An Interview with Marieke Nijkampe

12/1/2021

A couple of weeks ago I was able to interview the wonderful Marieke Nijkampe. It was a great opportunity.

A few weeks before that, I had received an Advanced Readers Copy of At the End of Everything. What a gift. Some how along the way, I had missed reading one of Marieke's novels. Sadly, I had a copy of This is Where it Ends in my to be read stack, but it never quite made it to the top. What a mistake.

I am not quite sure why I started At the End of Everything, but what a pleasant surprise. As I finished the book I knew that I wanted to interview Marieke if I could make the arrangements. Once again, a big thank you to all of the hard working people at source books.

In short, Marieke is now one of favorite authors and I have been inhaling her books as a fast as I can. I really don't think it matters which book you start with, but get started.

Since we have all been living through a pandemic, I suggest beginning with At the End of Everything.

As tough as it has been Marieke manages to imagine a pandemic scenario that is worse. Think The Walking Dead mashed together with Wentworth, but image all of the incarcerated are teenagers and the guards have left them to their own devices. Contact with the outside world is problematic at best. Well, that gets close to the tone and feeling of her book.

Below, is an the interview. I really had a great time chatting with Marieke. I appreciated that she made the time to connect with me from across an ocean and multiple time zone. If you don't know her work it is time you started reading. As you wait for the books to arrive, take a bit time to enjoy the interview.

Marieke was also kind enough to answer a few more questions

Before you take off, take a quick look at more of Marieke's books.

Until next week!

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Dr. Steve Bickmore
Creator and Curator

Dr. Bickmore is a Professor of English Education at UNLV. He is a scholar of Young Adult Literature and past editor of The ALAN Review and a past president of ALAN. He is a available for speaking engagements at schools, conferences, book festivals, and parent organizations. More information can be found on the Contact page and the About page.

Co-Edited Books

Meet
Evangile Dufitumukiza!

Evangile is a native of Kigali, Rwanda. He is a college student that Steve meet while working in Rwanda as a missionary. In fact, Evangile was one of the first people who translated his English into Kinyarwanda.

Steve recruited him to help promote Dr. Bickmore's YA Wednesday on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media while Steve is doing his mission work.

He helps Dr. Bickmore promote his academic books and sometimes send out emails in his behalf.

You will notice that while he speaks fluent English, it often does look like an "American" version of English. That is because it isn't. His English is heavily influence by British English and different versions of Eastern and Central African English that is prominent in his home country of Rwanda.

Welcome Evangile into the YA Wednesday community as he learns about Young Adult Literature and all of the wild slang of American English vs the slang and language of the English he has mastered in his beautiful country of Rwanda.

While in Rwanda, Steve has learned that it is a poor English speaker who can only master one dialect and/or set of idioms in this complicated language.

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Registration is open for the virtual Summit on the Research and Teaching of Young Adult Literature! Plan on April 21, 2023, 8:30-5:30 CST.