Associate editor at The Republic and author of ‘Anti-Racism Beyond the West’, Chinonye Otuonye, believes ‘Editing isn’t simply about taking away words or sentences and adding new ones.’ ‘It’s ultimately about structure and clarity.’ Read our interview.
Editor at The Republic and author of ‘John Mugufuli’s Baby Fever’, Christopher Olaoluwa Ogunmodede, believes great writing emerges from practice. ‘Just like leaders are made, not born, great writers develop themselves. Or at least, great writing is a skill that can be taught.’ Read our interview.
Author of ‘Zombiescapes’ and ‘For the People Without the People’, Dafe Oputu, believes the importance of political representation is understated. ‘It’s literally a matter of life and death—people die in Nigeria every day because of lack of political representation.’
Lawyer, editor at The Republic and author of ‘Fela’s Republic and the #EndSARS Protests’, Tunrie Bisi-Afolabi, believes we need writers now more than ever. ‘Writers are guardians of truth,’ she says, ‘and in this climate of erasure and obliteration by the powers that be, writers have never had a more important mandate.’
Politics scholar and author of How to Write about Boko Haram, Sa’eed Husaini, thinks it’s important to know how to write a ‘shit draft’. ‘Finish the full writing task first,’ he says, ‘no matter how unpleasant the initial output may seem, and then return to tidy up the mess.’
Author of A Stranger’s Pose, Emmanuel Iduma, is ‘often working towards a first, near-final draft… I want any piece of my writing to be written with the intensity and personableness of addressing an imagined reader.’
The last book author of Stay with Me, Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀, disagreed with is, ‘one I am working on now. Ah, why? A scene I was precious about had to be discarded but it would not leave without a fight.’
Writer and social justice advocate, OluTimehin Adegbeye, says her biggest motivation is love. Love, she explains, 'is exponentially more demanding and more transformative than what it has been reduced to in the popular imagination. It sits at the centre of what I consider the greatest intellectual and literary enquiries.'
Writer, journalist and author of ‘Soundbender: The Many Lives of Beautiful Nubia’, Kemi Falodun, believes good writing requires practice. ‘One must make an effort to improve. Although there are factors—social, financial, environmental—that may facilitate or impede one’s capacity to develop the skill.’
Author of ‘We Need New Names’, Ibrahim Anifowoshe, is currently interested in Islamic representation in Nigerian fiction. ‘I am fascinated by Jinn stories and Muslims know many of it. It’s like The Conjuring but with a Qur’an and prayer mat.’ Read our interview.
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