By Lady B on July 9, 2020

Author of the Week — Obinna Udenwe

An interview with Obinna Udenwe. Read our review of his book, Colours of Hatred here.

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

Obinna: I was born in Abakaliki in southeastern Nigeria to a family of five. Currently I live in Abakaliki with my wife, Nwamaka.

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

Obinna: I work as a civil engineer, a businessman, writer and a farmer.

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

Obinna: Most times I find it difficult remembering when I really started writing. The first manuscript I put together was around 2006. Then I started work on Satans and Shaitans in 2007 or thereabout and it got published in 2014 by Jacaranda Books. I started work on Colours of Hatred in 2009 and it was published in 2020.

I can’t say what prompted me to start writing. I think the love for writing has always been there, growing up but I inherited lots of books from my father, books he forced me to read as a child, so I guess at a point I felt I needed to write my own stories but the first novel I wrote – an epic historic story about my clan, Izhi was based on a story my mum told us as kids. This story was rich in the cultures and customs of the Izhi people, and I’d always had the burning desire to tell this story.

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

Obinna: I am always working on short stories, so there is this short story that I started a couple of months back but felt it needed to go beyond a short fiction and decided to turn it into a full-length manuscript. I am currently playing with it. I hope it becomes another book.

LE: Lastly, what are your hobbies?

Obinna: To relax I watch the news – BBC, CNN and Channels TV, that’s when I am not hanging out with family and friends. I also try to see some movies. I love thrillers. I also love to read and surf the internet, especially the social media.

Obinna has three published books:

Holy Sex