Su’eddie Agema is a past Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Authors, ANA, Benue State Chapter, 2014-2016, and former council member of the ANA National Teen Authorship Scheme. He is one of the three finalists in this year’s edition of The Nigeria Literature Prize for Literature. Ahead of the announcement of the winner in October this year, Damiete Braide chats with Agema on his writings, how the NLNG Prize for Literature can be improved to affect Nigerian writers, and the role played by him in spurring his love for literature through folktales, among others.
How do you feel making the shortlist of three in this year’s edition of the Nigeria Prize for Literature (poetry) despite the entries of some renowned professors of English, were you intimidated?
It is lovely to be on the list amid Saddiq and Romeo, my brothers. We have been through much together and have history. We are like brother soldiers who have been through so many wars together; thus, in such siblings’ presence, you can really fear nothing. The longlist was made up of people who I am fond of, too. I mean, Iquo Diana-Abasi, and I go way back, plus our publishing house (SEVHAGE) even published her fascinating collection! It has been an incredible season, which I did not see coming.
Are you optimistic that you will eventually win the competition, and what will you do with the prize money?
I am grateful to be here now, and I am taking each moment as it comes. However it pans out, I will keep working on my craft, pushing the envelope for younger and established writers by creating more opportunities, such as what we are doing now with our initiatives at SEVHAGE Literary and Development Initiative, like the Benue Book and Arts Festival.
Your work, Memory and the Call of Water, a collection of poems, can you give us a peep into what the work is all about?
The collection explores personal and collective memory with a good dose of contemporary happenings using water as a dominant metaphor. There is a journey across diverse themes from love, family, culture, politics and depression to survival, hope and redemption. Considering it is a collection that took a long time to put together, there is a mix of styles and pieces of me from various phases.
What’s your view about the NLNG Prize for Literature, which is the oldest prize for literature in the country with the highest prize?
While it is the biggest prize for literature in Africa, I think there are other older prizes in Nigeria, like the ANA Prizes, that have been on since the 19‘80s and which I was honoured to receive in 2014. But to answer your question, the NLNG Nigeria Prize for Literature keeps evolving every year. It is a prestigious prize that adds value to the Nigerian literary community, especially those on the nomination list and those who go on to win it.
You have won a couple of literary prizes. Do you write to win awards?
Prizes generally give one a good feeling. It is always nice to have a nomination here or a prize there. They make you know that you are doing something right. I have learnt not to rely on prizes or affirmations from establishments to know my worth. Soberingly, each prize places a responsibility on me to work harder. Overall, a literary prize is not really the end, but the starting point where you have to put in more so that you remain relevant in hearts which is the true prize of every writer.
In what areas, do you think the NLNG Prize for Literature can be improved upon to affect Nigerian writers?
Some say the competition should have more publicity and money for the nominated authors. Others say there should be increased publicity, tours, and that NLNG should distribute books for its nominated authors. I agree that these are legitimate concerns which should be addressed. However, it is the prerogative of the NLNG to deploy their funds in the ways they think best serve their purpose or help the literary community. It is up to us to collaborate with them. Nothing stops us from helping to promote the works of the nominated authors and winners.
You are a writer and a poet, what are your writings all about?
I try to record moments, thoughts, and emotions. My poetry often responds to situations, hoping that a message passed would touch someone somewhere and cause some change. Do I dare hope for so much?
Do you agree that your early exposure to literature by your parents spurred your writing interest?
Definitely, but it took more than that. It took me time to learn how to read, but, before then, I had siblings — Taver, Gabriel, Sever, Ngodoo, Mlumun and Theodora —who drew comics and made toy men, which they used to tell stories. These affected my early creative experience, especially since they had a way of not completing their stories. I started to draw stick men and tell my stories. I had no audience, but I was glad to do my thing for myself. When I eventually started reading, my mother introduced me to the African Writers Series, and I remember reading The Only Son by John Munonye which was so realistic that I felt myself in the world of that story. Other books of the series were so beautiful that I knew I wanted to do the same thing. Also, my father and other relations told me folktales and taught me songs from our culture. I could go on and on, but, in summary, these things were the foundation for my creativity.
Can you give your readers an insight into your poetry work, Bring our Casket Home: Tales one Shouldn’t Tell, which you wrote in 2012?
