Output details

My Driver

My Driver is the second novel in a pair about the post-imperial relationship between Britain and Uganda, explored through the changing dynamic between two women: a white British writer and a black Ugandan writer who once worked for her. The research challenges were as follows: 1 To look at these two countries from this metaphorical perspective; 2 To examine the global shift from country to city in the lives of two characters; 3 To take the risk of two equal first person voices, and to combine with a third person narrative which is in part a ‘comedy of cultural misunderstandings.’ Research was conducted through real-life travels, including a trip to Uganda where, like the protagonist, I was researching on the border when war with DRC Congo threatened. Other research included extended dialogue 2003-2009 with the women of Uganda’s ‘Femrite’ writing/publishing collective, who made me their second Honorary Member, and reading and talking about topics from the plight of the former child soldier to the different status of writing and writers in Britain and Uganda. Other research origins included a 2003 exchange with Ugandan novelist Ayeta Ann Wangusa. Arts Council England recognised My Driver as significant by awarding me their maximum bursary of £30,000 to research it in 2008 (half to finance My Animal Life).