What’s the most memorable casual reader feedback you’ve received on your writing?
This email: “All I was left with when the book came to its close was the thought ’I can’t wait to read her next’, you know, the same feeling one has after a bloody excellent meal.”
Tell us your writing process – from conception to first draft.
I take an interest in a country. I then travel around the country and talk to people, constantly scribbling notes or recording things on my Dictaphone. Every evening I type up my notes and transcribe my recordings, no matter how tired I am. Then I email them to myself. I also write a diary as it’s a good way of chronicling my feelings (emotions can be surprisingly easy to forget over time). Once I fly back home, I transform my observations into prose. My writing is most prolific after midnight.
Why travel writing?
It combines my two loves: travel and literature. I love reading books that transport me to another place and teach me things about it, so I want to do the same for others.
What were the high and low points of your tour of Nigeria?
The high points were the dog show at Ibadan, the Durbah in Kano, and eating plantain and goat non-stop. The low points were seeing young kids having to work for a living, as well as visiting Port Harcourt Zoo (the conditions were so bad I was too embarrassed to write about it).
Foreign literary prizes: have they done more good or harm to African writing?
They’re a force for good. They ensure that a certain level of quality is maintained, otherwise standards might fall (you only have to compare our newspapers of today with papers 40 years ago to see how easily writing standards can drop). Foreign prizes also lend prestige and financial support to a profession that’s not lucrative. This is important in places like Nigeria where financial hardship causes many youngsters to overlook literature as a vocation.
Do you think Africa is being fairly depicted by contemporary African writers? And is this portrayal something that should necessarily preoccupy writers?
I think African writers portray Africa fairly and in a rich variety. If people don’t like the realism they should criticise the politicians and criminals who create that reality. There’s no point shooting the messenger. Writers should worry about accuracy rather than positivity. Good literature must come from an honest place; it’s not a form of propaganda. Besides, most foreign perceptions of our continent aren’t actually based on novels – they’re based on television news.
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