Entering the labyrinth of a slave-owning Brazil, the book ” Mãe Liberté ” not only narrates a fictional saga, but raises a mirror to our contemporary society. Written by Simone Maryam , the novel reveals the plots of characters marked by a context of prejudice and injustice, echoing the perennial struggle for individual and collective freedom. By sewing together the threads of divergent ideologies and intertwined destinies, the work reveals a complex panorama, where human dignity and libertarian desires shine.
How did the inspiration to write “Mãe Liberté” come about and why did you choose to address themes such as slavery and the fight for freedom?
I would say that Mãe Liberté is a poeticized cry of a soul that did not allow itself to be muzzled by the hypocrisy of the false standards that our society imposes on us at all times. We are children of freedom enslaved by human greed, for the convenience of the strongest.
In “Mãe Liberté”, the characters face different challenges and represent different ideologies. What was the process of developing these characters like and what do you hope readers learn from them?
My biggest source of inspiration is “people”. Each person is a world, a walking book, a work of art or an imperfect draft. Mother Liberté was born to defend innocent lives enslaved by false truths, in fact, speaking of truth, who doesn’t have theirs? The truth that does not change is God. The rest is nothing more than reality, it covers the truth that we want to avoid. We judge the hummingbird in our neighbor’s garden and forget to take care of the flowers in our garden.
“How is our freedom? Is freedom free? Freedom, in a word, is like medicine. Knowing how to respect the right dose is a cure, otherwise it will be our worst poison. The difference between freedom and injustice is the dose.”
You mention that the book is “poetic prose” and use the term “puzzle fiction” to describe the literary style. Can you explain a little more about this approach and how it is reflected in the narrative of “Mãe Liberté”?
Mãe Liberté is one of the books that is part of the “puzzle fiction” literary style, in which I am a pioneer. It’s poeticized self-help. A style that was born to revolutionize conventional literature. A mix of fiction, self-help, philosophy, psychology and spirituality. The “puzzle fiction” model is simple, the chapters begin with some questions. The answers are in the text. And every book has a question hidden somewhere in the book, the question that the characters couldn’t answer.
The reader is the one who responds, who participates in the plot like a literary detective, trying to find the “puzzle” answer and competing for prizes. A new proposal for literature where the reader interacts with the text in a fun way, aiming to restore the pleasure of reading, especially among young audiences. The “puzzle” question for the book Mãe Liberté is “what is the color of love?”.
From March 2024, on the 16th of each month, readers will have the opportunity to send their response by email and also post them on social media. The first person to post the correct answer will be awarded 1000 reais and the second place winner will be awarded 500 reais. I’m looking for sponsors, partners to make the list of awards more extensive. Reading can be fun too!
What was the biggest challenge you faced in writing this book and how did you overcome it?
The challenges were many, but there was a great lesson: “it is better to hear the truth that hurts, but does not kill, than to be deceived by the lie that pleases, but does not cure”
The launch of “Mãe Liberté” is accompanied by an interactive campaign on social media, with the question “what is the color of love?”. How does this campaign relate to the work and what can participants expect?
Mother Liberté talks about slavery, prejudice, desire and freedom. The entire plot takes place in the historic city of Santo Amaro da Purificação, ensnared by the cruelty of the slave regime. Mother Liberté draws a parallel between slavery in ancient times and modern slavery, as slavery still exists and slaves think they are free. Prejudice remains camouflaged, and freedom is distorted. The question “what color is love?” comes to mobilize participants in order to uncover the veiled prejudice in our society.
“Son , love has no color. It’s not black, it’s not red, it’s not white either. The color of our skin, our eyes, our hair is different, however, will it be possible that tearing off our skin, destroying our flesh, burning our bones will another color prevail than the color of ours…
Love has no color, mother, my black mother, my red mother, my white mother.”
You have an international background, having lived in different countries. How has this experience influenced your writing and your worldview?
The world is my home, and humanity is my big family. I am naturalized Brazilian. The Netherlands is my second homeland, a country I love. I write about life, about people, about souls, about worlds living within many worlds. The book “The Master Mirror” was written during the period that I settled in Tunisia, already the “Eighth Parchment”, in Turkey.
In addition to being a writer, you are a physiotherapist. How do you reconcile these two areas in your life and how does one influence the other?
Physiotherapy taught me an eternal lesson: “To live is to recondition the present and rehabilitate goals. Pain may even make you stop, but it is you who decides to take the next step again. After all the pain there is a new beginning.”
In your children’s book ” Goodbye Corona”, you address epidemic prevention. What was the experience of writing about a topic so relevant to today’s society?
“ Goodbye Corona” contains a giant word “humanity”. “ Goodbye Corona” is part of the children’s line “o mundo de Salemo”, also “puzzle fiction”. It is a book for all times, teaching children, young people and adults to adopt simple preventive measures in times of endemics, epidemics and pandemics.
What are your future plans for literature? Are there other projects in the works or stories you would like to explore?
Yes, a children’s line that is almost ready “O mundo de Salemo”. It’s coming out of the oven. It will also follow the “puzzle fiction” style. It will be very fun.
How do you hope “Mãe Liberté” impacts readers and what messages would you like them to take away with them after reading it?
May the reader learn to differentiate freedom from dependence, slavery that hurts the soul, tears hearts apart without tearing the skin. Freedom is not free. It is important to be aware of the most dangerous form of slavery that exists, dependence, whether physical or moral. Slavery exists and slaves think they are free.
How can you enjoy full freedom while being a slave to unhealthy loves, cute lies, crazy diets, destructive addictions, beauty products to make up who you are and transform you into what others want to see? It’s time to forget what enslaves you to understand what frees you.
Follow Simone Maryam on Instagram