Why I created story about woven babies – Arimah

Bookshelf: Congratulations on being shortlisted for the Caine Prize for African Writing and winning the O. Henry Prize earlier in the year. How did you receive the news about the short list? Lesley Nneka Arimah: Thank you. We were all notified via an email from the director of the Caine Prize. I was honoured to […]

Bookshelf: Congratulations on being shortlisted for the Caine Prize for African Writing and winning the O. Henry Prize earlier in the year. How did you receive the news about the short list?

Lesley Nneka Arimah: Thank you. We were all notified via an email from the director of the Caine Prize. I was honoured to be short listed again.

Bookshelf: This is the second time you are being shortlisted for the Caine Prize. Last year, it was for your story, ‘What it Means When a Man Falls from the Sky’ and this year, for ‘Who Will Greet You at Home’. What are your expectations? 

Arimah: I don’t have any particular expectations. I am looking forward to getting to know the other writers and expanding my community.

Bookshelf: Your story is about a woman who weaves a baby out of human hair. How did the idea for the story come to you?

Arimah: Like most of my stories, it started with an image, in this case one of a child made from yarn. I pondered the significance of this, why a person who isn’t a child with a toy might carry around a baby made of wool, and the story eventually revealed itself.

Bookshelf: The story was so well written, one begins to wonder, while reading, where exactly such superstition exists, until you realize it is make-believe. What was your experience like, working on the piece? 

Arimah: I think it’s important when writing fabulist tales to keep in mind that while the world is new to you, your character has lived in it their entire life and so it should feel as real to them as our world is real to us. I try to write so that the world feels real even if it isn’t, especially if it isn’t.

Bookshelf: Last year, you were shortlisted for the same prize for your story, ‘What it Means When a Man Falls from the Sky’. Both stories are highly imaginative. Do you see yourself writing more in the sci-fi or fantasy genre?  

Arimah: I enjoy writing in all genres, including realism and sci-fi or fantasy. One of the appeals of fabulist stories is that a writer can examine what societal norms look like outside the framework of our familiar world. It’s an interesting way to approach social commentary and writing fantasy is also just plain fun.

Bookshelf: You were Africa regional winner of 2015 Common Wealth Short Story Prize. How do you view literary prizes and how would you say they have impacted on your work as a writer?

Arimah: Prizes generally amplify the reach of one’s work and so it’s useful in that way, to find more readers and a larger audience. There’s also the pleasant validation that comes with such recognition. Beyond that, prizes won’t affect the actual work, the part where the writer must sit in front of their computer and create. You’re still on your own there.

Bookshelf: Born in the United Kingdom and living wherever your father was stationed for work must have been quite an adventure. How have these experiences influenced your stories?

Arimah: It hasn’t really manifested in my writing in any concrete way. In some cases traveling can serve to expand your perspective and it means that there are more places I can write about with the knowledge that comes from living there, but most of my writing is set in Nigeria, and occasionally America, which are the countries I know best. 

Bookshelf: You have been working on your first novel, ‘The Children of Bones’. What should your readers expect? Also, when is it due to be released and kindly share what it’s been like working on a novel as opposed to a short story?

Arimah: Readers should expect a novel. That’s all I’ll say. To answer your second question, I tend to write in cycles and that method rewards short stories as one can easily write and revise a short story in a week or two. The novel requires more measured, consistent writing and I’ve had to adjust to accommodate that.