Author's Hangout with Zizi
Can you tell us about yourself — your life, background, and educational journey?
Although born in the east, my early life was spent in the streets of Lagos, specifically in Surulere. After primary education there, I finished tertiary learning at Government College Owerri, before studying Banking and Finance at Imo State University. I worked for about five years before obtaining an MBA from the University of Benin.
What first sparked your love for writing? Was it a moment, a person, or a particular experience?
When I once read a version of the ‘Three Little Pigs’ tale in a book my dad had bought for me, I was left feeling like the story should have had a different and much darker ending. I then went ahead to write one... and it thoroughly frightened my little brother as well as my 8-year-old self. I’d always been a voracious reader, but that singular experience showed me I could fashion my own stories.
How did you discover your writing genre? What drew you to it?
My genre (historical paranormal fiction) stems from the kind of stories I’ve always been most interested in–less-known history, mythology, indigenous lore and mystery, as well as the supernatural. I’ve written in other genres, of course, and while I love dabbling in suspense thrillers, for me, these that always held the greatest fascination.
With the knowledge that much of our indigenous history, legend, and lore remains poorly documented and underrepresented, I explored how much evidence of historical events with a paranormal aspect exists right here in our cities, towns, and villages. Doing so, I understood how much of the stories surrounding such true events have never fully been explored and decided to detail them in fiction format... artifacts like the soapstone statuettes of Esie, a town in western Nigeria; the sacred tomb of Bilikisu Sungbo–famous for being said to be the actual biblical Queen of Sheba–in Ijebu-Ode, and the Nsude pyramids of Enugu. These and others are real, tangible evidence of some strange and sometimes wondrous events in our history that deserve not to be forgotten.
Growing up, my favourite Western authors tended to be in the horror and supernatural suspense genres–writers like Stephen King, Clive Barker, and Neil Gaiman, as well as science fiction authors like Isaac Asimov, Frank Herbert, Phillip K. Dick, and Clifford Simak, shaped my interest in those genres. After a period of not fully appreciating African literary writers, as I grew older, I loved the simple but powerful evocations of Chinua Achebe, John Munonye’s stylings (he actually taught me in college), Soyinka’s prose, and Elechi Amadi’s content. This makes me seem eclectic, to be sure, but if I really had to pick an influence among the indigenous writers I know, it would be Cyprian Ekwensi. I believe his works are still largely unsung in our lifetime, and that he was one of the few great suspense writers we ever had.
What kind of research goes into your writing? How long do you usually spend gathering material before starting a book?
We all grew up hearing fables and urban legends that were cautionary tales for our childhoods. Memories of them, as well as my investigation into what constitutes our various cultures, have proved to be a treasure trove of such accounts, both ancient and modern. Following up on them sometimes proves daunting, I find, and has involved travelling down to historical relic sites, museums, and locations of such events to gather first-hand accounts. Besides that, I employ internet websites and chatrooms to fill out any plotline holes that would prevent my writing from being viable historical fiction. It takes me about a month to gather the information needed to start a book and, barring any unforeseen delays, I usually take about three to four months to produce a first draft.
We all grew up hearing fables and urban legends that were cautionary tales for our childhoods. Memories of them, as well as my investigation into what constitutes our various cultures, have proved to be a treasure trove of such accounts, both ancient and modern. Following up on them sometimes proves daunting, I find, and has involved travelling down to historical relic sites, museums, and locations of such events to gather first-hand accounts. Besides that, I employ internet websites and chatrooms to fill out any plotline holes that would prevent my writing from being viable historical fiction. It takes me about a month to gather the information needed to start a book and, barring any unforeseen delays, I usually take about three to four months to produce a first draft.
Visiting the tomb of Bilikisu Sungbo–the woman that the locals claimed was the legendary Queen of Sheba–was a unique experience. Any man entering the tomb ground (women were not allowed inside) was required to go barefoot. Also, any who prayed to her could expect to see their wishes granted, so I prayed for billions, of course! In addition, inspecting the desolate forest site of the Iva coal mines of Enugu, accompanied by a pair of cutlass-carrying young men in a period rife with abduction and ransom of strangers, was nerve-wracking, to say the least.
My challenges were pretty much the same as experienced by most writers in a genre as uncommon as mine: time, good editing, publication cost and most importantly, promotion. As I couldn’t attract a traditional publishing company, I had to self-publish the two volumes of ‘Distant Shores’, my novel about the infamous ‘Igbo Landing’ event of 1803.
How many books have you written so far, and do you have a personal favourite?
