With her first book going on sale last week, former journalist Whitney Persaud is hoping to inspire persons who are battling with the vicissitudes of life to put their thoughts to paper and find healing and peace.
In her book, ‘Words of the Soul,’ which is self-published, Persaud reflects on the struggles she endured growing up and working in Guyana and the realities faced working in New York, where she now resides.
“This book is mainly poetry and prose. It was written with the intention of sharing some of the emotional battles that I dealt with and how dark of a place these struggles can take us [to]. It’s not necessarily focused on only relationships but also on how hard life can be at times, how we are forced to react because of the pressure of societal expectations,” she said in an interview from New York.
“It’s meant to inspire, while at the same time expressing raw emotions that people can relate to and actually feel in some way,” she added.
Persaud, who migrated to the United States in 2013, said that she chose to be “candid and raw” to appeal to persons who sometimes are too scared to share or talk about traumatic or embarrassing experiences for fear of judgement.
“The reason I chose to be so deep and raw is because sometimes we go through things in life and we feel as if it’s just us alone in the struggle. So, I wanted people to know that we go all through these very same situations in life, and [since] I love writing, it is a way of me letting those feelings out, rather than keeping them inside. I personally have been inspired and can relate to many quotes, poetry and prose by some of my favourite authors, like the novelists Lang Leav and Rupi Kaur. It is my hope that as a first time author, I can reach those people who need the support and give the encouragement, which is what the book offers,” she explained.
She said she had written the book and was ready to publish it over a year ago but was also “very skeptical [about] publishing my work because I was afraid of how well it would be accepted”.
She added, “The other thing that kept me back was the fact that people don’t know who I am in this big, big world. And who would buy my book?”
But in recent weeks, she became determined to get it done and said “that it’s now or never and it’s worth a shot.” As what followed was last week’s release, the first of a planned three part series that was made available on the Amazon website.
“Every book has its crowd. And while not everyone may like it, what about those who will? My mother always pushed me to use my skills. She always wanted to write a book and have it published because I guess she knows what I am capable of, despite my self-doubt,” Persaud said.
“I’ve had tremendous support from my siblings and my close friends… and of course to God,” she added.
She said that writing has always been a love of hers and it gives her somewhere tranquil to “escape” to “even as the sky is crumbling over my head.”
Persaud is also working on a romance novel and is hoping to someday become a New York Times bestselling writer.
