Author of ‘A Common Currency For West Africa’, Abdulrasheed Isah, wishes he had discovered Arundhati Roy much earlier. ‘I am amazed at how she writes fascinating stories with profound rigour and simplicity… and how she uses fiction as a tool to fight social injustice. Few writers combine these qualities.’
Our questions are italicized.
What books or kinds of books did you read growing up?
As a kid in primary school, I mostly read textbooks. My favourite was the English textbook because I loved its stories and pictures. However, like most kids growing up in northern Nigeria at the turn of the century, I read a lot of Hausa novels, which were in ample supply in our house and neighbourhoods.
I read all the popular books such as Ahmadu Ingawa’s Iliya Dan Maikarfi, John Tafida Umaru Zaria’s Jiki Magayi, and Abubakar Imam’s Magana Jari Ce. At night, we usually gathered around with my siblings to read until it was lights-out. Growing up, Hausa fiction fascinated me and sparked supernatural imaginations in my curious mind.
At secondary school, I was introduced to a wide range of popular English literature such as Ernest Hemingway’s Old Man and the Sea and George Bernard Shaw’s Arms and the Man. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy them as much as the Hausa novels because they were a bit inaccessible and bland to me.
What’s something you wish more people knew about the Hausa novels you grew up reading?
They were beautifully written and have good storylines.
If you could rewrite a classic book/text, which would it be and why?
If I could rewrite a classic, it would be Camara Laye’s autobiographical novel The African Child, not because the original is bad, but because it ends abruptly. It is the best book I have read in my life.
Quite apart from the author’s superb depiction of traditional cultures and colonial imprints in Guinea, I felt a personal connection with the story of Camara when I read the book about a decade ago. In retrospect, I think he shares a lot in common with me—from early upbringing in a village to the pain of separating from mother as a kid, to winning a scholarship and traveling to Europe for his studies. However, I wanted to know about Camara’s experiences in Paris, how he compared it to living in Kourassa and Conakry, Guinea, and how he kept in touch with his tearful mother. In short, readers deserve more.
What makes a good re-write?
A good re-write, for me, captures the core of the story with greater precision, texture, and depth, while making you see something you hadn’t before.
If I could, a classic I would rewrite would be Camara Laye’s autobiographical novel The African Child, not because the original is bad, but because it ends abruptly. It is the best book I have read in my life.
What’s the last book you read that changed your mind about something?
I recently read Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth. It significantly transformed my thinking on the role of intelligence in human success.
We often hear the cliché that hard work pays but the book takes a step further by combining sound theory and rigorous evidence to expound how success is largely a product of effort and how individuals build resilience despite daunting obstacles.
What’s a common misconception about African development or African economies?
A common misconception in the development literature is that African economies lack the capacity to innovate. This is misleading when you look at what is going on in the areas of technologically driven solutions across the continent such as mobile money.
M-PESA in Kenya and Flutterwave in Nigeria are just two examples of African tech enterprises that are providing innovative solutions to financing challenges in African economies. I am confident that African-made innovations will play an even larger role in unlocking growth opportunities in sectors such as logistics, health, education, and trade.
A common misconception in the development literature is that African economies lack the capacity to innovate. This is misleading when you look at what is going on in the areas of technologically driven solutions across the continent such as mobile money.
What’s your writing process like? Do you edit as you write or write a draft first, then edit?
I always begin my writing in my mind. I think deeply about the nuts and bolts of the piece I want to write: the arguments, logical style, subsections, and conclusions. It takes me a while to put pen to paper; but once I do that, the actual writing becomes a process of organizing my jumbled thoughts. While writing, I often work on different sections simultaneously, and I cherish how the essay evolves from disjointed sentences on a screen into a well-structured piece.
For me, writing and editing are inextricably intertwined. I only finish writing when I finish editing. I do not see much difference between the two, especially for short- and medium-length essays. This means that I constantly write and edit until the work is completed. However, my process of academic writing is a bit more organized and mechanical.
What was your process for writing ‘A Common Currency For West Africa’?
The idea for writing the piece developed from Twitter DMs with Wale Lawal. Before I began writing, I researched the history of Eco and the critiques around its feasibility. My objective was to argue in support of the proposed single currency, so I began by writing about the challenges facing it. Then, I explained why we should still be optimistic about the common currency and provided suggestions to make it work. I wrote the opening paragraph last. Of course, writing the piece significantly benefited from excellent comments from The Republic editors.
What’s the most meaningful piece of writing advice you’ve ever received?
I get most of my writing tips from books. Probably, the best I have come across is ‘omit needless words’ in the classic Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. This principle always motivates me to write short and direct sentences without being pretentious. Reading Nigerian newspapers will be much easier if our journalists omit needless words.
While writing, I often work on different sections simultaneously, and I cherish how the essay evolves from disjointed sentences on a screen into a well-structured piece.
Who is an author you wish you had discovered earlier?
Arundhati Roy! I had come across her works in several bookstores in Nigeria and England but I only purchased her latest book The Ministry of Outmost Happiness last year at an airport in India, her home country! I am amazed at how she writes fascinating stories with profound rigour and simplicity; how she champions the struggles of the poor and marginalized in her writings; and how she uses fiction as a tool to fight social injustice. Few writers combine these qualities. Sometimes I re-read passages in the book to savour her transcendent writing skills.
What is your favourite topic to write or read about these days?
Doing a PhD means that I spend most time reading academic works. In my free time, I enjoy reading about climate change and development. My favourite books on these topics include Angry Weather, Doughnut Economics, and A World of Three Zeroes. Also, I very much like reading articles on climate change in The New York Times, The Economist, and The Guardian. Check this latest piece published in New York Times Global Warming’s Deadly Combinations. I must also mention that I am a huge fan of essays on contemporary African affairs published in The Republic and The Continent.
So what’s a hack for reading academic texts?
To quickly understand the main idea and contributions of a journal article, read the abstract and the last paragraphs in the introduction section.
Arundhati Roy! …I am amazed at how she writes fascinating stories with profound rigour and simplicity; how she champions the struggles of the poor and marginalized in her writings; and how she uses fiction as a tool to fight social injustice. Few writers combine these qualities.
What can we expect you to write about next?
Sigh! My writings for The Republic are usually about topical but contentious issues pertaining Nigerian economy and politics. I don’t know exactly what my next piece will be about, but I very much look forward to writing something soon.
Question from Edwin Chege: Which two authors, past or present, would you have over for dinner and why?
Arundhati Roy and Abubakar Adam Ibrahim. Roy because I would like to know about her process and motivation for writing. Also, for the sheer thrill of meeting her!
Ibrahim because he is such a brilliant and courageous Nigerian author telling untold stories from northern Nigeria, a region that has received little literary attention. His debut novel Season of Crimson Blossoms, which won the Nigeria Prize for Literature in 2016, is a beautiful story of a forbidden affair between a 55-year-old woman and a 26-year-old thug set against the background of a conservative culture.
Bonus: Please suggest a question for a future author’s First Draft.
Have you ever struggled with imposter syndrome as a writer? If so, how did you tackle it?⎈
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