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An Interview With Rise of the Jumbies Author Tracey Baptiste
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The Jumbies tells the story of a smart, fearless young girl named Corinne La Mer, who must battle ancient creatures to save her family and the island she loves. Its sequel, Rise of the Jumbies, brings Corinne’s story beneath the waves, where she must bargain with a mysterious undersea ruler. We spoke with author Tracey Baptiste about her childhood in Trinidad, strong female protagonists, and her books as a kid (and the ones she possibly shouldn’t have read as a kid).
Where did you get your inspiration for writing The Jumbies and its sequel, Rise of the Jumbies?
I was inspired by the mythology I grew up with in Trinidad and Tobago. When I was little, people talked about jumbies as if they could be anyone, or anywhere. It was fascinating and exciting and scary. But these stories were all oral traditions, there isn’t much written down, and I really wanted to have some jumbies in books.
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I love your character Corinne La Mer, and wish there were more books that featured such strong female protagonists. Can you tell someone who hasn’t read the book yet a bit more about her?
Corinne is all business. She’s taking care of her house, her dad, and running her own orange-selling business. She’s had to be that person because her mother died when she was very young, and her father had to work at sea, so she was on her own a lot. It made her independent and self-reliant but almost to a fault, because she hasn’t yet figured out how to rely on other people when she needs help. I see her as a pretty typical Black girl though. I know many girls who were this way growing up . . . responsible for younger family members, for getting food on the table, for making sure the change was right before they left the store.
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I learned in your bio that you lived in Trinidad until you were 15. How do you think this has influenced your writing?
All of my novels have been set in the Caribbean so far. Angel’s Grace, my debut, was set solidly in Trinidad. The Jumbies novels are not exactly Trinidad, but take place on an unnamed Caribbean island, heavily influenced by Trini creatures and landscape. Growing up in Trinidad, there were many writers from my island and other Caribbean nations who were required reading, like V.S. Naipaul and Claude McKay and Michael Anthony, so the idea of growing up and being a writer—especially one who wrote about my own country—was not a stretch. I wanted to write since I was three years old. It seemed like a very attainable goal.
What is your writing process like? What is the most fun and most challenging part? Do you have any favorite spots for writing?
I have an office in the house where I do most of my writing. I sometimes move to other parts of the house, or I go to the library, but mostly I work in that space with my dog at the window. I feel I change the process with every book I’ve done. I’ve plotted longhand, on the computer, and using sticky notes on my wall. But once I get going, I start by writing longhand and when I feel I have enough figured out, I move to the computer. Then I print out my draft, and work on edits longhand again, and then move to the computer to make changes. This can go on and on and on. The most challenging part is during revisions when I’ve made notes to myself like “do something better here” or “some things need to get resolved by now” and I still have no idea how to address those holes. Or I know how to fix them but it requires throwing out huge chunks of the manuscript. That is not fun.
What books did you like to read as a kid?
I read Jack Gantos (who I met recently) and Enid Blyton. The Naughtiest Girl was my favorite series growing up. It’s a British series about a girl in a boarding school who gets in a lot of trouble. I also read a lot of adult novelists like V.C. Andrews, which was probably a mistake.
What is up next for you? Are there more books coming that we can look forward to? (We hope!)
Yes! I’m working on three different projects at the moment. Two are nonfiction history books, and one is fiction. All are formats I’ve never done before, which is my favorite because I get to learn stuff, but it also adds a bit of stress to the proceedings because I’m learning as I go.
Rise of the Jumbies is on B&N bookshelves on September 19.