Uchenna Awoke
In Conversation
This week we spoke to Uchenna Awoke about breaking silence through stories, writing in Nsukka, and finding global support systems.
Interviewed by Zulaikhah Agoro.
ZA: I’d like to start by asking about your writer's origin story. When did you first become interested in writing and telling stories? What was your early experience like as a writer?
UA: Growing up, I read everything that came my way, from crime thriller novels by James Hardley Chase to the Nigerian Pacesetters series, which dominated the shelves in my part of the world in the nineties. I was fascinated by the way their authors crafted stories that captivated readers. I was challenged to write like them. However, I rediscovered myself as a writer in 2016 after I met Ejiofor Ugwu. He’s currently a PhD student in Syracuse University. Meeting him redefined fiction writing for me. He read everything I wrote and gave me feedback. I published my first short story Shallow Grave shortly after I met him. Shallow Grave appeared in Elsewhere Lit in 2017. It helped to create plot ideas for the novel now called The Liquid Eye of a Moon.
ZA: Wow, that is amazing. So after getting the idea for the plot which is basically the foundation of the story, how did you successfully transition from writer to author? What was your journey to getting published like?
UA: I think becoming an author was a natural progression for me despite all odds. I have always loved stories and been captivated by the power of words. The transition from writer to author began with offer of fellowships by MacDowell and the Vermont Studio Center in 2017 and 2019 respectively. These fellowships were critical in my career as a budding writer. They gave me the opportunity to network with other writers for insights into the publishing process. Robert Lopez, a visiting writer to the Vermont Studio Center, took interest in my work when I showed it to him and gave me my first professional criticism, so valuable, so memorable. He went ahead to introduce me to my agent Annie DeWitt of the Shipman Agency.
ZA: That is a very inspiring journey indeed. I believe it’s important for African writers to be not only represented in the Western publishing scene but also acknowledged. Now, about the book of the moment. I think The Liquid Eye of a Moon is a very interesting story because it examines an hierarchical system that most people outside eastern Nigeria don’t know about. Why did you decide to explore this in a book?
UA: I am glad to hear that.
I was inspired to write The Liquid Eye of a Moon by acts of discrimination and othering that I find around me. I know the power of literature and how writing can confront suffering of any kind, whether it’s human tabooing or poverty, so the idea of writing the novel was to break the silence surrounding a hidden and dangerous contemporary system of human tabooing. The story is live-wired by empathy and community.
ZA: Also, you live and write in Nsukka, Nigeria, the creative hotspot that is also notably the first home of literary giants Chinua Achebe and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Is there something in the water there that creates amazing writers? What impact did this environment have on your writing?
UA: Chinua Achebe and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie are two of my strongest influences. They are authors I respect so much for their profoundness, their vivid character portrayals, and their unique and powerful blend of language and world building techniques. Yes, Nsukka is the first home of these literary icons, so, perhaps, there’s something about that university town that inspires cool, calm, creative energy.
ZA: The Liquid Eye of a Moon has also been likened by reviewers to J.D. Salinger’s 1951 classic, The Catcher In The Rye? Do you agree with this comparison? What narrative influences, if any, did you have while writing this book?
UA: Absolutely, in the sense of both novels focusing on troubled adolescents who are telling their own stories, and more importantly, in both themes capturing the mood of a generation grappling with the aftermath of war and the challenges of transitioning to adulthood: struggles with identity, societal expectations, and the loss of innocence.
ZA: I definitely agree. Now, let’s explore the technical side of the craft for a while. What does your writing routine look like in the practical sense? How do you balance writing with your other professional and creative commitments?
UA: I have been on a fellowship (Artist Protection Fund/Arkansas International Writer-at-Risk Fellowship) for almost one and a half years, so I have had a lot of writing time. This gift of time is everything for me. I used to do eight hours of clerical work. After office hours, I tried to give my family and my writing some attention before bedtime. Sometimes I found myself dozing off on the couch, and even ended up passing the night there and waking up at dawn to a blank page. Sometimes I’d startle to the echo of Fulani herdsmen’s firearms. When the fellowship came along, I realized that I could dedicate a whole one and a half years to my writing and still receive stipends to live on. More importantly, it’s a sanctuary for me from the series of herdsmen’s attacks that left my region volatile. Generally, I don’t think I have a routine. My pen is my catapult. I go everywhere with it and shoot at words and ideas as though birds.
ZA: I think that also goes to show how important it is for creative people to have a supportive infrastructure, especially when writing from the African continent. I am very glad you are able to focus and spend more time with your ideas. Speaking of that, can you tell us about what you are working on now? When can we expect your next work?
UA: I am working on my second novel. I am at the revision level.
ZA: Finally, if you could share one piece of advice with any aspiring author reading this, what would it be?
UA: My advice to aspiring authors is patience and hard work. Be persistent. For some writers, it takes a very long time to achieve success. Keep writing and refining your craft, and, in due course, you will find an audience for your writing. It’s also important to attend conferences, workshops, and residencies. Be professional.
Uchenna Awoke lives and writes in Nsukka, Nigeria. His short stories have appeared in Transition, Elsewhere Lit, Trestle Ties, Oyster River Pages, The Evergreen Review, and other places. He received fellowships from MacDowell and the Vermont Studio Center in 2017 and 2019 respectively. He is an Artist Protection Fund Fellow and the inaugural Arkansas International Writer-at-Risk Residency Fellow, currently living in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He is also a 2019 Graywolf Africa Prize finalist. The Liquid Eye of a Moon is his debut novel.
