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Of the 54 countries in Africa, you visited 28. There are 52 countries in Asia; what is your target number of countries to visit there? That is a thought-provoking question. While I do not know what the final number for Asia will be, I am confident that I will visit more countries in Asia than in Africa. There are two principal reasons for saying this. First, I was making great progress traveling across the African continent until COVID came. I lost three years of travel, and I hope and pray that we will not see a repeat of the world being shut down again in my lifetime. Secondly, there were quite a few countries that I deemed unsafe due to civil strife, so I could not enter these countries in my usual slow, solo travel mode. It is my hope that in the future ''good health prevailing'' I will be able to…

I recall you saying that your November 2019 trip to Zimbabwe was the most difficult trip you had experienced. What caused you to go back in 2023?

Zimbabwe had become one of the most talked about countries in the world during President Mugabe's later years. And, of course, 90% of the talk was negative. By the time I arrived the external pressure placed on the country had all but collapsed it. Whilst I was keen to go there, as I went around the country, conditions were so bad, I was worried whether I would have the financial resources at my fingertips to get out of the country!

As I observed from afar, even with the presence of Covid, conditions seemed to be improving. Therefore, when the opportunity came to go to Botswana in the summer of 2023, I felt I must also go to Bulawayo, the former capital of Zimbabwe.…

I have never considered using a pen name for several reasons. I believe a writer writing non-fiction should always use his or her name. It adds credibility to do this, while using a pen name has the opposite effect. Some potential readers would be inclined to think, if this is so true, why haven't you put your name to it? Of course, very few writers have a household-name recognition situation, but even without it, being willing to place your name beside the factual story you have written can only benefit your effort. In some cases, the writer may have a very good personal reputation before writing her first book, and that reputation can help draw eyes to the story. These are the reasons why I do not use a pen name. What are your thoughts?

Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with the bad ones?

Yes, I read all my book reviews. I know that there is equal value in both good and bad reviews. First, why read the good ones? It is very encouraging to read positive things about your work. I like to read a review that indicates the reader has got what l was trying to say. This serves to reinforce the message for me.

Second, the bad ones. I try to determine if the writer has found a shortcoming in my work which l need to address. Sometimes, the person is just having a go or is being mean. But where the review is a serious criticism with the intent of showing my shortcoming in the book, l look closely and try to incorporate the suggestions made or have the observation addressed. I am constantly looking t…