pictured above: jamal mahjoub, fidelity ceo reginald ikejiani,
diana evans, ik mbagwu, and helon habila

i'm in lagos again, after a week in enugu for the fidelity bank international creative writing workshop at the university of nigeria, nsukka. it was a mixed bag--the good parts being the instructors, in the persons of helon habila, diana evans, and jamal mahjoub. the bad part, which threatened to undermine the instructors' efforts, was fidelity bank itself. they were inept. disorganized. laughable. and i seriously questioned their ability to execute any manner of things, including meals and photocopying.

the workshop was held in abuja last year, but was moved to enugu this time around--a fact that likely posed some financial and travel difficulties for some, myself included. that said, the trip was worth every kobo given the close-knit relationships we forged with our instructors over the course of the week. they were wonderful teachers, coaches, and i look forward to continuing to share my work with them in the future. there is plenty more to say, but perhaps it is better addressed to the organizers themselves.

you can find out more info about dreams at dawn, an anthology of writing from past fidelity workshop participants, here. i'm not yet sure where the book is available for purchase, but will post the info here when i get it. and find out more info on the farafina trust writing workshop, taught by chimamanda ngozi adichie and binyavanga wainaina, here. it is going on now in lagos and will culminate with a literary evening on saturday, july 2 at eko hotel, victoria island. --AL.

Update: Read a response to this blog from Fidelity Bank's James Eze here.

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caine prize-winning author helon habila
i have long been a fan of helon habila's work; having now had the privilege of being in his presence over the course of several days, i have a full on writer-crush.

his creative writing workshop--which spanned two, 2-hour sessions during the festival--was a crash course geared toward the vast majority of participants with no previous writing experience at all. about five minutes in to the first hour, i realized that i had likely been in too many workshops and classes that rendered the information he imparted largely repetitive. but i fought the urge to leave and stayed for the nuggets of enlightenment that punctuated habila's lecture.

"writing is like building a table," he said. "if the leg is too long, get another one. work at it. that's why it's called craft."

given his experience as a writer and professor, habila answered so many questions about the craft and creative process that i'd never even managed to put into words. and taking a creative writing course in nigeria was a novel experience for me. it filled in all the blanks that had always been missing in courses i've taken in the states, making references to african literature that de-marginalized my perspective and experiences in a way that was deeply edifying.

after the second session, i took a picture with helon and got his autograph. then the most remarkable thing happened: we sat down for a one-on-one chat about writing. he was warm and open, giving of information and advice. just why he chose me in particular i'll never know, but it was surreal and lasted over an hour, at the end of which i felt we were practically friends.

suffice it to say that i really needed helon's advice at this particular point in my process. needed the validation that i am not completely irrelevant and invisible, laboring in my room alone for hours on end. needed someone whom i respect and admire to say--i see you, i hear you, i encourage you to keep doing what you're doing.

i'm certain that several of the festival organizers introduced themselves to me specifically because they saw me chatting with him and wondered who the hell i was to get his ear for so long (especially since i later crashed the awards gala at the governor's mansion, and was sitting at the same table with helon, adaobi nwuaubani and zainab jallo!). but i'd like to think that someday soon all this elbow-rubbing with greatness will be well earned.

you can check out helon habila's creative writing tips from the gclf workshop here. and find out more info about his fidelity bank writers' workshop in abuja here. --AL.

i'll be settling in for another bumpy ride on public transport in the wee hours of the morning tomorrow. the garden city literary festival jumps off in port harcourt with a book fair, writing workshops, discussions, and a conversation between nobel laureates to mark the united nations world book day. some notables among others in attendance will be: myne whitman, bibi bakare-yusuf, adaobi tricia nwaubani, helon habila, reuben abati, wole soyinka, and j.m.g. le clezio.

i have been invited to participate in helon habila's prose workshop. i am beyond thrilled about it--ecstatic, overwhelmed, and a little bit anxious. once upon a time i reviewed one of his novels for a magazine. wish i had re-read it recently, retained so little in my memory apart from a healthy respect for the man as a writer. damned if i could find a single book of his in the best bookshop in uyo (of novelists, all i found was a pirated copy of chichi's purple hibiscus--for shame!--beside every imaginable book by danielle steele and john grisham).

i am in a good place with my writing, so the fest couldn't have come at a better time. things seem to finally be moving again. i am going with the flow, will let the universe carry me wherever it may. --AL.