‘How a stranger made me rediscover Kaduna’

Malumfashi: Honestly, I do not know. You cannot teach people to be united. That comes naturally. What we do is to teach people to hate, right from the beginning. I can only do my little bit, embrace the little I can, and learn to tolerate and love more. Bookshelf: You are passionate about Hausa literature. […]

Malumfashi: Honestly, I do not know. You cannot teach people to be united. That comes naturally. What we do is to teach people to hate, right from the beginning. I can only do my little bit, embrace the little I can, and learn to tolerate and love more.

Bookshelf: You are passionate about Hausa literature. This is evident in some of your works, particularly, ‘Historical Echoes: The Literature of Hausa Women’ published in Saraba Magazine. What level of research did it take to trace the writings of women like Nana Asma’u, Usman Danfodio’s daughter, who lived from 1793 to 1864?

Malumfashi: I grew up reading a lot of Hausa books from my father’s library and I learnt to read first in Hausa before English. ‘Historical Echoes’ is one of my most favourite works because it took a lot of unearthing and deep reading to write it. Surprisingly, there is a lot of literature available on Nana Asma’u, mostly written by Westerners. Beverley Mack and Jean Boyd specifically are authorities on the life, times and writings of Nana Asma’u. So that aspect was actually not as difficult as the research on the female musicians and poets, like Uwaliya Mai Amada and Sa’adatu Barmani Choge whom had fewer literary works on their wonderful craft available, especially in English. I was privileged though to have read a lot of critical appraisals of their art in Hausa, with my father’s library filled with books in Hausa serving as an asset during the course of my research. I am glad I have been able to contribute my own little quota by writing on these great female literary champions from Northern Nigeria.

Bookshelf: How did writing begin for you, generally?

Malumfashi: I will say it began through reading. I read Magana Jari Ce, Ruwan Bagaja, Shaihu Umar and I imagined things. These early imaginations I assume were the beginning of my writing. I remember dabbling with poetry also when I was about nine years old, in the Kiddies Section of New Nigerian Newspapers. Then I grew up, went to science class, went on to study Pharmacy in the University and I did not know I would be writing again, well, because I was now destined to be a scientist. But then in the tail end of my University days, writing found me again. It is this singular thing I know how to do, and I really enjoy doing it.

Bookshelf: What are your plans if you win the Koffi addo Prize?

Malumfashi: (Laughs) I really do not know. Maybe get to read more awesome books. We will see.

Bookshelf: What are you working on at the moment?

Malumfashi: I am summoning the courage to begin work on two different novels.