Tell us about yourself.
A student and a teacher of Mali Ancestral Oral Tradition, and Philosophy of Life, Anna Dao was born in Paris and spent her formative years in Mali, France, New York, Belgium, Canada with her father a diplomat from Mali. She completed her education in Canada and for several years afterwards lived in Mali, working for various United Nations agencies. During this period, she produced and hosted a public-affairs talk show in French, Affaires Publiques, and wrote a column for a weekly newspaper, Le Républicain. She immigrated to the United States in 1993.
Anna received Honorable Mention in the inspirational Writing Category from Writer’s Digest for How Did It All Begin? The Story of the Universe According to Ancient Malian Tradition.
Her short story, A Perfect Wife, was selected by the University of Florida for inclusion in an African Humanities course. The story was also published in Opening Spaces: An Anthology of Contemporary African Women’s Writing and Women Writing Africa 2: West Africa and the Sahel. Originally written in English, the story was also translated into French.
Anna lives in New York. Finding Lalla’s Anna is her first book. You can find more about Anna Dao on her website.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
As stated above, my father was a diplomat. I spend my early years in countries in three continents: Africa, Europe and America. It made me embrace diversity naturally. The travels shaped my taste in food, music, books, and movies. And from Finding Lalla's Anna: " I was the firstborn. I belonged to a large clan made of Papa, Lalla, my elders, uncles, aunts, cousins, neighbors, and close friends—people from different walks of life, skin color, nationalities, and religions. Some were intellectuals, others had never set foot in school and didn’t know how to read or write. Some were Catholics, some were Muslims; others had managed to quietly practice one of these two “official” religions in Mali, along with the good path, the ancestral teachings and philosophy of life practiced by their elders."
What was your journey to getting published like?
Finding Lalla's Anna was a twenty-year-old journey. When I arrived in 1993, I knew I wanted to be a storyteller, but I was clueless about what it would take to become a good one. To write about yourself, and the people you love is not easy. It took time because I didn't want to compromise. This meant letting old, suppressed wounds resurface – and dig deep so I could understand what happened, why it happened, and how did it affect me. In other words, I came face to face with my demons, my fears, and my shame. In the process of submitting bits and pieces of my work, there were a lot of rejections, but this also challenged me to find and define my niche. Finding Lalla's Anna is not for everyone. In the end, after years of trying, I finally found in Wordeee the publisher who understood and published my work. Yes, it took time, but it was worth it.
What’s the best piece of feedback you’ve ever received?
The compliments that I keep receiving that warm my heart every time are Finding Lalla's Anna is honest, and a rollercoaster of emotions. Readers love my late maternal grandmother Lalla and her wisdom, and they relate to the journey to self.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Hone and own your craft. You hone it by seeking and finding your voice, writing your truth and reading other authors. When I first started writing, I wished I was as talented as the late Toni Morrison. Later, as writing became easier, I found out that being Anna was also good.
What’s a fun fact about you that your readers might not know?
I speak free languages (Bambara my native language, French and English). I also sing along in all three languages.
What’s your guilty pleasure book or genre?
I actually do not have a preference. I'll try to read a book even when I'm not fully engaged just to see if it some point it will become more interesting. The only genre I will not read are horror.
What’s your favorite quote about writing?
{It's from my elders it introduction to an evening of storytelling: "the world is nothing but conversation… There is no story telling in the Heavens. At least no one we know, came back to tell us otherwise. So, let's take advantage of this wonderful gift, let's talk… and writings are just photographs of the spoken words."
When you’re not writing, how do you like to spend your time?
Reading. Meditating. Walking. Talking with family and friends from the US, France, Mali, etc. Share good food with friends.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
It was two French children series books: The Fantômas and "Le CLub des Cinq" The Famous Five. I loved both series because once I started reading, I couldn't stop until I finished it. I don't recall the stories, but I do remember being so much into it that I hated stopping to do anything else.
What has inspired you and your writing style?
My late maternal grandmother Lalla, the griots who are storytellers, musicians, and historian who are the keeper of our oral traditions. I grew up listening to my elders talking and sharing stories of their lives and life in the community. It was natural to tap into their spirit, as well as our traditional music to find my own rhythm that then produced a style.
How do you deal with negative reviews?
It depends on the review. If it has constructive criticism, I will give my permission to be hurt and then see what part of the review I can take into consideration to improve my writing. If it is someone who doesn't like my story, or my style I will not dwell on that.
How do you connect with your readers?
This is a work in progress. I'm learning to be more comfortable with getting the word out and reaching out to friends, social media connections, reading groups to enhance visibility. I also do readings from time to time.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I am currently working on my next project is a work in progress tentatively titled: Life Lessons from our grandmothers: Baba and Lalla. It's a collaboration with a fellow artist who was shaped by his Haitian grandmother.
Are there any Easter eggs or hidden messages in your work?
There are many. As each chapter begins with a wisdom from Mali. One of the strong message of my memoir is learning to Be You and trust your own voice because it knows better than anyone else, what you are truly about. The second strong message is to believe in something. "You can live without religion but not without faith." Life is possible without religion, but it is not without faith. for mankind has since the beginning of time perceived that deep within all beings dwells something powerful that gives them life." Mali Oral Tradition
How do you approach writing dialogue for your characters?
I usually try to imagine who in my real world does this character look like. It can be one person, or a mix of two or three people. Then it's easy to remember bits and pieces of conversations to borrow a voice, a habit, an energy and build a dialogue that would resemble something the real person in my life might say.
If you could share one thing with your fans, what would that be?
I would share with them the words of an old song, that is also in my memoir Finding Lalla's Anna:
"The world is a place where we learn to know
"Know yourself. For to know yourself is no small endeavor
"It is not given to everyone to know thy self
"It's not given to everyone to be a true person."
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All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.