I didn’t think anyone would be interested in my book, says award-winning writer

and get into the car now, “Sunday School!” Even as an understanding human being.

One thing I found fascinating about the novel is the depiction of sibling rivalry through the characters of Ajie and Bibi. How important do you think this rivalry was in shaping the individuals they both grow up to be?

I don’t know if I can answer that. I’m asking these questions myself.

It has become the norm for books set in the Niger Delta to touch on the impact of oil companies in those communities. How important do you think literature is in giving voice to this agitations or raising awareness of environmental issues in the Niger Delta?

Literature is made of things in life. There is nothing else we have to make literature. All these things mentioned above are in life and therefore worthy subjects of literature. I don’t know about “giving voice to agitation”. A more effective way of doing that would be more overt political actions like protest, lobbying, pamphleteering, arguing, voting, boycotting products, pressuring government, everything humanly possible apart from say killing ourselves.

Your writing is lush and measured. Is this born out of some kind of writerly influence and what writers might this be?