‘My writing captures the essence of me and my people’

Su’eddie Vershima Agema is the author of three books, two poetry books and a collection of short stories. He is a joint winner of the ANA Poetry Award and the founder of SEHVAGE Publishers as well as Chairman of the Association of Nigeria Authors, Benue State Chapter. He talks here about his books, his passion […]

Su’eddie Vershima Agema is the author of three books, two poetry books and a collection of short stories. He is a joint winner of the ANA Poetry Award and the founder of SEHVAGE Publishers as well as Chairman of the Association of Nigeria Authors, Benue State Chapter. He talks here about his books, his passion for literature and foray into publishing.

How was Su’eddie, the writer, not the individual, born? What were the things that shaped your decision to become a writer?
My big brothers, Taver, Gabriel and Sever used to draw comics and write intriguing stories which they never completed despite my pleas. I remember wanting to always finish my brothers’ tales! My sister, Theodora, was always the poet. My father was a story teller and my mother bought me lots of books of the African Writers Series when I was little. I learnt to read late but eventually, when I started I had some foundation to build on. Creativity has thus been there as a foundation for me. I started drawing comics right up to secondary school but somewhere, the scribbles started. I never took writing serious and concentrated more on comics and the likes. I think I also wrote a few uncompleted short stories in secondary school but nothing serious. However, by the time I got to the university, I had started writing scattered lines of what I felt were poetry. I shudder when I see some of those things today. Now, I was going through my secondary school slum book last year or so and was shocked to see that for future ambition, I wrote ‘Lecturer and Renowned Writer.’ So, maybe the decision was always there. And yes, life shaped it.

How intriguing. As a writer of prose and poetry, what determined the genre in which you express any idea?
The piece many times determines itself. I write with what inspiration comes to my head and discover after a while that what I thought was meant to be a story breaks into lines and stanzas, flowing in verse that leaves me wondering. Other times, I start a poem then find it stretching itself. That said, some poems have created fiction for me and out of some fiction I have written, poetry has been born. There are times when the same idea or experience creates both. The key thing is that no matter how it ends, whether as poetry or prose, I always find a way to tweak it while playing with the language so that there’s some finesse to it. I love beautiful language use and always try to adapt it to my work.

Your poetry touches on many things, in Home Equals Holes, for instance, there is a lot of reminiscence, love, loss and recollections. What influenced the concerns that were captured in this collection?
I believe that poetry is an expression of our innermost feelings in beautiful language that takes people to another level. Naturally then, the poems in my collections are largely derived from the various experiences that we go through, as exiles on earth. That’s the thread that inspired the final cloth that became it.

Why did you feel it necessary to include smatterings of Tiv in some of the poems in this collection?
There’s a double answer to that. In some cases, I did not consciously set out to put ‘smatterings’ of Tiv while in others, there was that attempt. For the first part, I am Tiv and I think in Tiv a lot so it is only natural that sometimes, parts of my work would come out thus. On the other note, I can say, some of my writings capture the full essence of myself and my people. There is the hope that this wouldn’t be lost so I capture it in what small ways to preserve it while showcasing its beauty which cannot be felt in any other language than Tiv.

How important do you think identity is to a writer? And when did you become conscious of wanting to project your identity through your writings?
I think identity is very important as we all have unique stories to tell from our unique positions. It helps to be able to build a voice that is distinct whether telling our stories or telling the stories of others. We have to own what we have and truly show who we are in ways that will portray our essence. Now, there’s nothing wrong in stepping out of one’s shoe to be different sometimes but the key thing is to truly be you without being an ape of someone else. I do not consciously set out to project my identity in writing, to be honest. I guess what might stand out in that light is largely something subconscious because if you know who you are, you do not really need to think about it when being you, whether in writing or living.

When you write, how self-conscious are you as a writer? I ask because you had indicated that with your second collection “Home Equals Holes” you felt the need to check yourself whereas with your first, “Bring Our Casket Home” you were unrestrained. Do you think this is a problem that plagues writers after publishing several books?
I am quite self-conscious in my writings. I have come to realise the power of words and what they can do. Once, I could easily write and let things go, then sometimes I would find fortune favour my scribbles in one way or the other. These days, almost every word has a reason and I usually have to ask myself if the message I am portraying is truly what I want to project. I am learning to let go because sometimes being too self-conscious inhibits creativity. I am also learning to be open to new styles and directions so in a few cases, I close the eyes of my heart and just flow my soul away without restriction, smiling at whatever comes out.
 
Your short story collection, The Bottom of Another Tale, has a strong strand of faith and the supernatural in it. Was this something you aimed for deliberately?
In many cases, I would say yes but not in all. I believe that faith plays a great part in our existence and there’s more to the supernatural than meets the eyes. It helps us if we get this into perspective. With that in view, you can then decide to ignore it or hold on to it. The key thing in the end is that whether by stroke of fate, strength of faith or the power of the supernatural, whatever happens to us ultimately is determined by our actions. That is the spirit of most of the book.

