Slow down Billy, reads the first line in a newly published book by 14 -year-old author Joseph Wanjau. It took a year and a month to write it. In this debut novel, Wanjau brings a fictional universe to life with his undeniable writing talent.
The sun is just rising on the scribe’s gift, but he is not about to slow down. But what does it take to raise an author, especially one who gets published at such a tender age? His parents, Christopher Kinyua Wanjau and Elizabeth Wangari Kinyua, tell us how they did it.
Discovering talent
“From as early as four, Joseph showed traits of a potential writer. He had an excellent memory, and he enjoyed reading widely. His reasoning skills were also distinctive for his age,” says Elizabeth. As a language teacher, she was well-positioned to nurture this talent. She would help him with writing and marking his compositions. And like any budding writer, his vocabulary was growing fast. On the other end, his father bought numerous storybooks and reading materials, which were instrumental in opening his mind to new worlds and ideas. As expected from any budding writer, his appetite for new books was extremely high.
And the more he read, the more his writing improved. His parents had to create time to read his work, correct him and compliment him. This went on until two years ago when he started working on his book, Billy in the Robotic Universe. By then, his ability to consume content had expanded, and he was reading more than ever. “In Class Six, right before Joseph started working on his novel, we bought so many books that we even lost count,” says Christopher. To kick-start his adventure as a professional author, he asked for a simple gift, a large A4 6 quire book, which he would turn into a manuscript. Initially, his parents were sceptical that he would fill up the entire book. But he surprised them when he requested them to assist with publishing his now complete manuscript a year later.
Shanah Manjeru holding her African Children of the year Awards trophy and certificate which she received in 2019 from South Africa.
Christopher notes a big difference in raising a talented child in 2021 and in the past. Currently, children have high expectations and they follow up on requests. They are keen on growing their talent and do not just sit back and wait for opportunities to present themselves. He says that there is some sort of positive pressure to be a proactive parent. Joseph’s parents set out to look for a publisher with a finished manuscript and a bit of pressure from their son. Elizabeth has contributed to a curriculum book (Kiswahili Mufti Class Six), but Christopher had never experienced what it’s like to get published.
“Initially, we heard many discouraging narratives. We were told that most publishers are not willing to work with upcoming authors. But we stayed focused, and eventually, we identified a publisher,” explains Christopher. Solano Publications, which is based in Thika, agreed to work on the book. That was in March 2021. They went through the process, with Joseph making time to hear from his editor and subsequently making changes in his manuscript as required. The entire process required financial input from the parents, and they were happy to make the sacrifice. Six months later, the book was ready, and on September 25, the boys’ debut novel was introduced to the world.
“The launch was like a dream for me,” says Elizabeth. She felt proud and motivated. Finally, all the little sacrifices she made as a mother had paid off. For Christopher, this was a big day. It was the affirmation of how good of a father he is.
“At first, I was anxious about the outcome. I was not sure if people would receive the launch well, but everything worked out. The reception was amazing,” he explains. After the launch, they decided to open an account for him, where all the proceeds from his books go. He will access the funds at 18 years. He will be preparing to fly solo by then, and they hope the virtues they taught him, like hard work and resilience, will carry him along his authorship journey.
Balancing act
Not to forget, though, Joseph is a firstborn in a family of three, and his younger siblings need as much attention as he does.
“We have 10-year-old twins, a girl and a boy. The girl enjoys singing while the boy is a writer, just like his big brother,” says Elizabeth, who acknowledges that parenting does not stop at uplifting one talented child; they have to go through the same process as they did with Joseph to ensure the little ones are not left out. “When we buy books for Joseph, we also buy for his siblings,” says Christopher. Providing equal resources to all children ensures none feels like a shadow of another.
Joseph Kinyua Wanjau during the launch of his book in Thika with his parents.
To parents who have talented children, Elizabeth says, there are no shortcuts. Parents have to help with the seemingly little things like studying with them, evaluating their performance and supplying the children with resources. She adds that a parent’s attitude is extremely important, especially when communicating with the child. Choice of words and tone can be a weapon that hinders the child from growing.
And Christopher’s advice to parents: “Don’t focus too much on accumulating material things. Children are tomorrow’s investments because they always give back the support you gave them when you are finally incapacitated”. With that, he hopes that his three children will also support his grandchildren, just as he supports them and just as their grandfather supported him.
Anthony Mwangi and Florence Manjeru
When it comes to raising talented children, Anthony Mwangi and his wife Florence Manjeru have had plenty of experience. They have three gifted children- the firstborn, a 19-year-old actor, then a prolific 17-year-old writer and the baby of the house, an award-winning singer who doubles as a TV host at just 13 years. In September 2021 their last born, Shanah Manjeru, 13, was nominated for Afrima Awards. She is by far the youngest nominee, and if Kenyans support her by voting, she will be the youngest winner in Afrima history. Her parents tell us what it takes to nurture a child’s talent from just humming to global recognition.
