March - Idoko Ojabo

1. When and why did you begin writing? What inspires you to write?

I started writing at the age of 15. I remember writing a play for a school magazine which was rejected. Later in life as an undergraduate I was able to polish the same play and publish in a campus magazine that I established. My father had a library filled with novels. I started reading seriously before I turned twelve. Due to my exploits, the desire in me to create and tell my own stories was ignited.

2. Do you have a specific writing style?

I am very experimental when writing. I love to use the present tense which sometimes is so difficult for me.

3. What inspires you to write?

The reading I do inspires me to write. The dramatic events that happen around my life and Nigeria inspires me to put stories on paper..

4. Do you have a major theme that runs through most of your works?

I have noticed a trend that flows in most all my stories. There is always an absence of a father figure in the lives of my main characters. Talking of the themes in my stories, I try to warn Nigerians about the consequences awaiting Nigeria for embracing corruption. I also try to put on paper the consequence of infidelities.

5. What books have most influenced your life most?

Books that have influenced my life are: ‘Things Fall Apart’ by Chinua Achebe, ‘Ake’ by Wole Soyinka, ‘Disgrace’ by JMG Coetzee, ‘The God of Small Things’ by Arundhati Roy, ‘The Inheritance of Loss’ by Kiran Desai, ‘The Satanic Verses’ by Salman Rushdie, ‘Beloved’ by Toni Morrison.

6. If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

I consider JMG Coetzee, a mentor. I still write so badly in present tense, it is a tense I would want to live with for the rest of my life. Coetzee, to me, is the best user of the tense.

7. What book are you reading now?

I’m currently reading ‘A House for Mr Biswas’ by V.S Naipaul.

8. Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

The newest author that have grasped my interest is Adaobi Nwaubani. She is such an awesome writer. I like her style. She grips her reader’s mind so well using a wit effect. Myne Whitman, Onyeka Nwelue, and Lola Shoneyin are writers that I’m really following in Nigeria, today.

9. Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about his/her work?

I will pick Aravind Adiga, as my favourite author so far… His booker prize winning ‘White Teeth’ is a work I would love
anybody I meet to read.

10. What do you think of the Nigerian publishing industry?

Self publishing is the only way out in Nigeria. We have only Farafina and Cassava Republic as publishers in Nigeria as far as I am concerned. The two publishing houses mentioned only promotes established writers. They hardly give aspiring writers in Nigeria a chance.

11. What comments do you have about the reading culture in the country?

I don’t agree with those that say the reading culture in Nigeria is dieing. Nigerians read. All around the world, the lovers of literature are usually the smallest if compared to the music fans, sports fans and movie fans.

12. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

I just want my readers to keep on reading my works and keep pouring in their comments…