Oyin Olugbile, a graduate of Creative Arts from the University of Lagos and holder of post-graduate certificates from the Lagos Business School, Harvard Business School Online, the School of Politics, Policy and Governance (SPPG) and a MSc from King’s College London, is the author of ‘Sanya‘, a phenomenal novel that imagines the god of thunder as a woman. In this interview with United States Bureau Chief OLUKOREDE YISHAU, she discusses her novel, writing and publishing. Excerpts:
Your novel, ‘Sanya’, is a daring tale with a strong feminist bend. Especially a female protagonist with the qualities of Sango. Why did you write a book like that?
Feminist literature often seeks to explore and challenge traditional gender roles and highlight the experiences and perspectives of women. Such works aim to promote equality and empower women. Many authors choose to write stories with strong female protagonists to showcase their strength, resilience, and agency. With ‘Sanya’, however, the main focus was not to empower the female characters, or speak to the strength of women in general. The conceptualisation of the story was a “What-If”. What-If the original Sango tale was not properly told? What-If our old stories were not adequately documented, with a few missing parts? What-If there are different versions to this story and it can be told differently?What-if a seemingly complex historical mythology can be better understood by this generation and several other generations to come? Yes, it is easy to see feminism as a strong theme in the book ‘Sanya’, but that was not my main or central focus. Writing a book like ‘Sanya’ is to be accepted as one of the literary proponents that commit to the realisation of a vibrant African storytelling landscape that promotes inclusivity, social-cultural development, and positive change. By harnessing the power of narratives, ‘Sanya’ aims to build bridges across communities, celebrate diversity, amplify marginalised voices, inspire generations, and shape a more just and equitable future for Africa and beyond.
The novel Is set in a period our ancestors lived. How easy or difficult was it for you recreating this era you never witnessed?
Recreating a historical era that I haven’t personally witnessed can present some challenges. While I can research information and context about specific time periods, including the lifestyle, culture, events, and general atmosphere, there may still be limitations in my understanding or interpretation.
However, as an academic researcher, I have been trained on extracting text data from various sources, including literature, historical documents, and accounts of different time periods. The data then helped in generating narratives, descriptions, and conversations set in historical eras based on the information available to me. It’s important to keep in mind that while I strive to be as accurate as possible, I was content with the knowledge that I may not have the same level of depth and nuance as a historian or someone with personal experience in that specific era. I remember studying the Old Oyo Empire for an entire year, just so I’d be able to guide the entire plot of the story from the beginning to the end.
You used a lot of Yoruba proverbs in the work. For someone who lives abroad and doesn’t seem to have grown up in a typical traditional Yoruba home, how much research did you have to do to achieve this?
Hahaha, I have not always lived abroad. Fun facts: 1). I was born in Ibadan. 2). I’m from a deeply rooted family from Ibadan, Oyo State – Adesina, in Oke-Ofa Atipe. 3). My late mother was from a royal family in Iwo, Osun State. Her paternal uncle was the late Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Olatunbosun Tadese Iwajoye, the former King before this present one. I was five years old when I attended his coronation in 1992.
My Yoruba speaking may not be solid, however, my roots are.
How long did it take you to work on this book?
The idea was conceived in 2017 and I wrote the synopsis and chapter one the same year. I was pregnant with my second child at that time, and I just left it. I picked it again in 2019 and completed the first, unedited draft early 2020. I sought a professional editor, worked with her towards the end of 2020, and I had to drop it again because I just had my third child. I submitted the manuscript to Masobe in 2021 and it was published in 2022. This chronicle may seem simple, however, for every period I “dropped” it, I was doing some aggressive research, making sure I was getting all my facts right. I changed character names so many times. The character Osoosi initially had a random, basic name, but I fell in love with the character and made him a god. Osoosi is a true Yoruba Orisa, so all those powers he portrayed in the book are somewhat real to Yoruba people.
For someone who is busy in the corporate world, how do you find time to write?
I’m busier as a mom of four, hahaha.
My phone is a mess, a lot of jottings happen in my Evernote. Another fun fact here is that, in my first and second drafts, Osuntoke and Obatooni both did not have their own story. I wrote their story on my phone and created a chapter for them.
Allow me paint the picture, it is past midnight here in London, my children are sleeping, I’m listening to Apostle Selman’s sermon, whilst I answer all your questions. That’s how I get the job done.
How best do you think diversity can be addressed in the international publishing industry?
Addressing diversity in the international publishing industry requires a multi-faceted approach that involves various stakeholders, including publishers, authors, editors, and readers. I believe there are several factors to consider here when addressing diversity in the industry. From advocating for favourable publishing policies, to making conscious efforts to actively engage in author outreach that helps to discover and support diverse voices.
Even readers play a crucial role in driving diversity in the publishing industry. By actively seeking out and supporting diverse authors and books, readers can send a clear message to publishers about the demand for inclusive literature. Publishers can further amplify diverse voices through targeted marketing campaigns and highlighting diverse authors and stories on their platforms.
It’s Important to note that addressing diversity is an ongoing process that requires long-term commitment and continuous evaluation. The international publishing industry must prioritize inclusivity, embrace diverse voices, and work collectively to create a more representative literary landscape.
Rejection is part of the life of a writer. How do you handle it?
I dust my manuscript and keep it moving. Haha.
What does your writing process look like?
Hmmm. A lot of thinking and a lot of processing the story, over and over in my head. That is the first step. Then I write the synopsis. Then I develop the characters. Character development is usually the most exciting for me, because I usually have the image of a real life person in my head when I’m developing a character. I remember developing the villain Oko and I started laughing, because the real life person in my head was Burna Boy. After developing the characters, I create the sequence of events, I write it like a to-do list. Like number one, Sanya was born, number 2, Aganju died. I honestly do not know any professional writer that writes like this, hahaha, but this works for me.
How will you describe a good writer?
This is a tricky one. I’m not sure really, because I’ve come across writings that are amazing and some that couldn’t hold my interest. I believe writing is all about the interests of the reader. You know, just like we say “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, I’ll say a good writer/writing is determined by the reader’s interest. No matter how fantastic I am at writing mythological fantasies, I’ll never be able to hold the interest of a reader who loves non-fiction or an entirely different genre of literature.
