Interview with Amaka Umoke
Published 2018-08-10.
What is your e-reading device of choice?
My e-reading device of choice is the Amazon Fire tablet. It's simply amazing.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up in Nigeria and it is an interesting thing to grow up there. We are very resourceful and quite funny people and there are just enough drama going on that you will always find something to write about.
When did you first start writing?
I started writing at a very young age, I really can't remember right now. My mother gave me a nickname, reader's digest, I think. I loved reading stories and then writing mine so I would say that I started writing when I was about ten years or thereabouts.
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
When I'm not writing, I work in a big photography studio where I am both a manager and chief editor.
How do you discover the ebooks you read?
I have a Wattpad account and I also follow a Nigerian ebook platform called Okadabooks. I also discovered another one called Public Bookshelf.
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
I remember it, it was a school romance story between a rich girl and an average boy who would sneak through her window at night and spend the night. I'm not sure I remember where that story is now.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
I think the first story I ever read was The Drummer Boy and the impact it had on me was that there are great writers in Nigeria and i wanted to be one of them.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
I love writing. I have a lot of inner dialogue going on and it will be such a waste to not put it down for other people to read. When I write, I feel a huge sense of freedom. I love being able to write stories and take pride in the fact that it is completely mine.
What do your fans mean to you?
My fans mean the world to me. They are the reason I do what I do.
What are you working on next?
My next work is called Changed. I'm already done with it and it will published soon.
Who are your favorite authors?
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Chinua Achebe, Buchi Emecheta for Nigerian authors. Barbara Cartland, James Hardley Chase, Danielle Steel for foreign authors.
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