IN DEPTH INTERVIEW SERIES: Week of 9 May 2016

John Attah Ojonugwa

 

1.Tell us about yourself:

My name is Ojonugwa John Attah. I am a Nigerian poet and short story writer. I also write football reviews and compose text messages. I teach English Language and literature. I have a poem in the Best New African Poets Anthology and I have been published on notable literary platforms in Nigeria, Uganda, The USA amongst others.

2.Tell us about the poetry scene in your country:

Poetry is a large genre in my country. These days, people get involved unlike in the past when only those involved were the poets and those who loved poetry events. The promotion of poetry is something that has been done gradually since many persons in the past believed only prose was the thing and if you weren't writing prose, you were never read. Right now, poetry is gaining ground with the number of poetry festivals, poetry workshops, award ceremonies and seminars organized for children and adults alike. The spoken word is also gaining ground as well.

3.What influences your creativity?:

My creativity is influenced by a lot of things. One of them is nature. Whenever I see trees, the sun, the moon, animals, the birds and feel the general movement of nature, I pick up something. These days, I take photographs of nature with my phone until I get a camera as a birthday gift! Secondly, people, situations and events influence my creativity. There is a part on social media and then there is a daily interaction with the tea man somewhere, the tout on the road, the tomato seller and all others. This is why I love meeting people and experiencing several situations which are likely to develop the innate part of me that tends to keep those experiences for future use. Another influencing factor on my creativity is music. It just does not matter the genre. Sometimes, it depends on what I am doing or on what I am thinking about. The music could be hip hop, blues, jazz, gospel, reggae or pop. It depends on what I listen to at a moment or what I am doing at the moment. Sometimes, I love it quiet or alone to help me think more to create.

4.How do you get around life and your creativity, how do you achieve balance between these, living and creativity?:

Combining life and creativity can be so interesting. One thing that improves my creativity is my daily interaction with all that life consists of. It is not good enough to disengage both from each other and feel alright. Life goes with creativity and that is what I feel. One thing for me is to live my life daily interacting with those I meet and with the animals or things I encounter and to an extent, bring them into my
writing.

5.What do you think is lacking in writing, or poetry-making in the continent and how do you think we can solve this?:

I will choose to speak about the problem of poetry-making in the African continent because it is very important. Prose and drama took early centre stage in and around the continent. Poetry was initially seen by many as a genre filled with complexities in language, imageries and all. Many refused to dedicate their time to interpreting in their own words, the content of poems they come across. This withdrawal led to a lot more problems. Although the continent keeps rising in this area, a lot still needs to be done. One problem I feel needs to be addressed is that of an early contact with poetry from childhood for many school children. At the primary or basic level, nursery rhymes like "Twinkle, twinkle little star" and "Old Roger" could be taught before other poems from poets around the continent and beyond are taught at intermediate and tertiary education levels. At that point, the learners would have encountered the poems and works of old poets like William Shakespeare, John Milton, Robert Burns, William Wordsworth, John Keats, Ralph Waldo Emerson, PB Shelley and co while kicking on with modern poets like Chimalum Nwankwo, Tendai Rinos Mwanaka, Shittu Fowora, Jumoke Verissimo, Damian Opata, Daniel Chikwuemeka, Chuma Mmeka, Ejiofor Ugwu and the numerous poets brought to the limelight through the publication of various anthologies of poetry in and around the world. If we begin from the grassroots, poetry will become more than a national or continental genre and not be limited to only those who read, write or critique it. This is the type of transformation the continent needs. Poets are as well not properly recognized, promoted and awarded. This has to change but we must start somewhere.

6. If you were a poem, what type of form will you be in and why?:

Waoh! That is a tough one there. If I were a poem? Well, I do not have a particular form which I love. When I initially started poetry, I loved the sonnets of Shakespeare and the pattern as well but I prefer the nature of poems these days. They barely follow a certain pattern as each person tries to develop something beautiful instead of being limited to a particular form or content.

7. What type of sports are you into?:

I love football. Although I am a Chelsea fan, I love football without borders. I prefer people discussing or arguing about football with some bit of sense and not negativity, taking in the truth no matter how painful and learning further by listening to the opinion of others whether favourable or not. I also love volleyball and basketball but I love watching and playing football more!

8.Tell us about your poem(s) in BNAP:

 I have a solitary poem in BNAP. It is titled "I Have Been Watching You." The poem is written from the point of view of a young man whose lover has done something terrible and wants to own up but remains silent. This silence makes the poetic persona to speak in these words to his lover: "I have been watching you/I know you want to say something/But you don't want to or are afraid to do so.." The lover concludes by saying "But I will keep watching you!" It is a poem I love and for it to appear in the
anthology is an achievement.

9.What do you think can be done to improve BNAP anthology in the future editions, marketing, editorial etc?:

First of, I would like to register my gratitude to Tendai Rinos Mwanaka and Daniel da Purificação for the consistent efforts in searching for good poets as well as good poems from the continent and beyond and creating a melting pot out of our varied creativity in all its forms and themes. There were challenges no doubt but the successes recorded thus far have been amazing. Although there are successes all around, there are places the anthology can still improve. One of them is in the area of promotion both of the BNAP anthology and the contributing poets. As I speak, a lot of the contributors in certain parts of the continent are yet to hold the anthology in their hands which should have been before other readers and reviewers did. The marketing as well needs to be improved upon. Besides Amazon, if there are other retail outlets, there should be co-opted into the distribution of the anthology. If possible as well, let there be publishers in at least four to five African countries so that the production and marketing stress will reduce and the anthology get to the contributors and other readers in time. All the best to all the contributing poets for the future. I am happy to have featured in this wonderful anthology!

Thank you for the interview.