The collection was mainly inspired by the deaths of loved ones, especially my second father, Mr Charles Ayede, and my father, Mr T. V. Agema. Hyginus Ekwuazi, who wrote the Foreword to the book, helped me with part of the title and also inspired the poem, “Tales One Shouldn’t Tell.” The book also helped birth SEVHAGE Publishers. It captures words of escape and understanding the pain of my loss, while highlighting some societal ills. Some sections have love angles, while I also managed to sneak in mischief. In all, it is a book of many parts that will speak to readers and inspire many, even those who do not really think they understand poetry.
In 2014, your second poetry collection, Home Equals Holes: Tale of an Exile, won the Association of Nigerian Authors Prize for Poetry, what inspired it?
Home Equals Holes is a collection of about fifty-six poems inspired by our experiences as exiles. As with my general works, it captures deeply personal and communal experiences. In re-reading some of the poems, I have realised that I poured a good portion of myself into that work.
Can you tell your readers what your collection of short stories, The Bottom of Another Tale, is all about?
To borrow from the official description of the book, it is an assemblage of twenty-six captivating short stories of varying length that capture different aspects to contemporary African life in simple but beautiful language that would leave a lasting impression on readers. It goes beyond the ordinary to explore supernatural elements, questioning where reality starts and ends. I enjoyed working on that collection and so far, the book has gotten a warm reception based on the feedback I have received from readers.
What informed your decision to write and publish a children’s book in 2019, Once Upon A Village Tale, and what does it entail?
I wanted to create a book that captures folklore and stories I had learnt as a child, especially since these stories are no longer told. Strong parts of our cultures and the tales which helped embed several values are being lost. The book centres on a father telling his children folktales in the village, replete with songs. One of the children falls gravely ill and then an adventure begins to save that child while the father tells her more stories to ensure she stays awake, and alive. I had the first completed version of the work in 2015, but I wasn’t satisfied with it and kept reworking. There were a million rewrites, different editors, and illustrations. When my wife and I welcomed our daughter, Msen, in 2018, I knew I had to let the book go out into the world.
What is more difficult to write, a collection of poems or a collection of short stories?
They all have unique challenges and have increasingly become harder for me to finish, since I am now far more deliberate in my writings and compilations. However, poetry has been kind, giving me most of my writing laurels thus far. I now have three collections of verse in the public domain, all of which have been nominated for, or won significant literary prizes locally and internationally. So, in sum, poetry has its challenges, but it has been kind to me.
As the Chief Executive Officer of SEVHAGE Publishers, how have you been able to break even considering the large number of publishers in the country?
Ah, I have not been able to break even o. The publishing industry in Nigeria is a crazy place, especially in the realm of literary publishing. It is largely a labour of love, and when you see what people like Servio of Winepress, Amara of Purple Shelves, Azafi of Paressia and Richard Ali, Kukogho of WRR, and the like are going through, you would wonder if they are not mad to be going on in the sector (laughs). It is common knowledge that you need a second career as a backup if you are in the sector or you are caput! That said, the publishing industry is evolving, and things are changing, not due to any government effort but by spirited individuals leading the charge to ensure that writers get a better deal, like those I mentioned before, and others. A lot is happening, and considering that we have more Nigerians trying to set up presses, literary magazines, and the like, especially from abroad, there is hope for more remarkable progress. Over a year ago, Kenechi Uzor launched Iskanchi Press, while Ukamaka Olisakwe launched Isele Magazine with a stellar list of editors. There are also people like Adedayo Agarau, Salamatu Sule, Carl Terver, and others, who are not core publishers but are creating publishing channels or linking people with opportunities. So, a lot is going on, but it will be great to have more support in the sector with grants or even writers supporting publishers. Only then would we be able to break even.
After winning the NLNG Prize for Literature competition, some writers tend to fizzle out. Will that be applicable to you also when you win the competition?
I don’t think it is fair to say writers fizzle out. Maybe we can say they go quiet. People get preoccupied with other projects or deliberately take themselves out of the public eye for several reasons, which is allowed. The unsaid part of your question shows that there are writers like my good friends, Abubakar Adam Ibrahim and Jude Idada, who are still actively writing while remaining in the public eye. As God guides me, however this pans out, I hope to keep writing, supporting literature and being the best I can be in every ramification.
