Ojo: I have lots of stories to tell

Kike Ojo is a novelist, teacher and an entrepreneur.  Educated at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Ogun State, she has made story-telling and creative writing part of her daily routine. Based in Ibadan, Oyo State, she tells Edozie Udeze in this interview that while stage acting formed part of her early life, she still has lots of stories to tell as a writer

 

What inspires you to write?

Over the years, the plight of women has attracted my attention and I’ve always had this urge to document events around me. A lot of things happen to the female gender which we take for granted. I am a happily married woman and I know that life could be better for a host of other women out there.

As a natural story teller, I weave stories around what I observe with a view to exposing some of the unacceptable practices connected with the girl child and the married woman. Stories are effective in unmasking important viewpoints. For example, when I wanted to drive an opinion home with my children in the process of bringing them up, I would tell them stories.

I’m also inspired to put pen to paper because I believe I have a lot of stories to tell. I have seen so much, I have heard so much and I have learnt so much, why then would I not impact others with my knowledge? And then, one day, my five-year-old granddaughter asked me, “Granma, what was life like when you were little like me?” I told myself, “This is the time to start writing”.

At what point in your life did you realize you were going to be a writer?

Writing has always come easy for me. When I was younger, I used to keep daily journals which was seen as a diary then. As I advanced in age and began to appreciate people who were able to put their thoughts down in form of books, articles etc… and the urge to write would not let me be. Surprisingly, the impulse to write fizzled out at some point because other issues were calling for my attention.  As soon as I was done with child bearing and child rearing, I picked up my old passion

In what genre of literature do you express yourself most?

I had wanted to study Drama in the university because I loved acting, right from Secondary school days. As a student in the Department of English at the then University of Ife, I was a lead actress in some of the plays produced by the Department in my time.

For that reason, I used to think that, if I was going to write, the genre would be drama. That was not to be. When I assembled my outline, I told myself that the only genre that could adequately bring out my thoughts was prose. With prose, I can maneuver and bring out my ideas more explicitly.

How many books have you written?

I have written two books, both are in the category of Modern and Contemporary Fiction. THE FRAGRANCE OF ROSES  is about a young girl growing up in a strong patriarchal culture while FIRE IN THE WIND is about the struggles of a teenage girl who has to handle marriage, child bearing and all the accompanying complications of the extended family.

What book, in particular, triggered your muse and why?

This is a hard nut to crack. I read many authors, mostly foreign. From among the novels that I have read, I would choose Zoya by Danielle Steel. What intrigues me is the fact that the novel centred around a young lady and that is a soft spot for me. I always empathize with the female gender, be it the girl child, the married woman or the elderly woman. Zoya is the success story of a young woman who went through trials and tribulations but came out triumphantly in the end.

Of all the books you have read, which character interests you the most?

Naturally, the character comes from the book which caught my fancy in the first instance. The character is that of Zoya Ozupov in Danielle Steel’s Zoya.

Zoya Ozupov is the young cousin of the Russian Tsar. She flees St Petersburg to Paris to find safety during the Russian Revolution and WWI in Europe. Her world crashes forever as she faces hard times. She later joins Ballet Russe (Russian Ballet Group) in Paris. She picks up the pieces of her life and things turn around for the better.

Zoya gets on the fast lane and moves to New York. Then comes the Great Depression and she sinks again, losing everything she has earned. She is saved by her career and a man she meets in the line of duty. She bounces back through the war years and beyond. Her world now revolves around her family.

What intrigued me about Zoya was how a resilient young girl turned her life around by dint of hard work and determination against all odds.

When you read a book, what do you look out for most?

When I read a book, I first look for good but simple English. I look out for how the book entertains me. I look for knowledge, I am on the lookout to learn something new and I look for how the book fires my imagination.

I also look for the relevance of the story to the society. After reading, I look for the problem in the plot and how it is resolved.

Who are your favourite authors in Nigeria and abroad?

I have a long list. In Nigeria I have Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, Elsie Dennis Oghenekaro, Abubakar Gimba. Outside the shores of Nigeria, I have Danielle Steel, John Grisham, Jeffery Archer, Sydney Sheldon, Ngugi Wa Thiong’o.

If you meet your favourite author, what will be your first question to him or her?

If I meet Danielle Steel, I would ask her how she was able to churn out 159 novels in one single lifetime.

What time of the day do you like to read or write and in what location?

When I have a writing project, my day starts at around 11am. I do two to three hours every day from Monday to Friday. Most of the time, I work in my office at home. I read in my living room. I sometimes read in bed, too.

How do you arrange your library at home and in the office?

I only have a library at home. I arrange my books according to categories. There is the section for inspirational/Christian books, another one for novels, another for text books.

What book did you read last and what lessons did you learn from it?

The book I read last, which I am still rereading is GOD IS NOT HERE by Elsie Dennis Oghenekaro. The story is so captivating that one almost forgets that people actually live in such precarious situations in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria.

What book do you intend to read next and why?

I would like to read Mitchel Obama’s BECOMING MICHELLE OBAMA. Since Michelle is a very successful woman, from a humble beginning, I want to know the basis of her success and see how it can inspire others.

Are you a rereader and how often do you do that?

Some books are rather complicated but interesting and for one to fully understand and enjoy them one has to reread them. I reread quite often especially when I feel I missed a crucial point.

Has writing reshaped your life and in what way?

Writing has improved my life a lot. In my attempt to communicate, I have learnt to be simple if I want to carry readers of several persuasions along with me. I also have learnt to watch out for the way I write or speak English. I’m now more careful when I write even ordinary text messages because of the demonstration effect of my writings particularly on the younger generation of readers.