Author's Interview with Onyeka Nwelue a novelist, Jazz musician, teacher, and cultural entrepreneur.

 

First, before we move forward with our Author's Interview, I would like to start with an introduction. 

1. Could you please introduce yourself to us?

I am Onyeka Nwelue. Amongst a few other things, I am a novelist, Jazz musician, teacher, and cultural entrepreneur. 

2. Congratulations on your book. So what inspired you to write this book?

My novel, ‘The Nigerian Mafia: Mumbai’, was inspired primarily by my desire to write an entertaining novel that everyone can enjoy and relate to. In finding something that people could relate to, I took note of the experiences I had garnered from my travels, particularly in India where I have frequently travelled from when I was only a teenager. 

3. What is the book all about?

‘The Nigerian Mafia: Mumbai’ tells the story of Uche Mbadiegwu, a struggling Nollywood actor, who travels to India in the hopes of breaking into Bollywood. In India, he finds out that life is nothing of what he had envisioned it to be. Broke and stranded, he connects with the crime underbelly of Mumbai, selling drugs for the Nigerian cartel. 

4. Why did you choose this genre for your book?

I chose the crime genre because it is quite easily captivating and entertaining. I have always loved books that keep me glued to their pages, so I decided to write one myself. 

5. How much time did it take to complete this book?

The manuscript took a lot of drafting and re-drafting. I was in England at the time as an Academic Visitor at both Oxford and Cambridge, hence it was impossible to give a hundred percent attention to my writing. But when I eventually got down to agreeing with the plot structure, I finished writing the book in one year. 

6. What makes your Book Special?

‘The Nigerian Mafia: Mumbai’ is special because apart from it being my latest novel, within the first year of its release it has been longlisted for the Chinua Achebe Prize for Literature and has also won the Association of Nigerian Authors Prose Prize. But most especially, I get readers reaching out to me with praises for this book and that is all the more reason I consider this book special. 

7. When is your second book coming?

A sequel is coming in early 2024. It is titled, ‘The Nigerian Mafia: Sao Paulo’. The Nigerian Mafia is a ten-book series, and so far, I have completed the first three series installments in the series.  

8. While writing did you get any writer's block? What is the Tip that you will give others who are facing writer's block?

I didn’t suffer any writer’s block in the course of writing this book or any other one in the series. This is chiefly because of the way I detail the outline; it leaves very little room for veering off course. If there is any tip to be given in this regard, I guess it will be for writers who outline to be detailed in their outline. For me, this does the magic and keeps things flowing right on course.

9. What are your other hobbies besides being a talented author?

I listen to music a lot. All kinds of music, and from different cultures. It doesn’t matter if I understand the lyrics because for me it is not my ears that listen to music, but my soul. I am also a habitual traveler. I love seeing new places and encountering new people and their cultures. 

10. Last but not the least, How did you feel, while giving this interview?

I feel happy to be given a platform to reach out to new people who may never have encountered my books. So, this is me introducing myself to whoever is virtually meeting me for the first time and hoping that they enjoy every book in my The Nigerian Mafia series.  

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