As an African policy researcher, sub-editor at The Republic, and author of ‘Algeria’s Indefinite Pause’, Temi Ibirogba, sees a lot of misconceptions about Africa and blackness. ‘One common misconception is that Black issues are not global.’
First Draft is our interview column, featuring authors and other prominent figures on books, reading, and writing.
Our questions are italicized.
What books or kinds of books did you read growing up?
Growing up, I fondly remember reading Things Fall Apart and Purple Hibiscus and how monumental those books were for me. Both books provided ways for me to feel connected to Nigeria and its history while growing up in America, and they also made me feel seen. The main characters of the books we read at school or that were targeted to my age group in the library normally didn’t look like me, so reading stories like these and seeing Nigerian names was really important for me.
If you could rewrite a classic book/text, which would it be and why?
I would rewrite George Orwell’s 1984 but have it take place today. The past few years have been difficult globally, from Trump to persistent racism to the pandemic. It would be interesting to see dystopian elements in a modern-day novel. Like Black Mirror, but a book.
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