What does Ake Festival 2019 theme ‘Black Bodies, Grey Matter’ mean to you?
I suspect that it might mean having conversations unique to us as Nigerians, Africans and Black Skin people.

Which African or Diasporan novel do you think best explores the Black Body?
Maybe not in its entirety, but ‘More Than Enough’ by Elaine Welteroth [Nonfiction] did something for me in this regard.

You are asked to write an African femme fatale as an alien. What physical attributes would she have?
Visible Whip.

What book would you give to a dark-skinned young woman who has expressed an intent to buy bleaching cream?
Maybe not a book, but a video I saw recently with Bobrisky saying that’s an endeavor [she] wouldn’t have embarked on.

Does the African writer have a specific role to play in the current world order?
Yes we do. That narrative that we think has died, left such a lasting impression and must be intentionally replaced by the right stories.

Which person do you think best represents an African perspective in the ongoing discourse on gender?
Honestly, no one to me.

You’re giving a talk at a symposium on mental health, which African novels will you reference?
Betty Irabor’s book, Dust to Dew [Nonfiction].

Name a character from an African novel that you could rewrite as a different gender, and why.
None. I believe in the context they were depicted (the books I have read) they fitted.

What two things should every teenager understand about mental health?
It is PARAMOUNT.
It is an INTENTIONAL self-awareness responsibility.

What is your vision for the Black Body?
Embodying all the blackness, darkness, melanin, and curves.