You are slated to feature at this month’s Guest Writer Session of Abuja Writers Forum. How does it feel to be given such an opportunity?
It’s always a privilege and honour to interact with literary enthusiasts and booklovers. I am grateful to Dr Emman Shehu and The Abuja Writers Forum team for inviting me. I have a feeling I am going to enjoy my time at the Guest Writer Session.
You are a recipient of so many awards. The most recent of them being the 2014 Fiction fellowship at the Norman Mailer Writing Colony, USA. How do you feel about it and how has the award motivated you to do more?
I think I am overrated. Getting recognition for your work and opportunities to further your craft is a good thing. Writing is a solitary journey filled with uncertainties so it’s refreshing when you are commended. However, winning awards should not be the focus. If anything, literary honours have a way of putting you on a pedestal that you constantly fight to keep. If you are not careful it will become a distraction in the end. Becoming more skilled and finding your uniqueness should be the aspiration of every writer. If I could write all my work again, I am convinced I would do it better. A writer’s fulfilment should come from knowing that he has told a story the best way he could.
Your earlier published works are short stories. What informed your decision to write a novel?
I love telling short stories. Short narratives are not what one writes in preparation for a novel, but they are a distinct art form on their own. The brevity and concentration of the short story form makes it effectively emotional. In the case of full length works you need to sustain the reader’s attention; you need to take them on a journey, not a sprint. I have always wanted to write a novel so I have written one. You will hear of it soon.
Your previous short stories, especially “The Book of M” explores the themes of corruption, oppression, greed and so many other social ills. Could it be concluded that you are one of the literary realist writers? Why don’t you romanticize?
I wouldn’t go as far as calling myself anything. I really do not want to be predicted as far as the kinds of works I produce are concerned. I want to push the boundaries of form and content. As at the time I wrote “The Book of M,” I felt compelled to explore social-realist themes. In recent times I have been thinking along the lines of magical realism and experimental fiction. So I write what I like. I don’t think a writer should be told what to write. You can’t always tell what a writer should write by what people read. The tastes of consumers change sometimes without the notice of the industry gatekeepers.
Who is the brain behind Writers’ Studio?
Writers’ Studio was simply an idea whose time had come; I simply discovered that.
What does it want to achieve?
Our model is simple; we create a platform where experienced writers and aspiring authors can interact, a mentoring arrangement of some sort. We are not interested in the analytical, academic approach to the written word. We simply want to stimulate creativity and imagination. Writers’ studio started a year ago and so far it has been well received. We have held workshops in major cities in the country and will be in Johannesburg and Cape Town later in the year. We will be running the writing workshops at this year’s Writivism Festival in Uganda. We can do more if we have support.
You said sometimes ago on your twitter page that there are too many wanting to be celebrities and not enough artists. What do you mean by that statement?
American writer and Nobel laureate William Faulkner once said the artist is of no importance; only what he creates is important. While I find that ideology skewed, I believe the writer’s major responsibility is to his art. He should be too busy with creating to care about fame. He should enjoy what comes from working hard, but he should not be distracted by it. Many writers are trying to be better than their contemporaries or predecessors. The only person you should try to be better than is yourself.
Is there anything you find challenging in publishing your works?
A lot of things, but I am here because I didn’t allow them to stop me.
There is this aura of fear and uncertainty between authors and publishers. What do you think is the source of these fears and how can it be doused?
The fear and uncertainty comes from the poor condition of the book industry. It takes time and a lot of effort to prove your competence as a writer, especially in a place like Nigeria where there are no support systems and the appreciation of the arts is low. We need a multifaceted approach to improve the situation and everyone must do his part. We need more initiatives like AWF guest writer sessions and Writers’ Studio workshops.
Tell us one good thing about writing that keeps you going.
The opportunity to wake up and start again, or continue from where I stopped.
What is your advice to aspiring authors?
Be committed to improving your craft. Put in serious hours, seek help and don’t give up.
“All that is gold does not glitter. Not all those who wander are lost. The old that is strong does not wither. Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken; a light from the shadows shall spring; renewed shall be the blade that was broken. The crownless shall again be king.” It’s from “Lord of the Rings.”
– Ibrahim Ramalan can be reached on 08036922747
