Living in a World of Fantasy

Living in a World of Fantasy
By Jumoke Verissimo


If Sam Jordison's article in The Guardian U.K. is a yardstick for deciding who is deserving of the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa (2008), then perhaps Nnedi Okorafor has done the impossible.

What can be inferred from his piece is that as a writer, Okorafor has committed two offences. First, the book, Zahrah the Windseeker is a book in the young adult fiction genre. Second, it is fantasy! And to top it all with Jordison's own comment: "The ‘African Nobel' has gone to a fantasy novel for teenagers. Shame it could never win a Booker."

However, reading Zahrah the Windseeker, gives a clear understanding, that those turning away from genre specific fiction, may actually be missing out. Okorafor explains that she has in the past encountered such "sneers". When entering her novel for the 2008 award, she didn't check to see if a writer of fantasy and speculative fiction would be ineligible.

Okorafor, whose nationality lies between Nigeria and America, at a book reading session held by her Nigerian publisher, Farafina sometime ago, expressed how heart-warming coming to Nigeria is for her. "I've been kind of doing my thing in the USA, that award (the Wole Soyinka Prize), made the connection."

For her, the homecoming was like "receiving an embrace from Nigeria." And, being one who is used to American critics, she looks forward to receiving recognition from Nigeria, which she believes will help balance the criticism she has received since winning the award.

Coming home from the US, first for the award and second for the Farafina event, has been an eye opener to the vibrant literary community in Nigeria. She smiles as she says how stimulating it is, to read to a group of Nigerians who love literature. "It is one of the coolest things. It makes sense." Homecoming is also an eye-opener in other ways.

The author had in the past seen her writing primarily in terms of the feedback from her American audience. The award, and publication in Nigeria, helped cement what she calls ‘the African connection'.

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