What does writing mean to you?
Writing is one of the greatest inventions of humanity as it allows us to be able to record our experiences, knowledge, and creativity for posterity. Writing is the reason I could read about events that took place 2000 years ago in pre-Islamic Arabia through its poetry or enjoy a story created by Emily Bronte in mid-19th century England. It is what allows us to expand our minds beyond the scope of our immediate place, time, and reality.
How and when did you start writing?
I started creative writing when I was 12 because I wanted to create stories like the ones I was enjoying as a secondary school pupil in my hometown, Iwo, Osun State. I remember I read a short novel which I had borrowed from a classmate, and I decided to make a play out of the novel. That was my first attempt at creative writing. However, I have focused mostly on poetry for the last fifteen years, with irregular attempts at the short story genre. Poetry has worked for me because you could do it in short bits- a stanza here, a line there, and a poem is completed.
Between the time you started and today, how would you describe your achievements? Are you where you envisaged at the time you started?
It’s been quite a journey. I am not where I want to be yet, but I am grateful I have been able to write and publish poetry all my adult life. In Nigeria, most poetry books are self-published, but I was lucky to get a traditional publishing deal for my debut collection, The Texture of Air in 2015. Every now and then, I meet people who have read my poetry and are excited to tell me they enjoy my work. It is an incredible feeling.
Which were the books you were consuming while growing up? Do you still see the writers with the same eye?
My dad studied English at the Obafemi Awolowo University and University of Lagos. This meant that I grew up around books. His mini library at home held several books in the Africa Writers Series. It also had books on philosophy, economic theories and politics. I read everything, even things I did not understand. I remember reading Wole Soyinka’s The Lion and the Jewel at 14 and I did not understand the play at all. But in university, I revisited the book and I had so much fun. I read mostly African poetry and enjoyed especially the poetry of Okigbo, Soyinka, Osundare, Awoonor, Okot p’Bitek and the poets of Okike. I still enjoy them all.
How did reading make you a writer?
I do not think you can be a writer without being a good reader. Reading was what inspired me to write. I wanted to create an escape world for readers and help them make sense of the real world around them. Reading is how I continue to sharpen my skills and improve my own ability to tell stories and weave verses. Sadly, as one grows older the weight of responsibilities can mean a reduction in time available for reading. I don’t think I read as much as I used to, which means I am now more selective in what I read to optimise my reading time.
Do you think literature has the power of influencing a nation’s socio-politics and economy? How do you want your oeuvres to reflect these?
Literature is crucial to the development of any society. To imagine a better future and to shine attention on critical issues, literature is crucial. Writers have always played the role of the “conscience” of their societies, the spokespersons of their peoples, especially those who are disadvantaged and/or oppressed. It is no wonder that some books often get banned in dictators-led countries: Apartheid South Africa banned Es’kia Mphahlele’s Down Second Avenue and the Soviet Union banned Boris Pasternak’s Doctor Zhivago. I am not saying that writers are activists, and in fact many writers whose books have made incredible impact did not author the book with the intention of making such an impact. They wrote the books because they had a story to tell, a perspective to share. And that’s why I write too. I write to tell stories, to help us reflect on the times we live in. My poetry educates and entertains and it bears witness. The important thing for me is that I am writing, and people are reading and enjoying my work. In addition to creative writing, I also do a bit of journalistic writing and I have published hundreds of articles on socio-political issues in Nigeria
What inspired your first book, “The Texture of Air” and under what spell were the poems composed?
The Texture of Air is a product of love, the romantic and the patriotic. Roughly half of the poems were written in 2013-2015 for my love, Zaharat, and the other half written between 2010 and 2015, the time I was coming fully into political consciousness, was written to explore issues bedeviling Nigeria. The love poems drew inspiration from Arabic and Eastern poetry I grew up learning in Madrasa while all the poems were written to be chanted, recited or performed in the great tradition of Ewi and Ijala, the inimitable Yoruba poery traditions.
What are you working on now and what should the world expect from you soon?
My second collection, Frozen Frames, will be published later this year and I am excited to share the book with my readers.
What is the book all about?
My second book is a continuation of the The Texture of Air. The theme dominating this collection is my own journey through my 30s in Nigeria and in exile. I recently left Nigeria in a voluntary, economic exile. I never dreamt of leaving Nigeria in my teenage years and throughout my 20s, but three years into my 30s, I had left with my family. That’s something I am still grappling with, leaving Nigeria and living outside of what’s familiar and often cherished. I also explore the subject of environmental devastation and climate change. Some of the poems also the subject of fatherhood and legacy for the next generation.
How would you assess contemporary Nigerian writers and their work? Do you think they have evolved or are there loopholes that should be fixed to foster optimization?
Nigerian writers have continued to write terrific books through an incredibly challenging period of our country. Fiction and poetry are doing quite well, and a great many books have been published that I believe will stand the test of time. Another thing we can say about this generation of writers is its Nigerianness. For the first time since colonial times, Northern Nigeria is excellently represented in a generation of Nigerian writers, building on the splendid works of 20th century writers from the region. Women are also doing better than ever. This diversity, I believe, helps bring important, often marginalised perspectives into the mainstream, and our literature is better for it. The internationalisation of Nigerian writing is also a good thing, even though many are lamenting the focus of some of our writers on an international audience. But for the business side of writing to make sense and for our stories to be enjoyed by a larger audience, it does not hurt to expand the focus of our work. It is great to see so many Nigerian writers, especially poets, being published in major magazines around the word. There are still rooms for improvement and one of them is improving the readership of our literature in Nigeria itself. This might require us to change the way we publish and to meet the readers where they are.
