Nicole Moore, co-founder of Words of Colour, explains why she is stepping down as Creative Arts Director and outlines her future creative plans.
Estelle has not only taken the charts by storm with her single American Boy, but has impressed Joy Francis with her funky new album ‘Shine’.
The loss of one of her twin boys inspired holistic complementary therapist, artist and writer Hyacinth Myers to offer other parents a creative outlet. She highlights why.
Susan Yearwood has launched a new literacy agency. As one of a handful of UK-based black book agents she is on the look out for talented new voices.
Read the second and final part in our series - a week in the life of a budding writer - with our short story competition winners. This time it’s runner up Mahsuda Shah.
January 2008
Winning ways - Ola Awonubi
Ola Awonubi is in her early 40s and lives in Stratford, east London. A secretary by profession, she describes herself as a ‘writer in training’. Despite a love of travel and singing, writing is her great passion. She is currently working on a novel.
How old were you when you started writing?
Around five-years-old. I used take my Ladybird and Enid Blyton books and write short stories around them with black characters. I used to imagine myself as the black member of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five.
When was the first time you saw yourself as a writer?
When I realised that writing gave me a buzz that I couldn’t get from pursuing anything else. Also when I went to a Centerprise Literature Project workshop and learned the nuts and bolts of writing.
How would you describe your writing style and approach?
This story [The Pink House] was actually written in class while I was on the Advanced Writing course at Centerprise run by Jacob Ross, where I learned about the techniques behind writing - and am still learning! In this story, I decided to put myself into the position of a voyeur, looking in from the outside, in this case the eyes of a little girl. I believe that a writer is a like a sponge, soaking up all what’s going on around them in their family, community, the media, and country, and storing it. In my case it is all put in a notebook that I carry around. Sometimes I keep newspaper cuttings. One by one, aided by my imagination, I begin to let my mind play with the different possibilities. For example, a politician leaves his wife for his secretary. I write about the story from the eyes of the secretary’s mother/ girlfriend/ ex-boyfriend/ politician’s wife/children/etc... The possibilities are so exciting! My writing is about writing from the inside looking in. I think this stems from being born in the UK and being taken back to live in Nigeria for 17 years. I saw Nigerian society through the eyes of a little black British girl and sometimes I still do.
Why did you choose to enter the first Words of Colour writing competition?
I was checking the literature training website (it’s a really good resource on competitions, funding and training for writers) and I saw it on the competition page. I thought, why not?
What made you submit The Pink House?
I read it during a reading at the Centerprise Literature Project in Hackney and it was well received. I thought why not submit this to a competition. When I found that it had won this [Words of Colour] competition I thought, someone appreciated it, and it is about finding a market for the story.
Can you briefly describe what the story is about?
The Pink House is life seen through the eyes of a little girl who lives on a street in Lagos Nigeria in the seventies as she observes the lives of her beautiful young neighbours. She wants to be just like them when she grows up. It’s a coming of age story in a way because although she is innocent about the hypocrisy of the society she lives in, she comes to realise that adulthood is not all that it makes out to be.
How do you feel about winning?
Great! I feel very encouraged to get out there and keep writing. I hope to win many more competitions!
Have you entered any competitions before and if so, what was the outcome?
I’ve entered a few and haven’t won anything. But after winning this competition I’ve had a couple of stories come out on the secret attic website and Africanwriting.com.
Who are your favourite writers and why?
My favourite authors are Chinua Achebe, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Buchi Emecheta, Alexander McCall Smith of the No 1 Lady Detective series along with Charles Dickens, Jane Austen and Andrea Levy. I particularly like Achebe and Adichie because they write about an African society struggling to live a modern life while holding fast to traditional and cultural norms.
Where do you want your writing to take you?
Into being published. I am currently working on a novel, it’s a cross cultural romance set in London. I started it when I was at Centerprise under the tutelage of Jacob Ross and since writing is my passion I intend to do all I can give it more work until I see my name in print. It’s been my dream since I was five. And as you can see from my answers, I am an optimist.
Young playwright Bola Agbaje, winner of an Olivier Award 2008 for her powerful play Gone Too Far, gives an insight into her writing goals.
Naz Koser director of Ulfah Arts, Birmingham explains the stories behind the creation of a female Muslim superhero.
Award winning playwright Kwame Kwei-Armah reveals why Pakistan, Sweden and Israel want to adapt his plays and why Bob Marley is on his mind.
Meet the winners of Words of Colour’s first writing competition Ola Awonubi and Mahsuda Shah and discover what they share in common.
