We are different in many ways because of where we come from and because of what colonialism has done to us. Regardless of where you come from, we all have one thing in common, and that’s our ability to feel. If we can acknowledge that, then perhaps we can fix something that has been broken for a long, long time.

Everyone's pathway to publication or representation or any other literary milestone is very different. If you hear 10 different writers talk about the process of getting their first books published, you'll hear 10 different stories.

Writing is a hard career with a ton of setbacks and very few external rewards. So my advice is to be kind to yourself and celebrate every victory.