Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
A1. My name is Shaakira and I was born and raised in South Africa. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Johannesburg, where I majored in English and Historical Studies. I am a poet and an award-winning author. My first novel I Swear by Azania recently received two awards: The Dubai Mastermind 2025 Award in which I received the Outstanding Author Excellence Award. I also received the International Author Excellence Award 2025.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “I Swear by Azania”?
A2. Writing about the abuse and trauma different characters faced was indeed challenging. As an author one feels the emotions, and experiences the characters endure, which at times were a lot for me to deal with. I remember crying continuously when I wrote about certain things happening to certain characters. As an author, I also mourned the deaths of certain characters.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
A3. One of my favourite poets and authors is a South African author named Mongane Serote. He wrote protest poetry during the apartheid regime. My favourite piece of work of his is ‘’What’s in This Black Shit,’’ which is a poem about black consciousness. I also appreciate Philip Larkin’s Aubade. One of my favourite novels is Toni Morrison’s Noble Prize-winning Beloved. Another novel I really enjoyed reading was The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roi. J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series made my childhood. My favourite book from the series is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
A4. Anywhere that I can have animal interactions by petting them or feeding them, because I love animals. I also love museums, because I love history.
Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘I Swear by Azania’?
A5. Growing up as a mixed race South African in post-apartheid South Africa, I saw that while apartheid was over, the impact it left was enormous. There was and still is a huge socioeconomic gap among the previously disadvantaged majority and racism still exists. Another thing that inspired me is that I have always considered myself a sort of pariah. I never fitted in anywhere, and the main character of my novel is indeed a social outcast herself.
Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘I Swear by Azania’?
A6. About one and a half years.
Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?
A7. Austin Macauley Publishers, Amazon, Barnes C Noble, Waterstones, Book Topia, World of Books, WHSmith
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘I Swear by Azania’?
A8. I wanted a cover that would grasp the attention of the reader, hence the blood. The blood also represents the brutality people experienced during apartheid. I was also inspired by two of the characters in my novel who embarked on an interracial relationship, which was illegal in South Africa at the time.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
A9. I try to make scenarios and characters as relatable as possible.
Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?
A10. Write down every idea you have, wherever you.
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