“Writing is my calling” – Interview with Su’eddie Vershima
TABLE TALK
“Writing is my calling” – Interview with Su’eddie Vershima
Su’eddie Vershima is an African poet, development worker, and president of African Writers at the University of Sussex, where he currently pursues an MA in International Education and Development as a Chevening Scholar. Vershima is the author of Home Equals Holes: Tale of an Exile, The Bottom of Another Tale, and Bring our Casket Home: Tales one shouldn’t tell.
He was Joint Winner—Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) Prize for Poetry 2014, Winner, Mandela Day Short Story Prize 2016, listed on The Nigerian Writers Award 100 Most Influential Nigerian Writers Under 40 (2017 & 2018), among other notable achievements.
In this insightful conversation with Kreative Diadem, Vershima talked about his early days in writing, what inspires his writings and his forthcoming works amongst many other things. Enjoy.
Su’eddie Vershima
Chevening Scholar & President of African Writers at the University of Sussex
KD: When did you start writing professionally and can you tell us a bit about the early days?
KD: How would you describe your writing style?
KD: Can you give a brief description of your writing process or routine? Do you have any helpful writing tips you’d like to share?
” Writing is a calling for me. Something that is a part of me which I cannot discard. We will do what we can to move on.“
Su’eddie Vershima
Chevening Scholar & President of African Writers at the University of Sussex
KD: What are some of the challenges you face as a writer and poet? What steps do you take to overcome them?
Vershima: Life conflicts with writing. You have to earn and you have to be all the other things you are. At the moment, I am also a scholar so I have to face work, studies, life, and family while also trying to do my writing bit. I am also almost always working towards the promotion of writing and writers, which can be distracting itself. We are currently working towards a literary festival in Benue in June 2019. A few months away. That is work and distracting, as you cannot near imagine. The death of Pius Adesanmi on Sunday (March 10, 2019) also reminded me of the part of the writer as a social crusader. Especially in our clime. Having to do that too, is something that will challenge my creative process. But in the end, it is what it is. Writing is a calling for me. Something that is a part of me which I cannot discard. We will do what we can to move on.
KD: What was it like completing and publishing your first book?
Vershima: It was awesome. I published my first collection in 2012. I would have published earlier as I had – or thought I had – the right material. My foster father, Mr. Charles Ayede, told me to hold on a bit. He wanted me to get my work through a few critics and things like that. He would also tell me that Literature would not put food on my table. By some strange coincidence, his death gave birth to new poems in his
KD: In 2016, you won the Mandela Day Short Story Prize. What was the inspiration behind your winning entry?
Vershima: The winning entry was ‘Washing the Earth.’ It was inspired by a sunny afternoon in Makurdi. I can’t remember the details but I know that my head kept spinning. It is one of those stories that tasked my imagination.
KD: Who are some literary figures that inspire you/you look up to?
Vershima: There are a lot of
It might be weird or ironical but there are also some people who keep me on my toes and inspire me greatly. The names that would easily pop up here include my sister, Jennifer Aduro, Oko Owi Ocho (Afrika), Deborah Oluniran, and Torkwase
KD: Do your poems and short stories have a unifying theme or you simply write on matters of the moment or what inspires you?
KD: Are you currently working on any book(s) at the moment?
KD: Do you think there are enough opportunities for aspiring writers/poets in Nigeria?
KD: What advice would you give to aspiring writers like yourself, especially in Nigeria?
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