Up and Close with writer Arinze Ifeakandu

Arinze Daniel Ifeakandu is a 200 level student of English and Literary Studies at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He grew up in northern Nigeria. He understands the local language there and of course, Igbo; his dialect. Arinze is a lover of words. This interest began since he was a younger man. He is not so old today. He is at the peak of his teen age but he has had more encounters with words than some of those who are older than him.

Daniel has served as a class representative and a stoic lover of the arts at the department of English. He is a feminist, even if he would not put it in that term. He is an advocate for human freedom and rights that do not endanger the happiness of another. He has loved Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie since he could call the names effortlessly like it was a part of him. Recently, his dream of meeting one of Africa’s brightest lights in the literary community of the world birthed. Arinze, for the first time visited Lagos for a workshop where his love, Chimamanda and the Kenyan nonfiction writer and Caine Prize winner, Binyavanga Wainaina taught selected young African writers.

Everyone should meet Arinze. He is a quiet, playful and very opinionated young man. When he is not diverting some of his upkeep money for African literary books he can be seen amongst choristers. He is a lover of classical music. He once threatened to abandon English for music. Highly creative a writer of short stories and occasionally, poetry, Arinze agreed to answer ten questions for RottenBiro. Enjoy him.

Describe your falling in love with writing.

I actually fell in love with writing long before I could spell. I am the first child, you see, so I told stories to my younger ones, and to my classmates. At first, I retold the stories my mother told us, but later, I created new stories, some lasting for days. I even had sequels. And then I learnt to spell and, after I returned from boarding school, my siblings started complaining that I spent too much time writing stories, instead of telling it to them. That’s my love story.

What exactly do you think is creative writing?

Well, I don’t know if I have a definition for creative writing. I like to think of writers as creators, as gods, in the sense that we bring into being. And creation is beautiful, and organized in a very disorganized manner. For me, this is creative writing, writing that is beautiful, writing that inspires one in the way that a beautiful lady inspires a man, and writing that is disorganized in the way that life in general is.

You grew up in the north. Did that trigger anything in your creativity?

Certainly, yes. My growing up in northern Nigeria exposed me to the various permutations of being Nigerian. I have seen people love, and I have seen them kill. Nigerians know so much about the United States and about England, but we know so little about one another. As a young writer, I have come to realise how we, as humans (not just as Nigerians now) could be conveniently oblivious of one another, and how there is always a lover in the killer, and a killer in the lover. This has inspired some of the conflicts in my story.

Do you think studying English and Literature makes one a better writer than a critic?

Not at all. I’ve met young writers who are Lawyers, Medical doctors, etc, and who tell beautiful stories. I have also met students of English and Literature who do really bad writing. Much of writing has to do with reading, and where the department offers one an opportunity to read widely, it doesn’t give one the tools to interact with those works on a creator-creature basis.

How do you relax?

Oh. I read. I listen to some music. I basically lounge around. Sometimes, I look for someone interesting to talk with.

Describe your journey to meeting Chimamanda and what have become of you since the workshop.

When I applied for the Farafina Trust Creative Writing Workshop last year, I reminded myself not to hope too much. When I checked my email on the appointed day and found nothing, I sighed. The next day, I just checked again and I saw the Farafina email. Chimamanda had read my story! She loved it! She had chosen me from a shortlist of fifty chosen from over nine hundred entries! I was the youngest in the class, but there were many young people too. Twenty two of us. Chimamanda thought I was talented, and she said so, and it made me scream inside. She’s a writer I adore, and her validation validated me. I am more confident now. And I see myself as a writer, and as a result, I work harder and more committedly. Plus, I made a lot of friends whose works inspired, and still inspire me. We exchange stories, make suggestions, and help in editing.

Will you pursue writing full time?

That’s my hope.

Do you think the writer is a social critic or an entertainer?

I think the writer is both. But it’s important to note that different writers see their art in different ways. The American novelist Toni Morrison, would tell you for instance that it doesn’t really matter whether or not a work is racist, that what really matters to her is what the writer has done with language. Chinua Achebe, on the other hand, would write you An Image of Africa, and call Joseph Conrad a “bloody racist.” I believe that writing has the power to enlighten, to remind us that in the different ways we reveal our humanness, we are still, basically, humans. And humans love, humans hate, humans lust, humans fear. If that is social criticism, why not?

How do you invite your muse?

Well, I don’t really invite the muse. Most times, something happens and then I hear the words in my head, and I write them down. I think the muse actually invites me, because I could be in a crowded bus and if I’m not careful I’d scream, “yey! I got it, I got it.”

Writers are characterized by a lot of 'dirty' habit of smoking anything in sight, experiment with sex, drinking, and travelling. Which is your addiction?

Hahaha. I’m not sure about that oh. I’ve not met many writers yet, but the few I’ve met don’t all smoke, although I’m not sure I’d say that’s exactly dirty. I’ve met a writer who eats lots of fruits, and that’s pretty healthy. But, like everyone else, I have my own dirty habits. Oh, I’m not sure you want to hear that. Okay, I’m your average guy who would drink no alcohol because he’s too messed up with things he can’t stop, and he’s trying to tell himself, “Well, I can say no to beer at least!” I think that’s really dirty, and messed up.