Nigerian novelist and author of Leave My Bones In Saskatoon, Michael Afenfia, says his latest novel on immigration was inspired by his experience and that of a few family members and friends: ‘I felt compelled to share what the japa experience can look like, particularly because not many people are comfortable talking about what the reality is versus what it is made out to be.’
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?
I read a lot of the classics growing up, mostly for school and as part of the educational curriculum. However, most of the books I read at home and for leisure came about because they were titles being read by my older siblings. So, I read books by authors such as Harold Robins, James Hadley Chase, Betha M. Clay, Robert Ludlum, Sidney Sheldon, Maria Puzo, and John Grisham. Of course, the younger me had read Enid Blyton and a lot of literature for young minds.
If your life so far was a series of texts, which text (fiction or non-fiction) represents you at this moment?
It has to be Becoming by Michelle Obama and Truth Telling by Michelle Good.
What’s the last thing you read that changed your mind about something?
I would say I Can’t Make This Up by Kevin Hart. Hart’s resilience and grit is inspiring...
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