Africa's
first Nobel Laureate in Literature, Wole Soyinka has inspired hordes of writers
across the generations, and one of them is Yemisi Aremu Otasanya, who candidly
vouchsafes:
"I
was inspired most by Wole Soyinka. I came across his book 'The Trials of Brother Jero'
and 'The Lion and the Jewel' in
Literature class. I prayed that (one day) God would grant me the
opportunity to meet him in person"
Her wish would be granted later on, just as
her dream of becoming a writer would also be realised. She has published books
like Perfect Body Perfect Baby After Delivery; and Above the Ether.
Her
love for creative writing was stoked as a child. "My passion for writing
started at the age of 8. Going down memory lane, she explains:
‘My passion for writing started at
the age of 8, when out of boredom, I picked up my pencil and wrote my first
poem. Daddy was my first audience. May God bless his soul. He laughed heartily
after reading the poem. It was more of a paradox about a frog who could not
sing, but was a choir master.
"Rather than hang out with my friends
during playtime, I spent most of the time imagining about adventures in space,
fighting aliens and conquering colonies. I imagined I was a dashing
irresistible warrior princess with no interest in love, a super hero, a secret
spy and much more. At the age of 11, while in year 1 of Junior Secondary
School, I wrote an adventure script and shared it with my friends. They loved
it and pressurized me to write more, but I deterred.
“As a teenager, I wanted to be a
scientist and not pursue writing. I had a secret herbarium where I carried out
research on the flora in Abuja city and did a lot of research writing and
occasional articles in local dailies. I also engaged in loads of freelance
writing and editing for friends, collecting stipends in return.
“I am currently an IT project manager, an author, a mother and wife and I love studying nature, stars and their constellations, elements, history, cultures, managing complex projects, meeting people, dancing (I have my own symphony, lol). I am crazy about science fiction."
“I am currently an IT project manager, an author, a mother and wife and I love studying nature, stars and their constellations, elements, history, cultures, managing complex projects, meeting people, dancing (I have my own symphony, lol). I am crazy about science fiction."
She adds: “I do loads of research
before embarking on a writing project and I have God as my father. I never make
assumptions about people or jump to conclusions without hearing both sides of
the story. I believe we all have the chance to be better. My weed is writing. I
hope you enjoy reading my books.”
Otasanya
who desires to become a "best-selling writer" has healthy respect for
African literary icons like Chinua Achebe, and Buchi Emecheta.