Meet Jane Austen’s Ardent Fan: Gatwiri Gold-Miss Bundi

Interviewed by Faith Oneya

“What father among you, if his son asks for bread, would give him a stone, or if he asks for a fish, would give him a snake instead of the fish? Luke 11:11.This verse boldly sits on Gatwiri’s ‘About’ page on Facebook, perhaps alluding to Gatwiri’s straight-talking nature! The multilingual (She speaks German, French, Swahili, English, Japanese and a smattering of Korean, just enough to sound coherent to a drunk Korean. The Globe-Trotter shared a glimpse of her literary encounters with Literary Chronicles.

LC: What did they call you as a child ?

GB: The only nickname I have ever had that stuck was NyamNyam. It was given to me by my mum, and she used it(even in public ) until I was around 18. I think there was a cartoon strip in the Daily Nation in the eighties with that name 🙂

LC: What was the naughtiest thing your mother caught you doing as a child?

GB: Good heavens!! How many sins did I commit? I remember putting thorns from a rose-bush in someone’s bed……I don’t want to say who. It’s still embarrassing to think of….. *facepalm*

New Slim Gatwiri — Gold-Miss Bundi strikes a pose!

LC: What are your favorite books?

GB: My favorite books would be the Jane Austen novels. All six of them. The best out of the them was Persuasion. The depth of feeling and emotion in this book moves me to no end! It was the last book Jane Austen wrote before she died, and is the real masterpiece of her works. Everyone loves Pride and Prejudice, but those acquainted with Jane well know that this is the real masterpiece!!

I read all types of books, as long as there are words on the pages, and just as long as it’s not one of those motivational / inspirational / pop psychology books. Oh, and I also don’t do biographies and autobiographies. *dodges bullets *

LC: Have you ever fallen in love with a fictional character? Tell us about it.

GB: Every time I read Pride and Prejudice, I fall in love with Mr. Darcy. He is every woman’s ideal man; he is every woman’s dream man. Why do I love him? He is my ideal man, strong, decisive, loving, decisive, dominant, he takes responsibility for himself and his actions, he changes and improves himself for the sake of his relationship (with Elizabeth ) without having to be nagged, decisive ……..please note the number of times I have said decisive. He doesn’t need to consult, or build consensus, or create a committee to probe the cause of a problem!! He decides, and acts! I love him!