This is the first of a series of interviews from the authors contributing to the It Takes A Village anthology about the motivation for their story.
Story Title: THE QUIET REVOLUTION By Jane Jago
When asked what inspired this story, Jane responded:
The story was inspired by the idea that even a leviathan can be halted by a grain of sand. The model of a polarized society that was basically broken gave me a way to show that you don’t have to be famous, or wealthy to change what needs changing, all you have to be is courageous.
Can you give an example of an event where you saw the need for social justice to be better?
My first memory of what I saw as injustice was at my primary school, where the children of poorer families were looked down on for their shabby clothes. I remember talking to my parents about it and my father saying it was undoubtedly wrong, but the only thing I could do about it myself was to never condemn people because of circumstances beyond their control.
In your opinion, what is the most challenging / pressing issue of social justice in the world today?
I think there is so much going on in the world right now where more social justice would even up the scales and perhaps open the eyes of people to the shenanigans of those who seek to retain or regain power by means of falsehood and the perversion of justice. Standout? It seems to the onlooker that the rule of law is currently subservient to the amount of money and influence the wrongdoers wield. So. Yup. More social justice needed.
What is one lesson that you learned from your mother/grandmother that you still use today?
Granny used to say that you should try not to judge people unless you walked a mile in their shoes. Mum said that was shoe theft
How have these influenced your other writing projects? Do you cover any social justice in your other writing projects?
A good deal of what I write deals with ‘difference’ the consequences of being unlike one’s peer group. I find it perfectly possible to shine a light on what we can easily call ‘social justice’ while still telling a good story. The story is always the thing, but the telling of it can encompass a lot of moral and philosophical ideas.
Do you have any other projects in the works that also deal with social justice?
I have a book halfway finished, and a novella in my Joss and Ben story series. Both of which have underlying themes of justice and treating others as you would have them treat you.
Find out more about her at:
- Author Blog: tinyurl.com/t9pkll3
- Amazon author page: author.to/janejago
- To see the complete list of Jane Jago’s books go to: author.to/janejago