Surviving civil unrest inspired me to write -Aishatu Iliyasu

Being someone who had studied administration; what inspired you to write books? Right from the beginning I am addicted to reading books, and I have gone round  a lot of places, I have seen and heard a lot of intrigues of life. I was a victim of different communal crisis; I have seen how people […]

Being someone who had studied administration; what inspired you to write books?

Right from the beginning I am addicted to reading books, and I have gone round  a lot of places, I have seen and heard a lot of intrigues of life. I was a victim of different communal crisis; I have seen how people were maimed, killed and subjected to a lot of hardship and I have experiences a life without parents. These, coupled with the zeal to leave a legacy worth emulating, are what triggered the urge in me to put pen on paper and let the world share my experience, may be by doing that, I will be able to make a positive impact on the lives of other people. That is why most of my writings are a blend of fictions and true life experiences.

How many books have you written so far?

So far, I have written three books Makircin Rayuwa, Double Face (an English version of Makircin Rayuwa) and a biography of the speaker, Kano State House of Assembly, Honourable Abdulazeez Garba Gafasa. I could remember, when Makircin Rayuwa was published I got a lot of requests from different people urging me to translate it into English language, that was how Double Face came into existence.

Honestly, the encouragement I got from the reading community is what made me resolve to continue writing and this I hope to stick to. I want to announce to my fans that I have three new books coming out soon, they should be on the lookout for them.

It is a tradition for writers to have mentors in the writing arena; can you tell us who your mentor is?

I have read a lot of books in my life both African and Western; I love books written on fiction that reflects true life experiences. In a nutshell I love Ibrahim Sheme’s books. I have read almost all his works and I can say here that he did really inspire me as a writer and therefore I hold him in high esteem. He is my mentor.

Out of the books you have written; how many are based on true life experiences?

Makircin Rayuwa is a book base on a true life experience that involved things that happened to me and to people close to me. As I have told you earlier, I was a victim of communal and religious crisis and I have experienced the bitter part of it that I don’t wish for my worst enemy. These experiences, I believe, when shared with the world will send a positive message to those that know nothings about the negative implications of their actions or inactions.

What are the challenges you faced as a writer?

Well, I can’t say I have faced much challenges as a writer, because I was guided by a specialist in the field of writing books, this special hand really put me through the ropes. And I want to state here that I will forever remain indebted to this specialist for making me what I am today in the art of writing books.

How would you rate the art of writing books in Kano State?

As a member of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), I can proudly state that writing has come to stay and I want to also appreciate the ANA Kano State leadership for creating a more viable atmosphere for the development of the art of writing in the state.

Do you think the involvement of women in writing is encouraging?

Yes, of course, we have more women as writers than what we used to have; this is because women are allowed to write on issues that concern them. And this, I believe, is what motivate more women to write and read to broaden their scope in terms of knowledge. I want to encourage women to double their efforts in acquiring education for their development. It is fascinating to have female authors who are just in secondary schools. This shows the level at which women have taken up the challenges before them.

Are you married?

No, but I am engaged.

Do you intend to continue writing after marriage?

Yes. My fiancée is an understanding person who loves to see his wife doing something positive in life.

How would you like to be remembered?

I will like to be remembered as someone who had written as many books as possible and also as someone who had attained the status of a great writer worth emulating.