By Tosin Ajirire
At the age of 12, while growing up in the ancient city of Abeokuta, Ogun State where narration of folk stories and poetry by elders was the norm, Temitope O. John started writing her own stories and poetry, as well as engaged in some sketching.
To the Lagos-born youngster, writing was a way of exercising her freedom of expression and conveying her wild imaginations. However, while studying Computer Science at University of Abuja, Tope continued to horn her talent by consistently writing short stories and poetry.
Now a full-blown writer with a new title, Redeemed on the bookshelf, Temitope John shared her thoughts in this interview. Here are excerpts:
Could you tell us briefly about your background?
I was born in Lagos to a family of four. At age 10, my parents relocated to Abeokuta, Ogun State. Growing up in an ancient city with folk stories and poetry passed down from one generation to the other, I started writing my own stories, poetry, and engaged in some sketching at the age of 12 as a way of expressing and penning down my wild imaginations. During my years at University of Abuja where I graduated with a degree in Computer Science, I continued to develop my talent by consistently writing short stories and poetry. Some of my works include Vanity Lies, A Ripple in Time etc.
What gives you inspiration to write and what actually inspired your book, Redeemed?
I have had a yearning desire to reach out and also motivate the younger audience, sharing with them that it is okay for one to fall, but what matters in life is how fast one can rise.
You infused a generous dose of Biblical allusions and characters in the narration of your story. Why did your plot revolve around a Jewish priest and not Nigerian pastor?
The storyline helped communicate the frailty of human ideals, so the context and background were best to get my message through to my desired audience.
Your book captures how children of God easily fall into temptations. From your own perspective, why do you think pastor’s kids are the most wayward and rascally?
It actually is not about being a pastors’ kid. In this case, it could be any teenage girl who hails from an upright home, one who is assured of her faith. But then, no one is invisible to temptation, not even the ones who are portrayed as pure and chaste!
Do you think writers are doing enough in their works to reflect or document the Nigerian situation?
Yes, the Nigerian writers are doing so much. The Nigerian situation is relative, cultures and norms are being affected by similar issues globally. The Nigerian demographic consists of avid readers, who if you put into consideration, the plot of my book will actually connect to their stories and would be able to transmit the lessons to their own lives as well.
Writers always seem to be on a journey of seeking a perfect society, pointing out the ills, errors and failings of families, governments etc. Why are authors quick to point out the inadequacies and no attempt at finding solutions?
The best a writer can do is to pass the message and get it through; a book is not a social engineering tool, authors can only communicate the ideal situation in their minds and hope that their audience makes the best of it. Some time ago, my team and I came up with an initiative. We visited a few secondary schools; we had pep talks with the girls and donated my books to the library.
Book-to-screen is popular in movies; how would you feel if any of your works is adapted to movies by Nollywood producers?
Well, as long as it is not done without my consent, I will be elated and honoured to see a bunch of talented people try to depict this story as best as they can.
The book publishing industry is shrinking and income not quite encouraging, are publishers dictating themes to authors for commercial reasons?
Trends evolve by nature over time, yet no publisher can dictate to an author except a publishing house that is making a demand for a specific demographic. Redeemed is a unique book and it isn’t affected by all these factors.
Many authors have found participating in literary competitions such as the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) prize interesting. Are you also excited about such things? And by the way, which literature prize is on your mind to win?
Oh sure! I am excited about writing contests and awards; it’s an important factor in my pursuit. I look forward to any genuine and profitable contest including the Cane Prize for African Writing, Push Chart Prize, and Best of the Net. Perhaps, someday, I’ll win the Pulitzer Prize, Baileys Women Prize for Fiction and the prestigious Nobel Prize.
After Redeemed, what’s next on your table?
Honestly, I enjoyed writing Redeemed, so it is motivating me to do more. Currently, I am working on another book. You all should keep your fingers crossed because it is highly controversial.