I SEE MY LITERARY PIECES AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS MYSELF ON DIFFERENT SOCIAL ISSUES - NWOKEABIA, IFEANYI JOHN
Nwokeabia, Ifeanyi John is an alumnus of Federal College of Education, Kontagora, Niger State and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State. He has authored a collection of poems titled “Immortal Words” (2021). He was shortlisted for the ENDSARS poetry competition organised by the Society of Young Nigerian Writers in collaboration with International Human Rights Art Festival (IHRAF) USA, 2020. His poem also appeared in the anthology 'The Best of 2020 Poet of the World', a publication by Inner Child Press, USA. His other works are published in different online platforms like Poemhunter , voicesnet , The Shadow Tales Review , AceWorld , calseriesblog , qwenu , opinion Nigeria, SYNW Blog etc. In this interview with Wole Adedoyin, he talks about his writing career.
WA: TELL US ALL ABOUT YOUR WRITING BACKGROUND- WHAT YOU’VE WRITTEN, WHAT YOU’RE CURRENTLY WRITING
NIJ: I have written poems published in different online and offline magazines. I had written opinions on education published on Opinion Nigeria. I write reviews too, for published books. And currently, I have different unfinished works; short stories and poems etc. that I'm trying to complete in time not far.
WA: WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT A PIECE OF WRITING-
NIJ: The message, with its accompanying style, interests me in a piece of writing.
WA: WHO ARE YOUR FAVOURITE WRITERS AND WHY?
NIJ: It's always hard to pick a favourite writer because every writer writes with his/her uniqueness. And the uniqueness of a writer makes a writer special in their respective literary works. But I will love to appreciate two writers among others; Chinua Achebe and Isidore Okpewho on the role they played in exposing me to rich African literature. The simplicity of their styles served me best in my early days in the literary field.
WA: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A NEW WRITER STARTING OUT?
NIJ: well, we are all writers starting out, so I will advise us to keep our head straight, and discover our God given ingenuity. There's not entirely a new story, rather style has ways of recreating originality. Discover a style that will stand unique, and you will watch yourself excelling. In other words, carve a niche for yourself.
WA: WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO WRITE?
NIJ: I really do not have a special inspiration whenever I set out to write. Every mood, every environment, my life experience etc. are much inspiration to me. But one thing stands out as an inspiration, which is my inability to engage in verbal argument, so I see my literary pieces as an opportunity to express myself on different social issues.
WA: DO YOU HAVE A WRITING ROUTINE? A PLACE THAT’S SPECIAL?
NIJ: No, I don't have a writing routine. I write at will. No time, no day, no particular place. Whenever I receive the message, I open my notepad, and write.
WA: HOW, WHEN AND WHY DID YOU FIRST START WRITING?
NIJ: It's in 2011 when l was a student of Federal College of Education. As a student of English Language, we wrote intermittently on Students' Days to perform it for fun. But in the year 2014, I became more serious with writing. This change was caused by the attack of a suicide bomber to our school, which took a life away. My eyes were opened to see that a writer is a social crusader. So, I began to write more often.
WA: WHAT WAS THE FIRST PIECE YOU EVER HAD PUBLISHED?
NIJ: Immortal Words (A Collection of Poems) was the first published by me. Although before its publication, I have had other online publications in different magazines.
WA: DO YOU ADDRESS PARTICULAR THEMES OR ISSUES IN YOUR WRITING?
NIJ: Being a product of the society, I write on different societal issues. I write on politics, morality, love, peace and other issues that our society is in search of.
WA: HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED SENDING YOUR WRITING OUT INTO THE WORLD?
NIJ: It's not easy. I had been my worst critic. I will always tell myself that my work is not good enough. So, each time I planned to send a work out, I will feel so uncomfortable. Sometimes, I do paint a mental picture of where people finished reading my work, and started making mockery of me and my piece.
WA: WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR IDEAS FROM?
NIJ: Classroom. As a teacher, whenever I'm in class teaching, I see myself through my students as a child growing up in the village. So, through that, I get striking topics I could research on, and equally come up with best words to give them life. That's why I always tell people that I'm a writer who navigates the world while in the classroom.
WA: HOW DID YOU GET YOUR PUBLISHER?
NIJ: Social media have been a veritable tool. My Publisher has been a facebook friend. So, I had always seen his advertisements from time to time. When I prepared my manuscript for publication, I sent it to him, after due consideration, he notified me of his company's acceptance of the work for publication.
WA: TELL US WHAT KIND OF RESPONSES YOU GET FROM AUDIENCES\ READERS.
NIJ: So far, it's been beautiful responses.
WA: HOW CAN PEOPLE FIND OUT MORE ABOUT YOU?
NIJ: I'm on facebook@Nwokeabia Ifeanyi John, twitter@Nwokeabia_John, and WhatsApp. Further information on me can be seen through google too.
WA: TIPS, TRICKS, THINGS TO PASS ON TO DEDICATED WRITERS?
NIJ: Every dedicated worker must receive a wage. It may not flow in easily, but once heads are bent, and candles are continuously burnt, one day, reward must follow suit. Don't compare your success to another; it may lead you to depression. Just keep doing your work happily, and believing in yourself. Never lose hope!
WA: ANY TYPICAL/COMMON MISTAKES THAT NEW WRITERS TEND TO MAKE?
NIJ: Some of us want quick success in our writing career. If you are in this group of over desperate writers, please stop being too hard on yourself. Writing alone is energy sapping, then imagine when you add over thinking to it. Not every writer will win an award in his/her under twenty or twenties. Success is success no matter when it comes.
WA: WHICH OF YOUR BOOKS WERE THE MOST ENJOYABLE TO WRITE?
NIJ: Immortal Words has been the only published one, so, it's still the most enjoyable.
WA: TELL US ABOUT YOUR FIRST PUBLISHED BOOK? WHAT WAS THE JOURNEY LIKE?
NIJ: Immortal Words is my first published book. It was published by Poemify Publishers, Aba. The journey was not easy. Its energy sapping because sometimes you will wake up to a message demanding your immediate attention, some corrections made or about to be made on your work. But the joy of getting your work out there for the wider audience surpasses every stress.
WA: On your latest Book titled “Immortal Words” Can you share with us something about the book
NIJ: Life loses its immortality once breath is cut off and buried or cremated. Before conception, a foetus sign bilateral agreement with death - to live & die once. But Immortal Words is a gentle reminder to humans that the power of words can always dare and defeat the power of death by sitting comfortably on the pages of a book.
The collection goes on to ramble through the labyrinth of life, throwing up love, happiness and morals for eyes to eat and transport genuine change to the hearts of humans. It serves as a catalyst to reawaken humans' spirit towards seeing possibility for positive change in society.
Immortal Words reaffirms that life does not end in death, rather it's a beginning to immortality.
WA: WHAT IS THE KEY THEME AND/OR MESSAGE IN THE BOOK?
NIJ: The key theme is immortality. This immortality depends largely on humans given words life that can outlive them just as we are still reading the words of great poets like Christopher Okigbo, Ikeogu Oke etc and novelists like Chinua Achebe, Chukwuemeka Ike, Cyprain Ekwensi and others.