“Shanah has always been a bubbly, extroverted and happy child. Before she could speak, she was humming tunes,” recalls her mother, Florence Manjeru. By age three, she was grasping tunes fast and singing a lot more. This went on until one Sunday, during a family outing in a restaurant when she decided to sing in front of other diners. Though her parents did not support that idea, she climbed onto a chair and started singing a nursery rhyme. When she finished her performance, the audience applauded.
“She has always been obedient, but that move caught our attention. We realised the singing was beyond her, and we could not be an obstruction,” says Florence.
Organic growth
They began by helping her sing covers for existing songs, and surprisingly, she would get the right pitch without professional coaching.
“She would cram a song in just a day. We never pushed her to practice,” says her father, Anthony Mwangi. After a while, Anthony, who has a background in music, started coaching her on singing techniques to help her grow her talent. They gave her time to grow organically, between ages three and seven. Sometimes they sought opportunities for her to perform at birthday parties, small events and in church. And when she was ready, they organised a concert for her. The concert was a big step toward turning Shanah’s singing talent into a professional music career. A year and a half later, when Shanah was nine, they helped her release her first song, Destiny.
That was in October 2017, and in February 2018 she released her second song, We Are One, which is one of her most viewed songs on YouTube with close to 300,000 views. Releasing these songs meant her parents had to dig into their pockets and pay for recording and video production. However, financial support is just a tip of the iceberg when it comes to supporting a gifted child. Getting airplay for her music, prepping her for media interviews and helping her balance music with school work is time-consuming.
Awards, Hollywood and more
Managing a music career is a full-time job, which the father is happy to do, despite building his career. And that means there are times when he will sleep at midnight or work over the weekend just to make sure his daughter’s talent is not wasted. And when she is going for an interview, an event or shooting a commercial, she needs to be accompanied. At one point, she travelled to Mombasa County to shoot a commercial for two weeks, and her mother was there the entire time.
And while it would be easier just to get a manager, both Mwangi and Florence agree that only a parent can truly protect a child from all the risks talented children face. But these sacrifices, coupled with Shanah’s musical talent, have paid off over the years. After releasing four songs within a year, she won her first award at 10 years old. Within the same year, she also got an opportunity to host a children’s show on a local TV station, a role she still holds to date. In 2019, she won a second award and was appointed the ambassador of Stacy Fru Foundation.
But what her father describes as the most significant opportunity came knocking in 2019. A representative from Hollywood reached out through Shanah’s Facebook, inviting her to audition for a movie called Respect, which re-enact the life and times of legendary Aretha Franklin. Shanah participated in several months of auditions, competing against children from all over the world. Though she made it to the finals, she lost to just one girl from the US. She came close to launching a career in Hollywood.
Managing fame
Both her parents agree; one has to be very careful before signing up their child for any opportunities. “We have had to say no many times. It’s not always about the amount of money offered. We consider her future and her image,” says Florence. Her father adds that legal paperwork is critical. “We take time to read through the fine print,” he says. And this is where many parents raising talented children go wrong. Different entities will have many enticing opportunities, but some just want to ride on the child’s fame or talent. Speaking of fame, when a talented child becomes a star, the parenting landscape changes.
Joseph Kinyua Wanjau launched his debut novel on September 25, 2021. His proud parents invested in its publication.
“I first noticed Shanah was becoming famous when a lady approached us at a hospital toilet. Other ladies gathered around us and requested her to sing for them. She also experiences the usual whispers and surprised faces when outdoors sometimes,” says Florence. When a child becomes famous, Florence says it’s essential to instil humility in them and keep them grounded. “A grounded child is teachable,” she adds.
They also try to protect her against the negatives that come with fame. In online spaces, for instance, bullying is common, and her father would rather manage her accounts, given that they attract a lot of opportunities for her. She can focus on what matters rather than worry about who said what in the comment section with minimal screen time.
Overall, Florence emphasises separating parenting and managing roles. She offers, “you have to be cognisant of the fact that a child is still a child even when others recognise them as talented,” and children cannot be left to make all the decisions or take up adult roles.
To parents who have talented children, she advises:
“Every child is gifted. If you watch and listen keenly, you will know what they like. Take one step at a time in building their talent. We took a thousand steps to get here”. To Shanah, if she reads this in 10 or 20 years, she says: “No one is self-made. Many people joined hands, made sacrifices and created opportunities to get you to where you are. Most importantly, God was with you”. And to this, her father adds, “We’ve always seen you as a special gem, and we never gave up on you, you are anointed, and your gift should never be hidden”.
Anthony closes the conversation by saying, “After the restaurant incident, we could have pinched and silenced Shanah, and she would be like any other child walking around the streets”. But because they put in the work, she has become someone that can be emulated. Overall talent is powerful and unstoppable, and parents ought to help their children nurture what God has gifted them.” BY DAILY NATION