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When did Princess Ssanyu release her LIES novel?
In May 2026, 13-year-old author Princess Ssanyu Muwema officially launched her debut hardcopy novel, titled Lies. Powered and published by Sisi Analytica (SIST Analytics), this book cuts straight to the heart of teenage life. Honestly, it pulls back the curtain on the unspoken pressures, hidden insecurities, and quiet doubts that many young girls carry daily regarding their bodies.
Think about how the average girl struggles with physical appearance, and inner self-worth. I personally had the unique privilege of meeting this brilliant young writer, and we sat down for a deeply moving, eye-opening conversation about her creative process, her personal life, and the mechanics of her storytelling. Here is her journey, told entirely in her own words.
Who is Princess Ssanyu Muwema?
Princess Ssanyu Muwema? Well, she’s a lot of things. She is creative, she is kind, she’s an interprevist, and overall, just a girl who’s loved by Jesus. I was born on February 23rd, 2013 in Uganda, at Nakasero Hospital.
Who are the parents of Princess Ssanyu Muwema?
My parents are Fred Muwema and Desire Muwema. They have supported me through my writing journey by introducing me to various authors and giving me the chance to print out my books.
Which school does Princess Ssanyu Muwema currently attend?
I am currently attending school at Reinaissance International Christian School. I don’t have a single favorite subject, but rather many favorite subjects. I love physics, literature, math, and sociology. I did my early primary at Green Hill, but when COVID came, I finished my primary education from Friends International Christian School.
How did classmates and friends react to the book Lies?
Well, first of all, the first people I told about my book were my closest friends at school, Aban Prosper. I love them so much! They were so supportive and encouraged me to write more. Actually, thanks to Prosper, the book doesn’t have that much of a sad ending anymore. Then the others, they seemed… they seemed shocked and very supportive.
What first made Princess Ssanyu Muwema fall in love with writing?
Growing up, I’ve always had a love for reading and writing stories. However, my love grew more when I was in primary and my friend introduced me to Doc Diaries. I loved how nicely written those books were. It inspired me to write more because, who knows, maybe the author, Rachel Renee Russel, would notice me one day.
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My first poem is actually ironically funny to me because it was a poem about a character in George Orwell’s Animal Farm called Boxer. It was a sympathetic poem I wrote to show my feelings towards Boxer. But now looking back on it, it was really funny because me and my friends really tried to set the scene for my poem so that I could cry and show the emotion, and I realized the poem was actually really funny because me and my friends really tried to set the scene for my poem so that I could cry and show the emotion, and I realized the poem was actually really funny.
Eventually, my mom encouraged me to turn my work into a real book. She contacted Uncle Nathan, who has been working with me up to now to fulfill my dream.
How do you balance demanding schoolwork with writing full novels?
I genuinely don’t have a schedule. I quite literally write when I feel like it. Because with my schoolwork and social life, I can’t just neatly fix writing in there; then it wouldn’t feel fun anymore. It would feel like some assignment that I have to do.
As of now, thanks to my mom and dad, my favorite author is Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. She is so cool and such an inspiration. I would love to meet her one day.
Why did you choose the title Lies for your debut novel?
I titled my book Lies because lies are at the center of the many conflicts in the story. One of the main ones is when Olivia, who is my protagonist, lies to Camilla, my antagonist, about still talking to Samantha, even though Camilla had asked her not to. I wanted to show how even small lies, especially in friendships, can create misunderstanding, guilt, and distance between people. The title also reflects deeper emotional lies, like the ones people tell themselves about what they feel, what they deserve, or what they should do to be accepted.
My book follows three girls: Olivia, Camilla, and Samantha. Olivia and Camilla were once very close friends, but their friendship begins to fall apart due to misunderstandings and insecurities. Camilla becomes afraid of being replaced when Samantha enters the picture, which leads her to distance herself from Olivia. This fear eventually grows into a self-fulfilling cycle where her actions push Olivia farther away. As the story develops, Camilla’s insecurity turns into control and manipulation as she tries to protect her friendship in unhealthy ways, which ultimately causes more harm than she intended.
What are some of the common lies young girls tell themselves?
Some of these common lies that girls tell themselves are: “I’m not good enough,” “I’m not pretty enough,” “I’m not enough”. You know, many girls believe that they are not enough, they are not doing enough, and they are constantly comparing themselves to so many other people. But one thing I want to say is that comparison is the thief of joy, and we are the ones who make our own standard of “enough”. So, instead of comparing other people’s enough to our enough, we should create our own enough and be happy. We shouldn’t try to be other people because then we wouldn’t really be ourselves.