Some of your characters, even the most skeptical ones, eventually end up being prevailed upon by tradition, culture or superstition. What were you trying to convey with this?
That’s debatable! I can argue in the opposite but let’s not waste too much energy there. I believe strongly in tradition and culture. I think also that the word ‘superstition’ is largely suspect because what someone calls faith and religion in one context might be superstition in the other. What I was trying to convey is that we ought to respect our cultures and traditions. It doesn’t matter whether you believe in it or not. The key thing is not to ignore them or look down on them simply because we are now more Western or more religious as Christians, Muslims or yes, traditionalists. So, respect every tradition and culture but believe in what you will, and generally hope for the best.

Twenty-six stories in a collection. Why so many? What informed the decision and selections of stories that eventually featured in this collection?
I don’t think the stories are too many considering they are of varying length. The stories in the collection were chosen by myself and my editors at our publishing house. We tried to connect themes and the spirit of what we hoped to achieve. The key thing was to write an entertaining book that would help educate and excite without being redundant. We also tried to take stories that would cover as many aspects as possible; love, romance, adventure, politics and everything else so that there would be something for everyone in such a way as would leave glad.

Nigerian writer, EC Osondu recently said that the short story is not a try-out for a novel. Is this an idea you share or are your short stories a try-out for a novel perhaps?
Eh, I don’t completely agree. Some short stories are try outs for novels. You can’t help but get the feel of that when you read such tales. There are writers, like Abubakar Adam Ibrahim – easily using ‘The Whispering Trees’ as an example, Pever X, Aondosoo Labe, Agatha Aduro, Debbie Iorliam, to mention a minute few from my circles, who do this near effortlessly. It is like, you pick a short story and when you get to its end, you have the feeling of a novel. In such situations, what do we say?

Your works have been shortlisted for the ANA Prizes and you have won a couple of prizes. How have these nominations and prizes impacted on your work?
Prizes generally give one a good feeling. It is always nice to have a nomination here or a prize there. They make you know that you are doing something right, at least. I have learnt though not to rely on prizes or affirmations from establishments to know my worth. I will be honest though and say that the prizes have also made me sit up knowing that I have a responsibility. Each prize puts a responsibility on my shoulder letting me know that I have to work harder to fulfill the trust of whatever honour it was I got. There’s also that aspect of ensuring that other writers who look up to such prizes would be inspired to know that a prize is not really the end thing but the starting point where you have to put in more so that you remain relevant in hearts – which is the true prize of every writer.

You are not only a writer but a publisher as well. At what point did you realise you needed to create SEVHAGE and what is the idea behind the publishing outfit?
I can’t say exactly when the realization came. I think it is an idea that kept playing against events till it became concrete with registration in 2012. SEVHAGE was borne out of that desire to give writers a better deal than most of what we have around. Most of my friends kept complaining about one issue or the other and I had my share of complaints too. There were issues of printers who simply print your work and leave it an orphan. Others who sell your work without your knowledge while they keep the money. There were also issues of low quality in terms of output and content. Summary is at some point, the frustration of all this gets to one especially when you keep hearing one more complaint or the other, then feel the frustration from those who you hold dear. It is worse when you see works that could have been done better produced distastefully. What was the option? While there are a few standard publishing houses around, it was obvious that they weren’t enough, particularly in our parts here. The first idea was to collaborate with one or the other of the publishing houses. I sent my ideas to them and put across proposals but to no avail. In the end, we had to move into the field and do our best growing at our pace to give writers a better deal traditionally where possible and where not, getting some funds from them to help facilitate their dreams. It is a passion that has held us on.

As a publisher working in Nigeria, what would you say have been the greatest challenges?
We have the problem of distribution which reduces the spread of our works. There is also the rising price of paper which makes the publishing process far more expensive with each passing day. Another problem is that of pirates. It is bad enough that not every book gets the deserved attention from the reading public despite several efforts. When it does get that attention, if you are not careful, the pirates cash in on it before you can make a buck. Imagine us working on books of a writer like Servio Gbadamosi, T. J Benson, or Sibbyl Whyte, growing them till they get big. Then at the last minute when the book becomes a hit, the pirates come! You lose your investments and in many cases, your spirit. Then, yes, there doesn’t seem to be any policy support from government to help the industry. So, in the end, publishers are really on their own, left to their fate to fight a battle where many times they sacrifice their soul for passions they hold dear.

