The final day of Ake Festival’s Book Chat kicked off with a gratitude speech from Lola Shonenyi, reminding us that all good things must come to an end. But before we said our goodbyes, we had an amazing lineup of book chats to enjoy.
Book Chat 1: Romance is in the Air
Hosted by Khadija Sanusi, this session featured Fatima Bala, author of Broken: Not a Halal Love Story, and Timendu Aghahowa, author of The Bishop's Prodigal Daughter.
Timendu shared how it took her four years to finally write her book – Wow, talk about perseverance. Fatima confessed she loves writing romance novels because she wants to read stories about people like her.
Both authors took to the stage to read from their books. When asked how she navigates the box of expectations that comes with her writing, Fatima had a refreshing response: "The box doesn't exist around me." She also shed light on the title of her book, ‘Not a Halal Love Story,’ explaining that it was a deliberate choice to manage expectations. "It's not a clean romance," she said. “I knew I was also going to get preachy at some point.”
Timendu shared a heartwarming testimony about the impact of her book. "People have told me that church hurt them, but my book helped them," she said, eliciting a round of applause from the crowd.
The session ended on a high note, with Timendu announcing that Zino, a character from her book, would be getting her own book sometime next year. You can imagine the excitement!
Book Chat 2: Quest Novels Take Center Stage
Abdulkareem Baba Aminu hosted this session, featuring Nnedi Okorafor, author of She Who Knows, and Umar Abubakar Sidi, author of The Incredible Dreams of Garba Dakaskus. Umar started the session with a heartfelt testimony, thanking Ainehi Edoro, founder and editor in chief of Brittle Paper and Dami Ajayi, a renowned poet and writer, for giving him a face in the literal space. He also attested that it was his first time at Ake. In his words, “I have attended several literary Festivals, but being at Ake feels divine.” No truer words have been said.
Both authors shared their writing journeys, with Nnedi admitting that she doesn't believe in writer's block – "If you say it exists, then the more it exists. Focus, focus, and finish."
Nnedi also sang Ake Festival praises, calling it her favorite festival and "always a breath of fresh air."
Questions that stood out during the chat included: How did you write this book? Umar's response was refreshingly simple: "I just wrote it."
He was determined to write something different – a novel that wasn't just a novel, but a piece of art.
Nnedi, on the other hand shared that the idea for She Who Knows came to her while writing another book, Death of the Author. Excitedly, she disclosed that she has three books coming out next year.
Book chat 3: The Grand Finale
Hosted by Amyn Bawa-Allah, this final book chat featured Sue Nyathi, author of An Angel's Demise, and Maame Blue. It was a bittersweet moment - attendees were sad to see the festival come to an end, but it was inevitable.
Sue shared that it was her first time at Ake Festival, and when asked about her favorite Nigerian dish, she said pepper soup. Maame, on the other hand, chose Jollof rice, (The best food in the whole wide world.)
Sue took us through the backstory of her book, explaining how her first draft was initially titled Skeletons of a Closet. She fleshed it out, added a historical concept, and voilà! An Angel's Demise was born. Maame shared how a visit back home inspired her story, which came to her in its entirety. She wrote the first half in London and the second half in just two weeks. Wow!
Next, both authors treated the audience to readings from their books. When asked what readers should take away from their books, Maame said, "Have more conversations with people, and hopefully with the elders if they're still alive."
Sue urged us to know our history, to reckon with it, and try not to repeat past mistakes.
The session ended with a thoughtful question: What is the concept of finishing a story? The authors' response was spot on: "First draft is never the finished draft. The longer you work on it, the better it becomes. The story has to end at one point. When you get your characters to where they're meant to get to, then the story is over."
We feel like these are the perfect words to end this session. Well, the Ake Festival Book Chat has come to an end, but the memories and inspiration will linger on. Until next year, stay bookish, and keep on reading…