Spotlight.
Claudia Efemini
INTRODUCTION
Claudia Efemini is the author of A Letter Away From Asaba, a historical fiction on the censorship of the Asaba massacre during the Nigerian Civil War. She is also a History and Politics student at the University of Edinburgh. A writer, avid reader, and music lover, Claudia is captivated by the powerful influence of art in society and politics.
INTERVIEW
How did you get into writing? What initially inspired you?
I started writing stories as a very young child. I’ve always loved reading and I think that went hand in hand with my love for writing. But as I grew into my teenage years those two interests sort of faded away. It wasn’t until the year before I started university that I started writing again. My passion for writing was largely reignited by my experiences as a history student whereby African history was disregarded within the discipline.
What themes do you tend to interrogate in your work?
I tend to engage with history, culture, and creativity in my work. As someone who writes fiction I enjoy embedding certain aspects in my narratives that provokes the reader to think. I love all things culture and creativity whilst academically, history is my primary area of interest, so I enjoy writing about those things. From time to time I also write culture articles discussing literature, music, and visual arts.
What is your favourite project you’ve ever worked on and why?
It would definitely have to be my debut novel, A Letter Away From Asaba. It has been my biggest project so far and so much work went into its publication. For me, it was a great way to combine my passion for history and literature into this novella. It enabled me to discuss significant historical events in a creative way. Overall, it has been so refreshing witnessing the development of my book from a lengthy Google Docs document to a full-fledged book.
What advice would you have for creatives of colour looking to get into writing?
Don’t neglect the power of community. During my writing process, I surrounded myself with other creative minds who gave me inspiration to persevere and believe in my craft. There will be moments where you might deal with writer's block or self-doubt and it’s important to be able to struggle with this in healthy and nurturing spaces. During the past summer I also volunteered with the Black British Book Festival and being around so many authors and readers was such a stimulating experience for me as a writer.
What are you currently working on and what are your plans for 2024?
I am currently on a year abroad in Montreal, Canada and I work as a Culture Editor at the McGill Daily, an independent student newspaper at my university. So I’m really enjoying working with other editors and writers whilst exploring the cultural scene in Montreal.
Whilst personally, I am working on my second manuscript.