Debutante novelist, Umari Ayim, will take the Abuja literati through the fictional world of Twilight At Terracotta Indigo, her maiden published work on August 27, 2011 at the pace-setting Guest Writer Session of the Abuja Writers Forum (AWF). Now in its third year, the event holds at the Pen and Pages Bookstore, White House Plaza, Plot 79, Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja and consistently features an exciting array of emerging and established writers.
Umari Rosemary Ayim who hails from Cross River State is in her twenties and has taken a daring professional move by being a full-time writer rather than practicing law. She attended Federal Government Girls College, New Bussa, Niger State and proceeded to the University of Lagos to study law. After graduation, she could no longer hold back her passion for writing and began work on what has now become her debut novel, Terracotta Indigo. Issued by MagicWand Publishing, the novel is set in Lagos and explores the city’s disposition as a melting pot of cultures through characters who reside in the highbrow areas of Victoria Island and Lekki.
According to Ayim, her motivation for writing the novel is from the desire to address the inherent problems of tribalism, social and class discrimination, stigmatization and the effect of poverty. In a recent review of the novel, writer and literary activist Dr Kabura Zakama, who is also a veterinarian professionally, observes that the author, “has served us with a delicious story that captivates us from the deceptively simple opening to the surprising twist at the end. Miss Ayim’s voice comes through as a fresh breath on the Nigerian literary scene and is someone worth watch out for.”
While Bola Essien-Nelson writes, “as far as I'm concerned, (Terracotta Indigo is) a supremely well thought out and superbly spun romantic thriller! I was totally blindsided and did not see THAT (ending) coming at all! Great job Umari! I thoroughly enjoyed every page of it.”
Recounting the process of putting the novel together, Ayim states on her blogsite:” For me, it was a journey that had its ups and downs. From the moment I put the first lines down on a scanty forty leaves notebook I had stumbled across in my hostel room in 2008, I fell in love with Marlene and drooled over Femi's cucumber cool character. The story rolled past my pen ink and by I started hitting the keyboard of my Acer laptop, my fingers flew effortlessly and of their own accord. Apparently, I had known Femi and Marlene in another life and befriended them.
"Twilight at Terracotta Indigo for me was more than a story, it was part of a healing process. I had just come out of a relationship, and I need an outlet for my emotions. Coupled with my endless musing about life and the social practices I saw as unfair, I poured my heart out into the story. There were those terror filled nail biting moments when I sorted through my lines, checking to see if the suspense had been maintained and the potential reading audience had enough to keep them turning page after page till they found answers to the questions that seemed to trail the lives of my characters.”
Ms Ayim acknowledges that her interest in writing started first through being exposed to a reading culture by her dad at an early stage, who as early as when she was eight years would explain William Shakespeare’s plays to her. She eventually became fascinated by the play Macbeth which she read severally and began reciting her favourite lines to classmates and teachers. At secondary school she was drawn to several titles in the African Writers Series (AWS). However, she cites the African-American writer and civil rights activist, Maya Angelou, as a major influence on her writing and social consciousness.
The Abuja-based Ayim belongs to a fledgling Pan-Africanist feminist group, WomenUnder30 with membership currently drawn from Nigeria, Cameroon, Kenya, Somalia and Zimbabwe. The group seeks to promote excellence among African young women under the age of 30 through the use of Information and Communication Technology. This activist side of her is also reflected in several articles which have been published in the Guardian Newspapers.
Apart from writing fiction and blogging, Ms Ayim writes plays and has a forthcoming poetry collection. She also is working on a second novel whose working title is “Khaki”, an indication of the subject-matter.
The Guest Writer Session includes side attractions of poetry performance, mini art exhibition, a raffle-draw for book, and a stirring dose of live music. The Abuja Writer’s Forum meets three Sundays each month and hosts a reading on every last Saturday at the International Institute of Journalism and Pen and Pages respectively. -Abdullahi Abubakar, Public Relations Officer, AbujaWriters’ Forum
Time: 4:00pm - 7:00pm
Location: Pen and Pages Bookstore, White House Plaza, Plot 79, Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja
Contact Information:
For inquiries: abujawriters@fastermail.com
Website: http://www.abujawritersforum.com
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