I wrote a novel for 30 years –Dilibe Onyeama

Chux Ohai

Dilibe Onyeama is one Nigerian writer of the second generation whose faith in the publishing establishment in the United Kingdom remains unshakeable. Although he runs a thriving book publishing outlet in Enugu, the author, perhaps for obvious reasons, derives immense satisfaction from publishing his works abroad.

Two years ago, the author finished writing his latest book, a new novel entitled The Flaming Sword and it  will be released in June.

 “I have been writing this novel for the past 30 years. Finally, I completed it around September, 2015,” he said, in an interview with our correspondent.

Asked why it took this long to complete the book, which he also described as a mystery novel, Onyeama said that it was due to its elaborate plot structure.

He said, “An English publisher, who read the synopsis of the novel that I presented, wanted to see some specimen chapters. He wanted to commission the whole book.

“But I was reluctant to take money upfront. So I declined to write the specimen chapters. Instead, I decided to write the whole book and present a finished package to the publisher. I didn’t want a situation where I would write the specimen chapters and after accepting it, they would pay me upfront and then, after I had finished the book, turn around to say they didn’t like what I had written. I would not feel happy about it.

“I said that I’d rather write a whole book in my own time and when the book is finished, I would submit it to the publisher. Then they would look at the whole package and buy it from me.”

Unfortunately, Onyeama added, the chairman of the publishing company that wanted to commission The Flaming Sword died before the writer could finish the book. Two years ago, his English literary agent died, too.

The author now finds himself in a situation where he has to get the book published by Enugu-based Delta Publications Limited and sell the rights to different countries.

By all indications, the novel, ‘The Flaming Sword’, might be a tome of a book of about 600 pages. But it is not the book that has recently generated some excitement on social media.

The subject of attraction is one of his early works titled Nigger at Eton. Onyeama has, so far, re-issued the book, an autobiographical account of his adventurous past in the United Kingdom, six times since it was first published in 1972.

Although the author and publisher has a total of 26 published books, including several biographies, a book on African humour and a collection of poems, to his credit. Apart from ‘Nigger at Eton’, his other works, most of them written and published in England when he was still very young, also include Sex is a Nigger’s Game, Juju, Revenge of the Medicinemen, Secret Society, Night Demon and Godfathers of Voodoo.

Judging by the number of times that he has re-issued the book, one may conclude that Onyeama seems to be more attached to Nigger at Eton than any of the other works. But, waving aside this notion, he said that his decisions were often dictated by demands from the readers.

Interestingly, the writer added that although the demand for Sex is a Nigger’s Game had increased lately, he was not inclined to respond to it for some reasons. “I don’t want to go back to that book. It is not something that I’d like to do now,” he said.

However, explaining why he always felt a compelling need to go back to Nigger at Eton, Onyeama said, “In the spirit of adventure, Eton College is the last place where you would expect a black African pupil to be found. This is primarily an exclusively royal institution in England built by royalty. It is not designed with an African background in mind. It is designed to produce pupils for leadership positions in England. That is the scene.

“I was 18 years-old when I wrote Nigger at Eton. The book sold out at the time it was published in June 1972. Six publishers turned it down before another publisher accepted and published it.”

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