Considering the clime and the lack of policy support from the government for the publishing industry, do you think it is a viable business to be in?
Well, it depends on what type of publishing one is into. As a firm that is primarily literary, I think the honest answer is no, not really. The risks and the challenges plus the realities do not really make publishing viable. Now, that is talking of publishing strictly as a business. You discover most publishers often need to have a side job or something for sustenance.

Despite the challenges still, you have publishing houses like Parresia and Cassava Republic and Farafina repositioning and you have new ones like AMAB books joining the fray. Where is the optimism coming from?
I will talk about us as a group. The optimism largely comes from love and passion. I daresay that Nigerian publishers are about the most passionate people you will find around here. Most publishers came into the business based on passion and love for books and writers. We have great faith in what we do. We look beyond bleak skies knowing that the skies will bring rains to water the earth and after that, sunshine will come to make everything warm and beautiful. How fast and how well? Time will tell. So, we look on in hope as other lovers join the fray, ignorantly or with open eyes, putting hands together in belief that the day will come when all will be well for writers, readers and us all. After all, in the end, true love wins, no?

Interestingly, a Ghanaian blogger mentioned that the only Nigerian product she could readily find in Ghana are books. How do statements like this make you feel?
Glad that our efforts aren’t totally in vain. There’s nothing as beautiful for a publisher as getting your work out there and having it read. So, the wider the spread and the availability, the more warming it is.

You hosted a festival in Makurdi recently to celebrate the fourth anniversary of SEVHAGE. Why a festival? What is the idea behind that?
The idea of the festival was to start something here that is more popular in other parts of the country. Before we started though, we did a survey to find out what literary enthusiasts around here would want us to do. The general response included a festival and you can imagine, giving loads of book gifts in addition to increasing the visibility of writers and books. We took up the challenge and yes, went to work. It was challenging considering there wasn’t much time to put it together or the usual, funds. However, we did it and with Aondo’s favour, it was a success.

Is this a one off festival or is it something you hope will continue in the next few years?
Definitely not a one-off thing. We hope to continue the SEVHAGE Literary Festival making it better as time goes on in the coming years. Plans are already underway to ensure the next edition is far better than the last. Fingers crossed on that and a prayer.

As the Chairman of ANA Benue State, how relevant do you think associations like ANA have been to the development of writers in the country?
I daresay that more than half of the growth that has come to be in the Nigerian literary sector has come through the efforts of literary associations. This is especially as there is little or no support from government or big organisations. In the end, writers and passionate literary enthusiasts come together to create platforms that will help elevate the writer and the literary sector. These associations always come up with programmes that help to energise writers, promote them and create a platform where they can interact with themselves and also with readers. I am a product of associations like this. You meet a lot of people who you ordinarily wouldn’t have met. See the conventions! You meet your heroes and so many other interesting people. Through critique sessions you also get to sharpen your work. Add that to the literary competitions they offer in addition to all the other programmes like workshops that they put and you would understand. Do you want to talk of the guest writer sessions and readings? I belong to a number of associations including Abuja Writers’ Forum, Abuja Literary Society, Writers’ League of the Benue State University, Purple Silver, and under SEVHAGE, we have our literary meetings too. Each time, I go for any meeting, I come back refreshed. It is true that every association has its challenges but without them all in whatever capacity or at whatever level, the Nigerian literary sector would perish. Quote me on that anywhere.

What would be your response to claims that ANA has not lived up to expectations of writers? How would you suggest the association be repositioned?
Now, to be honest most of these expectations have not been met but the question is how much have the writers contributed towards building ANA and positioning it in such a way that it can meet their expectations? We have a lot of unregistered members and members who don’t even pay their dues. Not too many people are committed to contributing ideas or supporting initiatives of the association. Running an association where you have to source funds, formulate ideas and generally just push activities forward isn’t easy. That said, how can we reposition the association? All writers need to take ANA as something that is personal. Contribute your time and finances to the association. The CVs of a lot of people carry the membership of the association but how many of them are really registered or contribute to it? You have people who only come for the national convention once a year and ignore the state branches. So, let’s start with us-members. Let’s pay our dues in cash, in intellect and in every capacity possible. We can work with our local branches to make it better. If you think there aren’t enough prizes, why don’t you create one or bring suggestions? If you think the conventions or even the association is getting too political, why don’t you suggest ways to make them better or contribute to make it less political? Heck, you can even contest, win and bring in the changes you want! We have prominent writers and members who get busier and watch the association from afar. From wherever they are, they simply say things about the association and its flaws. Tell them to contribute o! We can’t leave it all to Denja Abdullahi, the President at the top and/or the local Executives. More than all of these, the national executive should work hand in hand with the state Executive Committees across the federation to create programmes that will favour writers at every level. In the end, it is easy to complain but as Eleanor Roosevelt said, it is better to light a candle than curse the darkness. We all have to do our bit to meet all our expectations.