I mentioned that every girl has a silent battle. Some silent battles I mention in my book are body dysmorphia. Many girls—we don’t really know what happens in the bathroom when someone looks at themselves in the mirror. We really don’t know. We don’t know if someone’s crying because their tummy looks so bloated and ugly, or because they are constantly comparing themselves to edited pictures on media that show perfectly shaped girls with perfect proportions. But those are one of the silent battles that girls go through, like body insecurity.
Another silent battle that girls go through is being left out. You know, no one’s going to openly say, “Oh yeah, I feel left out”. Everyone just keeps it to themselves. I want to remind many girls that people care about you, you are not hated, you are loved, and even if you don’t feel love from people, you will always feel the love of Jesus Christ.
How does the book address modern struggles like body image and self-worth?
My book addresses modern struggles like body image and self-worth through… well, I portrayed bodies like skinny people and fat people. I made sure that I also involved the skinny people because, stereotypically, skinny people are not supposed to feel insecure about their bodies—they’re just expected to love their appearance.
But I wanted to remind everyone that both skinny people and fat people can sometimes feel insecure about their appearances. I also bring in self-worth when my characters in the book decide to not do certain stuff because they don’t want to devalue themselves. I think it really teaches readers to have self-worth.
My characters deal with peer pressure a lot, actually. Because of what people say, some of them end up trying to change themselves, and they end up questioning, “Am I really normal? Am I really doing the right thing?” But one thing I can say is that the standards that this world has brought to us—actually, this patriarchal world has brought to us—like for women, they’re supposed to have perfect proportions, like they’re supposed to literally look perfect.
But I want to question this again: what is perfect in people’s eyes, you know? So yes, my characters go through a lot of peer pressure, not even just about their bodies, but even regarding the things they like. They wonder, “Am I even normal for looking like this?” when they are actually just supposed to be unique.
Yes, my book brings up a lot of things that teenagers go through, you know? And as they read this book, they’ll actually realize that, “Oh, this is normal. I actually belong”. My book also brings up themes like trying to fit in, where teenagers struggle to fit in because they just want to be loved by everyone. But my book shows that you don’t have to be loved by everyone to just be a person.
What was the most challenging part of writing a novel at age 13?
It took me a while to write Lies. I think I started writing it when I was 11 years old. I’m 13 years old right now, and I finished writing the book when I was, I think, 12. Yes, it took me about one and a half years.
The most challenging part of writing a book at 13 years old is that sometimes I get writer’s block and I really don’t know what to write. Everything I write starts to look boring, and I definitely don’t want a boring story for my readers! So I have struggled a lot with trying to find the best content for my readers. My writing ideas—I get them all from real-life conversations, observation, and just literally pure imagination. Yeah, I get them all from that.
If Lies was turned into a movie or TV series, my favorite character to watch on screen would probably be Christiana. I loved her so much! She was so confident, she didn’t let anyone put her down, and I really loved that trait for her. When it finally came out, I felt so happy! Happy is such an understatement, I can’t even fully describe it. I was so shocked and so grateful when I first held my first printed, physical book. I just felt a rush of euphoria, honestly.
What is the ultimate message you want readers to take away from Lies?
The ultimate message I want a young girl to take away from reading the final chapter of Lies is: you don’t need to explain yourself to everyone. One day, you’ll find someone to whom you won’t even have to explain yourself. First of all, we have Jesus who doesn’t judge us or condemn us for the things we do. So, yeah, I feel like that’s what I want the takeaway to be—that you don’t have to constantly explain yourself to everyone.
The advice I would give to another teenager who wants to write a book but feels they are too young is: you’re not too young to do anything! Like, literally. You’re never too young… okay, you’re not too young to write a book. Everyone has an imagination, and everyone can write a book. All you need is just consistency and time, and you can write a very beautiful book. I am absolutely planning on a sequel. Lies Part 2 is coming out, and let’s just say it’s… it’s very life-changing.
Where can I buy the book Lies by Princess Ssanyu Muwema in Uganda?
My book retails for 50,000 Shillings (UGX 50K). As of now, I don’t have a placement in a library or whatever, but readers can contact my mother directly, tell her that they want a copy, and she will be able to bring the book to you. For all official copy orders and delivery logistics within Uganda and across the globe, customers can get in touch directly via Call or WhatsApp on +256 773752326 or 0701256446.
Where do I see myself in the next 10 years? I mean, I will definitely continue writing books, but I also really want to become a pilot. So, I will be a pilot and then just do book writing as a side job. Thank you very much!
