“TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN” _ UCHE PETER UMEZ TELLS JEFF UNAEGBU IN THIS INTERVIEW

ABOUT UCHE PETER UMEZ:

Uchechukwu Peter Umezurike (or Uche Peter Umez) is a Nigerian author. Umez's first published work of poetry, Dark through the Delta, deals with the recurring despoliation of Nigeria using the Niger Delta as its motif. The poems in the collection earned Umez a highly commended review as a "poet distinguished not only by the easily demonstrable honesty of the compassion and social commitment he expresses, but also by the highly evocative powers of his language, his inventiveness and the compelling lyricism of his poetry. A graduate of Government & Public Administration from Abia State University, Umez is also the author of Tears in her Eyes (short stories) and Aridity of Feelings (poems). His children's novella, Sam and the Wallet, was the winner of the ANA/Funtime Prize for Children's Literature and the runner-up for the 2007 Nigeria LNG Prize for Literature. His unpublished children's novel, The Christmas Gift, won the 2008 ANA/Funtime Prize for Children's Literature. His collection of children’s short stories, Tim the Monkey and Other Stories, has been accepted for publication by African First Publishers. He is currently working on his first full-length novel.

For excerpts from his book, The Runaway Hero, click here:

http://www.outofnigeria.com/2011/04/23/out-of-nigeria-exclusive-runaway-hero-by-uche-umezurike/

JEFF UNAEGBU: Sir, you are a veteran of children’s literature, and the strings of awards, especially from the Association of Nigerian Authors, the Nigeria LNG Prize for Literature and the Spanish Embassy in Nigeria attest to this. More power to your elbows. How does it feel to write while assuming a child’s eye view? 

UCHE PETER UMEZ: It feels both exhilarating and demanding, demanding because you have to be very, very conscious about your diction. Exhilarating because it is fun in a way, and you are not too conscious about aesthetics and metaphor.  

JU: Very apt! Ok, in the book, The Runaway Hero, one senses instructive hidden messages that are distilled from the tough and resilient Nigerian adult world. These messages are passed to children in subtle forms. Messages such as harsh economy (“Big Mummy is broke”), ritual killings (“…the men had driven the children to a native doctor in some far-away village where they would be used to make wealth”), are passed down. These make the book unique and very real, unlike a fantasy-tale children’s fiction. Were they done on purpose (social-realism) or no? 

UP: No, I don’t think I really did those things on purpose. The truth is this: any time I set out to write I try as much as possible to sneak “political statements” into my writing, because I feel that politically Nigeria is in a deep mess and people should be re-awakened to this sad yet avoidable reality.

JU: Kachi runs away from the Nkem Orphanage for fear of Big Mummy’s punishments—which he was no stranger to— because of the unwitting cut he made on a bully’s knee with a penknife, does Big Mummy’s punishments reflect the tendencies in some parents to dish out punishments too quickly and naively without searching for the roots of a child’s seemingly evil action?

UP: Yes, it does reflect the tendencies in some parents. Take for instance the issue of child-witches that was all the rage in a part of our country at one time. Many adults who were involved in persecuting and branding the children as witches did not reason that some of those children’s errant behaviour might actually have stemmed from an unstable upbringing or home, or from an emotional craving or fear which translates into mischief or misbehavior. Most times when a child’s need is not met or satisfied, such a child may involve in anti-social activities. This is even so, because every child needs gratification.

 JU: At first, Kachi is not the thrash-all regular kind of hero (he “was used to being laughed at, put down, so [he] did not get much put out”). At the end of the book, he was in the spotlight. Does it follow then that there is always hope for molested children who dare to push beyond their immediate torture environment to escape into the real and equally dangerous world?  

UP: You know there’s a part in The Shawshank Redemption in which Tim Robbins tells Morgan Freeman that hope is a beautiful thing, and I think The Runaway Hero tries to offer hope to every child who feels “put down” either by their peers or society, that being bold and daring pays off in the long run.   

 JU: Ok. The Runaway Hero is an exciting and suspenseful tale, fit to be adapted into a movie or one-hour TV drama, are there plans underway for this, seeing that children also love to watch movies? 

UP: It would be great to adapt it to a movie. Perhaps, since you are the professional in that area, we could work on something in the not-too-distant tomorrow.  

 JU: That will be lovely! I look forward to that day. Now, Nnedi said to Kachi, “You don’t know how to speak to a lady”, does this mean that even children at age nine and ten already have a keen sense of the battle of the sexes, especially in this case where Nnedi talks too much and when she is made aware of this, she ignores the fact of her loquaciousness and expertly turns the guilt to the boy with the retort above?  

UP: I have a daughter who’s almost 4 and nephews and nieces between ages 7 and 12 and I am often stunned when I am in their midst, their words, their alertness and eloquence can quite bamboozle me pleasantly.  

JU: Children are sure growing faster in their brains these days! Now, Sir, what advice do you have for writers who hope to also write children’s literature? 

UP: Read as many children’s books as you can find, books from different continents, and of course observe children whenever you find yourself around them. Try and understand the needs of children, particularly the psychological needs such as need for affection, belonging, to achieve and be recognized, and need for independence.

 JU: Thank you Sir, for this exhilarating interview. I hope to chat with you again someday! 

UP: It’s my pleasure, and really, I look forward to reading more of your writing.