My published books total four so far, and hopefully I’ll be adding a fifth before the year's end. Of those at various stages of completion, I currently have five: three novels and two short story collections. Picking a favourite of all my works would be like asking which of my children I consider dearest to me–each one was a labour of love... and despair, oftentimes.What would you consider your greatest achievement or proudest moment as a writer?
Like any other author, I guess, a great achievement beyond the thrill of finally seeing your vision in black and white would be to gain the recognition of your peers in the field. Right now, I would say being once introduced as an expert on the subject matter of my first book to a room full of erudite scholars and lecturers of Igbo history was a nice feeling, even if I didn’t deserve it!
Oh, it's not easy. The pace of activity needed to sustain and raise a family these days is quite daunting. For me, it was only when I scaled back my private business activities due to health concerns that I was able to do more and then consider publishing stuff I’d been scribbling for years beforehand. It’s still difficult, but my family has come to accept my unrelenting passion for this ‘writing thing’ and usually affords me time and space to indulge. Of course, it helps that the kids aren’t so small anymore that they need constant monitoring.
To that, I’ll say I’m still learning and finding my way. My real writing journey really began about five years ago, and I’ve come to appreciate that patience and the willingness to learn and improve your craft are of utmost importance. When it comes to marketing and promotion, I’ve discovered that we as Nigerians seem to have a bias against our own homegrown talents, which is not healthy.
Like any other author, I guess, a great achievement beyond the thrill of finally seeing your vision in black and white would be to gain the recognition of your peers in the field. Right now, I would say being once introduced as an expert on the subject matter of my first book to a room full of erudite scholars and lecturers of Igbo history was a nice feeling, even if I didn’t deserve it!
Oh, it's not easy. The pace of activity needed to sustain and raise a family these days is quite daunting. For me, it was only when I scaled back my private business activities due to health concerns that I was able to do more and then consider publishing stuff I’d been scribbling for years beforehand. It’s still difficult, but my family has come to accept my unrelenting passion for this ‘writing thing’ and usually affords me time and space to indulge. Of course, it helps that the kids aren’t so small anymore that they need constant monitoring.
To that, I’ll say I’m still learning and finding my way. My real writing journey really began about five years ago, and I’ve come to appreciate that patience and the willingness to learn and improve your craft are of utmost importance. When it comes to marketing and promotion, I’ve discovered that we as Nigerians seem to have a bias against our own homegrown talents, which is not healthy.
How do you market your books, and which methods have worked best for you?
Beyond the usual marketing tools touted by so-called ‘social media experts’ these days (most of which prove ineffective, anyway), I took advantage of my stories being mainly based on real historical events, or of people, and places. Consequently, I was able to attend ground public events where they are showcased. The last of such was the 75th anniversary of the Iva Coal Mine massacre, which was held in Enugu last year, and on which occasion I was able to hold a joint book launch and reading of my book titled ‘IVA’. The upside of such is the almost guaranteed sales of my books on site, whereas outside of them buzz has remained relatively low. I also try to place my books with book lovers like me who have a large following, to have them talk about it.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers who wish to follow in your footsteps?
Ha–ha... I would say they should not expect to make a good living solely from fiction writing for mass consumption. It’s not to say that there aren’t good returns to be made–after all, the field encompasses a lot more, such as scriptwriting, ghost writing, copywriting, etc, but being a genre author in this day and age requires commitment and patience. Without such qualities, a new writer might face quick disillusionment.
Exciting. And disappointing, but not in equal measure. The recent boom in black speculative fiction is something I love, but the marked dwindling of attention span created by social media is impacting badly on readership levels. Granted, in the past, such diversions were non-existent, but the extent of imaginative laziness–worsened by the advent of AI–is something that doesn’t bode well for creative development, in my opinion. Others may not agree.
How does your family feel about your writing career?
As I previously alluded, their reactions vary discriminately between general amusement and occasional pride. I choose to ignore the former and fully embrace the latter.
Do you see any of your children showing interest in writing as well?
My first son dutifully reads some of what I publish; my last-born son cannot be bothered, but my only daughter, who took to loving storybooks the same way I did in my childhood, is one of my biggest cheerleaders. She has probably read more of my works (whether published or not) than anyone else in the world.
Luckily, I’ve managed to turn my favourite hobby–writing–into a real passion of sorts. Otherwise, I sometimes ride my hybrid sports bicycle along the length of Lagos Coastal Highway as a form of relaxation and exercise. I’m also a big fan of movies, especially ones based on books by any of my beloved authors, as well as characters drawn from comic books and graphic novels.
Where can readers connect with you and learn more about your books?
Since my author website became largely inoperative last year. I now rely more on my link tree, which is: http://linktr.ee/dikeekejiuba. Contained there are links to my published works on both Amazon and Selar, as well as links to my Instagram and my Facebook author page.
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