I wouldn’t be wrong in saying that my parents influenced my desire to write stories.

My mother studied English and had a collection of novels and literature books. And my siblings and I were encouraged to read as much as possible. Also, there was a public library on our street which my siblings and I often visited.

My late father was an exceptional, humorous storyteller. He was a (non-fiction) writer. There was hardly a time he didn’t have a writing pad and pen with him — of course, some exaggeration — but yes, Daddy loved penning down ideas and so often had a pen and jotter handy. That recurrent picture shaped my young mind and instilled a lifelong passion for journaling — I can’t do life without a journal and a pen on hand.

I grew up in Nigeria, in a small town called Uyo, and I had a fun and adventurous childhood. Like it’s common with most children, my siblings and I often got busy with paper, pen and colours. While I wasn’t particularly skilled at drawing, I still remember crafting a not-so-fantastic comic strip. I wrote stories and made storybooks (flip books).

I wrote a suspense and thriller story — thanks to the encouragement of a secondary school friend who is now deceased — which I never published. Even though I had long misplaced the manuscript, that story ignited my writing ambition.

PS: I barely remember the plot and the main character’s name.

I studied English Language in university and dreamed of becoming a journalist. In my second year, I started writing poems. Back in university, I wouldn’t show those poems to others. I didn’t think I had the skill to call myself a poet. Shhh! I kept my collection of poems under a hill until… 

Then I began writing short stories after I left university and kept them hidden away in my journals and jotters — funny how I robbed people of the joy of reading them back then.

P.S: Till date, I’ve held on to those jotters and journals where I wrote my initial stories and poems.

In 2007, as Facebook started getting popular, I found my voice and began posting my short stories and inspiring write-ups (Facebook had “Notes” where one could post articles or stories). Several people would read and encourage me to publish a book.

I saw the need to polish my skills, so I attended writing courses and learned more about writing from different people.

I owned my first blog in 2009 and carried on my writing journey. So, I’m no longer hiding my stories and poems under a hill and that’s why I am here sharing with you stories that stir the heart.