life to the day he must run to save his life, leaving his family and the woman he loves behind. Growing up, Jean Patrick wants two things: to become a scientist like his father and to run in the Olympics. Groomed from an early age by a Hutu coach who recognizes his potential, Jean Patrick is largely protected from the noose that is tightening around all Tutsi. He proceeds with singular focus toward his dreams until the day the country explodes with unimaginable fury and no protection is strong enough. Although set during the time of the genocide, Running the Rift is a story about love of family and the unquenchable hope of the human spirit that gives one the strength to survive.
Where did your inspiration come from for the novel?
It came from two sources. The first inspiration was watching a young man from Equatorial Guinea, Eric Moussambani, swim in a wild card heat in the 100m freestyle event at the 2000 Olympics. I was so impressed by his courage and spirit. Those minutes of watching him swim seared themselves into my brain; I couldn't let them go. The second inspiration came from the African refugees I work with in Tucson. I have adopted one particular Somali Bantu family. When they told me their story, it went right to my heart; I could barely breathe. I knew that one particular part of it would end up in a novel. It was like a visual seed that stuck in my mind and stimulated my imagination.
Is running something that is close to your heart?
Very much so! I was a competitive runner and triathlete for many years. The run was always my favorite part of the triathlon; it was where I could pick people off. Unlike Jean Patrick, I hate short and middle distances. I go for the long stuff, half marathon and marathon.
How did you go about researching for the novel?
I went to Rwanda four times to interview survivors, travel to genocide sites, and travel around the country. I made many Rwandan friends along the way, and I always stayed with them. I felt it was important for me to get as close as possible to life, food, and customs in Rwanda. I also had Rwandan friends I could email or call any time I had a question. "Getting it right" was very important to me, and I didn't want to fall into any traps of misunderstanding or ignorance. Lastly, I read everything I could get my hands on concerning Rwanda. I am still reading about Rwanda. I can't stop.
Did you want to educate people through this book?
Absolutely! From the moment I first decided I had to write about Rwanda, I felt an obligation to honor the voices and the stories of both those who did not survive and those who did. This was not, as many people seem to think, some random feud between two tribes that exploded into violence one day. Genocide can happen anywhere, to anyone. The groundwork for the violence is carefully laid down over years. My mother lost most of her family in the Holocaust, and so the story is particularly close to my heart.
What advice could you give to a writer wanting to tackle something with a real life element?
Honor the truth but do not be bound by its exacting details. Allow your characters to grow and develop, to become your best friends. It is their story that will give life and spirit to the facts, their story that will live on in the hearts and minds of the reader.
What plans have you for future publications?
I am writing a novel about three generations of women. The grandmother is a direct survivor of Terezin and Auschwitz. The story follows her relationship with her granddaughter and how art (the grandmother was a ballet dancer, and the granddaughter is a hip hop dancer) gives them both the power to explore the past in safety and to heal.
What did you enjoy most about writing the book?
All the wonderful friends I made along the way. I have an unofficially-adopted son in Rwanda now, and in 2010, just after I found out I had won the Bellwether Prize for Running the Rift, I went back to celebrate his wedding. It was like closing the last page of one book and opening the pages of another. It was a very happy occasion.
What did you enjoy the least?
I would frame the question more in terms of difficulty. What I found the most difficult was spending the time of Commemoration, the week honoring the anniversary of the beginning of the genocide, in Rwanda. The pain and suffering that still scarred the country and that surfaced afresh during this time was almost beyond bearing.
Interview by Lucy Walton