Onyeka giving a lecture in India





I first met Onyeka at the monthly Bookjam event held at Lifestyles session of the Silverbird Galleria, Lagos. His diction was impressive and finely intonated. He quickly passed my assesment of what i thought a writer must look like. Elitist, self-assured and arrogant!

 We met a second time in thesame place, but not during the Bookjam. Ibo intonations became noticeable and he became a lot more lively, down-to-earth and indeed, less than my imagination of a Wole Soyinka stereotype. I think i know why he dropped the guard- cos he now consider me a member of the crazy village of writing. This dude, i came to realize is one hell of a writer (even his book, The Abbysnian Boy hadnt done enough to convince me as his personality had). Crazy, independent and free thinking. I enjoyed listening to him and one other friend, David, who literaly laughed at almost every human institutions. Good way to be a writer, i think, but i am afraid, he risks too much believing in no God.

 I will, in the next few days expound on various atheistic beliefs of major Nigerian writers. Stay glued to this blog and get yourself reading!

ABOUT ONYEKA NWELUE

Onyeka Nwelue (born 31st January 1988) is a Nigerian writer and filmmaker. He wrote the first draft of his debut novel, The Abyssinian Boy within the three months of his six month-stay in India, where he had gone to write, under the invitation of the India InterContinental Cultural Association (IICCA).
The son of a politician-father, Chief Sam Nwelue, also a Knight of St. Christopher and school-teacher mother, Mrs Kate Nwelue, also an Anglican Lay Reader and cousin to Flora Nwapa, he spent 6 years in an Anglican seminary, before travelling to India, where he practiced Hinduism before turning to atheism. He writes mainly on religion and sexuality.
He splits his time between India and Nigeria.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onyeka_Nwelue