I Always Laugh When They Say I Am Taking My Father’s Footsteps – Chinua Ezenwa-Ohaeto (SEE PHOTOS)

Chinua Ezenwa-Ohaeto sat down with Benneth of straight talk to talk about his career and aspirations.


There is so much to him right now but here is a quick one: He has won the Association Of Nigerian Author’s Literary Award for Mazariyya Ana Teen Poetry Prize, 2009; Speak to the Heart Inc. Poetry Competition, 2016, a runner-up in Etisalat Prize for Literature, Flash fiction, 2014 and most recently, he won the 2018 Castello di Duino Poesia Prize.

Some of his works have appeared in Lunaris Review, AFREADA, Kalahari Review, BN MAGAZINE, Praxismagazine and Elsewhere.

I’m very thrilled to have you join me on StraightTalkWithBenneth. Thank you.

Thanks to you.

Let me start by welcoming you back to Nigeria after, obviously, spending a few but remarkable and productive days in Italy and again I would like to congratulate you on winning the 2018 Castello di Duino Poesia Prize. I’m tempted to ask, would you tell me about the experience starting from you been declared the winner somewhat in January, the challenges you had getting fund for your flight tickets, and of course the actualization of that dream. Please tell me how it all happened.

"Thank you. There was no experience, I can remember, when declared a winner. I just felt happy when I got an email from the organization. But my experiences started with the funds. I was supported by the organization through Prof. Gabriella Valera. I was supported by my kindred, Okoro Obashi of Owerri-Nkworji. Then my family. I must say thanks to Muna Tassie and Ngozi Lilian Ohaeto, they made sure I got enough support I needed. Even though it was difficult getting support, I glad I made it. But it’s sad that I didn’t get a thing from the Nigerian government, I wrote through various sectors, but nothing. I felt bad. That’s all I can say."

Many people are of the opinion that say you have really set out in the footsteps of your late father, the great Ezennwa Ohaeto, would I take as an established fact? Tell me how this journey of being a writer began. Particularly, at what age did you know that you wanted to be a writer, and what did realising that mean to you?

"I always laugh when they say I am taking my father’s footsteps. No. I am taking my own footsteps the way I can. They can only be right that he inspires me. Well, I never wanted to become a writer. It all started after reading my father’s Poetry collections, at Jss 3. I tried rewriting all i read, and then showed him. He would say : Chinua just put your feelings down. I never understood him. But I went on recreating things I read. But I made my decision of becoming a writer at the University. I began reading more and understanding myself. And then writing more, putting my feelings down. In that way, I grew. Then I realized that becoming a writer is a task: you automatically become a connection or link between the society and your work. You have to let the society understand that it needs to develop for better."

In other to continue doing something, one must, at least derive a little sense of satisfaction from such thing, a great man once said. Okay, you are right, I made it up. But seriously who enjoys doing something that gives him pain? In that light, tell me, what is satisfying in writing?

"It’s satisfying, to me, because the society needs to grow. Just like i have said, the writer connects everyone and everything. There are lots of stories untold. And the told ones are there to tell the people : this is bad, that’s good, we need to develop, we need to change, we need to stop that. You see. It’s like being a priest."

Let’s go down to memory lane. You seems to be familiar with winning Prizes and contest. You contested and won the Association Of Nigerian Author’s Literary Award for Mazariyya Ana Teen Poetry Prize, 2009; Speak to the Heart Inc. Poetry Competition, 2016 and became a runner-up in Etisalat Prize for Literature, Flash fiction, 2014 with “I Saved My Marriage” how has winning this prizes evolved your creativity, affected your life and I would like to know, also, does winning Prizes and awards yardstick for measuring a writers greatness?

"Winning the prizes never evolved my creativity. As one grows, he understands certain things better. He becomes fearless. He discovers that there are too many ways to do a thing better. These are all that happened. My life has been the same. I’m my life. It is just that writing has brought me closer to poeple. You understand why they do things they do, the way they live and see life. Greatness, to me, is when one has done remarkable things through a very good means like bringing up a positive change in a society. Prizes are appreciations, they motivate all to do great things."

Financially , how has writing impacted your life?

"In Nigeria, you know it’s really had. But I am fine."

Aside written what else do you get yourself involved in?

I" read. Play football. Stay with friends. Discuss literature and the society. I go on “help the society and the youth and the poor to grow initiatives” I recently was part of the one organized by Agbalanze."

So how do you relax?

"I sleep. I enjoy it ."

Finally, tell me what you are working on right now?

"Right now, I am trying to complete my thesis. You know it’s a big research. But I am doing my best."

Thank you once again for joining me on StraightTalkWithBenneth.

Thanks for this.
*********************
There you have it ladies and gentlemen. I want to use this opportunity to encourage our writers who have not been appreciated as should, please don't give up on your dreams. Keep the writers candle on and soon the sky will be your limit.

Congrats @ Chinua Ezenwa-Ohaeto.