Nguher Zaki is a multidisciplinary creative with a penchant for storytelling and traveling. As a documentary photographer, she has worked with local and international organizations covering social issues. She has also documented political stories in Nigeria and authored two books in this regard. Nguher is currently on a long-term slow travel experience, exploring West Africa and South-East Asia while complimenting her photography career with writing.
How did you get started traveling?
It began as a childhood fascination. It must have been this story about my Dad traveling abroad to further his studies that inspired me. But unfortunately, he never got the chance to live that dream. He passed. I was two years old, and I had no memory of him, so I made the story my own. I kept rehearsing it: “Daddy got on a giant airplane, flew across the sky to a faraway country…” It was fascinating to me. I held this story dear to my heart as much as I did him and thought about it often as I grew older. On most nights at home, when we were outside, If I ever got quiet, you’d catch me staring at the starry night sky, waiting to spot a plane from a distance as though to validate the story. Concurrently, this was fueling my imagination and curiosity for travel. “Perhaps, I could someday become a traveler, and I could get on a plane too and go see what is out there in the world.” Over time, other influences came in, and after graduating, I launched out on what would become my first international trip.
I couldn’t afford travel then, but I knew I had to make a move to finally satisfy the persistent yearning that only grew stronger as I grew older. So I sold the few clothes I had and got my international passport and a ticket. Then, with the support of my sister, I flew to Ghana. Luckily, travel wasn’t as expensive as it is now. That was the beginning of my travel experience. I didn’t continue traveling until some years later, but that one daring move, in many ways, set me on course for what I’m doing now.
How did you get started writing?
Writing has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I’ve always loved writing: journaling my thoughts, ideas, and experiences: letters too, and even poems. I now read back over some of my entries and wonder… “I had something going on here.” The practice has been with me, and I have been writing privately, but I’m only starting to share my work publicly.
What do you consider your first “break” as a writer?
As a writer, It always feels like a first “break” for me each time I am able to articulate my thoughts, ideas, emotions, and stories in any form of writing, whether I publish it or not. It works the same for my other creative expressions.
As a traveler and fact/story gatherer, what is your biggest challenge on the road?
Travel fatigue! Traveling gets exhausting for me when I constantly rush from one place to the next, cramming too much activity into my plans. So I have now embraced slow travel; it allows me to have a deeper experience: slowing down and taking it in gradually.
What is your biggest challenge in the research and writing process?
It gets challenging sometimes working with various resources and data that I’ve collected and bringing it all together in a way that succinctly captures the story. But it’s all part of the creative process, so I embrace it.
What is your biggest challenge from a business standpoint?
Marketing what I do and promoting myself—like, getting my work out there to convert. Weirdly, this is not something I have consciously done in my creative career. I just create and let my authentic self shine through without paying much attention to the business side of it, but that’s changing for sure. I’m working on striking a balance.
Have you ever done other work to make ends meet?
At some point in my life, before photography, I retailed African fabrics and jewelry. I also did a bit of fashion designing and modeling, which is how I first came in contact with a camera. Generally, though, I have made most of my income as a photographer.
What travel authors or books might you recommend and/or have influenced you?
Travel for me isn’t just an outer journey but also an inner one. I see it as some sort of pilgrimage, a sacred journey toward self-discovery. Thus, books like The Alchemist by Paul Coehlo resonate greatly with me. It is the only physical book I carry with me on all my journeys besides my Bible and, lately, Storyteller, a collection of poems by Morgan Harper Nichols. Speaking of poetry, poems by Rainer Maria Rilke are a faithful companion. He aptly captures travel for me in this quote, “I live my life in widening circles that reach out across the world.” Henry David Thoreau and Paul Theroux‘s writings have also influenced my travel life. I recently read Vagabonding, and I totally recommend it.
What advice and/or warnings would you give to someone who is considering going into travel writing?
In documenting stories, tons of moving parts need to be collected and organized to form a narrative. You will be working with many materials in your research and storytelling process; it’s essential, though, that in the midst of all this, to let your voice come through. What is it that inspires you? Try translating that into your writing or images, and you will reach your audience more authentically.
What is the biggest reward of life as a travel writer?
I am constantly learning through travel, and I am always thrilled by the opportunity for life-changing connections that traveling offers. I love meeting new people from different cultures and listening to their stories, especially their personal stories. When people let me – a total stranger -into their lives this way, I am always humbled. It makes me feel this special connection that humanity shares across the world. There’s so much in common: the joys, the griefs, the fears, the love; it’s altogether beautiful and soul-stirring. If you travel with an openness to genuinely connect with people, you will find your soul enriched. It changes you. It has changed me in many ways and given me a renewed outlook on life. Also, I like to visit places where I can experience the world’s natural beauty. As a result, I get to appreciate life more.
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