Books They Read: Edith Kunihira
What you need to know:
She is the founder of K.E Enterprise - a herbs and spice making company. She is also a filmmaking enthusiast, an organic agriculture consultant and a member of Uganda Women Writers Association (Femrite). She spoke to Beatrice Lamwaka about her passion for books.
What attracted you to books?
The first books that were ever read to me were Bible stories and fairy tales. I always imagined myself as a character in the stories. I could be a great, fearless warrior on whom the lives of many depended and I could also be an extravagantly beautiful princess whose life would change for good once her prince charming came along. The thrill of stepping out of reality into another world is what I love about books.
What kinds of books excite you?
The Bible: there is so much in those pages that I make it a point to read it every day. Whether I’m looking for adventure, great poetry, inspiration, life lessons, financial advice, romance, war stories, historical facts, the truth or even life itself, I’m sure to find it there. The Bible beats them all.
I used to read a lot of motivational and self help books until I realised that I am too limited to help myself. All I am and all I will ever achieve is by the grace of God. So I ran back to the Bible. Don’t get me wrong, I take advice from experts in different fields but it always has to remain in the context that God is my source, my strength and my wisdom.
The older I have become the more attached I have become to books that I read when I was a young girl. I love the Keywords Reading Scheme (Peter and Jane series), Nursery Rhymes, Enid Blyton’s Famous Five and Malory Towers, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Pacesetters, comics like Tintin, and all those books that make me feel nostalgic. Whenever I find these books at reasonable prices, I buy them to add to my private collection.
I also enjoy reading stories about historical characters who have done extraordinary things whether they were saints or tyrants like Attila the Hun, Alexander the Great, Princess Elizabeth of Toro, Smith Wigglesworth, among others.
Which books touched your heart?
Some books have managed to make a lasting impression on me. A Wreath for Udomo by Peter Abrahams is one of them. I never realised how African I am until I read this book. The book stirred up emotions that I never thought I had for my continent.
I am grateful to God for my race and I have little regard for anyone, black or white or yellow, who takes advantage of or despises Africans. I especially detest it when Africans, especially Ugandans esteem other races higher than themselves even within the boundaries of our own country.
Spirit, Soul and Body by Andrew Wommack is a book I highly recommend. It explains the basic principles of Christianity in the simplest manner possible. With this kind of foundation, being a Christian becomes not just pleasant but quite desirable indeed. I have been a Christian the biggest part of my life but its only after exposing myself to such literature that I can boldly and proudly say that I can’t imagine myself being anything else.
Which books did you enjoy reading, last year?
Frank Peretti’s This Present Darkness and Mary Stewart’s Madam Will You Talk? are books that I enjoyed re-reading this year. Chris Oyakhilome’s Rhapsody of Realities devotional is one that lifts my spirits whenever I read it. And of course, the Bible - I simply cannot live without.
Who are some of the writers, you haven’t read, but you talk about them like you have read all their books?
I listen to Joseph Prince almost every day and I know he has wonderful literature published but I have never really read anything he has written. I am familiar with The Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S Lewis but I have only read about him and watched the movies from his novels. Ian Fleming of the James Bond novels is another author I haven’t and quite frankly don’t plan to read but I’m a little knowledgeable about him and his work.
I love to talk about my Femrite sisters and what great writers they are but honestly I have read the works of only a handful of them. I am more familiar with some people’s achievements than I am the content of their books. Note to self: read more Femrite books!
Which books are you reading?
Yesterday, today and the rest of my life I’ll be reading the Bible. I am also reading Dialogue by Lewis Turco, and Scene and Structure by Jack Bickham to improve my writing skills.
