An interview with Qudus Oko-Osi. Read our review of his book, Jewel from the Ghetto here.

LE: Hello Qudus, please tell us a bit about yourself.

Qudus: I hail from Lagos-Island in Lagos State, Nigeria where I was born into a family with five brothers, four half-brothers and a half-sister. I spent my childhood growing up on Lagos-Island with my affectionate and caring siblings and parents. And I must say growing up on the Island was great fun. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Lagos.

LE: What you do for a living? Is writing your full time job?

Qudus: I am a public speaker, writer, poet, artist, and a financial and management consultant. I worked in the banking industry for eleven years with experience spanning three different banks before I resigned to join a financial and management consulting firm. I presently live in Lagos, Nigeria with my lovely wife and two wonderful kids—Jason and Janice.

LE: When did you start writing and what prompted it?

Qudus: Well, I started writing as a hobby in 2004. I started with poems and later public speaking articles. I started writing fiction in 2017. What prompted me to start writing? I think I have always had it in me. During my secondary school days, classmates usually came to me to help write ‘love letters’ and as I grew older, people continued coming to me to help write one thing or the other. At that time, I began to realise that I had it in me. More so, I naturally enjoy writing.

LE: Are you currently working on any book and if you are, what is it about?

Qudus: I recently published the sequel to my second novel, Jewel from the Ghetto. Presently, I’m working on a new novel. It is about the struggles of a young boy, the son of a postpartum depressed mother, who was not ashamed to be identified with his mother and could do anything to protect her and defend her honour.

LE: Lastly, what are your hobbies?

Qudus: I enjoy reading, playing scrabble, and spending time with my family. Actually, there’s no better way to relax than spending time with my family.

Qudus has three published books:

Prisoner of Love

Jewel from the Ghetto

Jewel from the Ghetto 2: The Return of Shakirah

He is on Twitter.