Tell your readers a little about yourself, where you grew up, where you live now, where you went to school etc. Let them get to know the personal you.
I was
Born in the United Kingdom, but later on was taken to Nigeria by my parents
while I was a toddler. In that sense, I grew up in Nigeria, Africa and I had my
primary, secondary and university education in Nigeria. I studied law and
qualified as a Solicitor and Barrister of the Supreme court of Nigeria.
I returned back to the UK, in her 30's and have lived in the UK till date. I
obtained my Masters in Migration and Law at the Queen Mary's University of
London. I regularly give presentations around the study of migration in
academic circles.
I developed the power of storytelling in my early teens, having been largely
influenced by my parents, who instilled in me the love for reading and writing.
I would describe myself as a writer by night, I am the author of two academic
books: Africans in the UK: Migration, Integration and Significance and
Globalisation, Human Security and Social Inclusion.
I enjoy reading, travelling, and old school music, smooth jazz and live
concerts.
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What
inspired you to author this book?
As
far back, as I can remember, I have wanted an opportunity to develop my
creative mind and writing a book was one of the ways I could do this . I have
written two non fiction books and the goals of these books were to address a
few of the world's social issues that are of paramount importance to me. I am
also an international speaker and have spoken on issues around migration,
ethnicity, and inequality. I felt the need to address these issues in a
fictional format and writing a novel seemed more appropriate, as readers are
able to identify and engage with the characters that way.
Where
did you get the inspiration for your book’s cover?
Nearly
everyone judges a book by their cover, even some say don't ! After doing some
research about the cover design, I thought it would be a good idea to show what
is in the book, through the book covers. The cover book depicts the two main
characters in the book in their earlier years in the UK, looking at the
barriers against them, the red tape, the glass ceiling and hoping they would
scale through.
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Who
has been the most significant influence on you personally and as a writer?
In my
case, this is not as straightforward because different people have played their
roles in helping me to become who I am. However with regards to relentless
pursuit of goals, I would say Les Brown. I have listened to a lot of his
speeches and an overriding theme in his motivational sessions are 'You are
never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream'.
With regards to writing, I would say I have over the years stood on the
shoulders of certain African writers, most of whom I have never met personally.
Authors such as Flora Nwakpa Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka influenced me in
the area of English literature, while recently novelists like Toni Morrison and
Chhimamanda Ngozi Adichie have been an encouragement to keep writing.
What
were your struggles or obstacles you had to overcome to get this book written?
I
would say writer's block, as almost every writer may have experienced this at
some point , it is not every time that I felt creative in my writing I must
confess and so I have deleted plots and rewritten them a couple of times before
the work was finally completed. I also had the challenges of getting a suitable
editor who would understand the choice of the languages in which some parts of
the novel was written. For example, there are characters that spoke in diverse
language to English and I have had editors who had a problem with this. It was
a challenge getting the right editor but got there in the end.
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Tell
your readers about your book.
Akon and Lara had worked hard to build their careers and raise a young family
in their native Nigeria. An accomplished manager and lawyer respectively, both
on the cusp of success, they decided to escape the problem of insecurity and
pursue greater opportunities abroad. Confident that their love would sustain
them, Akon left his wife and young son to set up their new home in the UK.
Despite our best intentions, life seldom gives us what we want. The struggle to
thrive in a foreign country amidst different cultures can either make or break
you. This migrating couple would need all the love, faith, and hope they can
muster to face life’s often unkind, painful, and unexpected challenges. Add to
this gnawing secrets that had the power to tear them apart, the strain of
surviving as immigrants in a new land would become nearly unbearable.
Follow Akon and Lara’s journey across the globe as they inch towards a desired
future.
This novel contains a smattering of local languages, reflecting the cultural
diversity of the characters in the story.
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Who
is your target audience, and why?
My
target readers are first of all novelists who are concerned about social issues
and are interested in learning about other cultures . For instance, there is a
negative portrayal of migrants and other minority ethnic groups by the media,
therefore educating these groups of people by stating the facts may help
people's unconscious bias.
The other group of readers who this novel is targeted at are 'prospective
migrants ' the novel creates an opportunity for people to weigh their options
before they moved out of their homelands to other foreign lands.
Finally the novel is aimed at readers over the age of 18 including both men and
women. I would encourage Black men specifically to read the book because the
book answers some of the challenges they face living abroad not only in their
careers, but their family life.
What
do you consider your greatest success in life?
This
is also a very complex question in that I define my personal success based on
the goals that I have personally set for myself and not what the society
desires of me. I would say my greatest success in life is to be given a second
chance to develop my writing abilities after being through a traumatic
experience. In the last five years, I have published three books and also
written 4 peer reviewed academic journals, although I have not earned much
profits from my writing career, I am not discouraged as I believe I have only
just begun, and it is not over until I win.
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What
one unique thing sets you apart from other writers in your genre?
Again,
this is not a straightforward question for me, as my goal is not to be
competitive as I believe that writers in my genre have carved a niche for
themselves. This is my debut novel and a new release, so it is too early to say
what sets me apart from others. I would conclude that the reviews from readers
have been mostly encouraging, and I have been told that the novel is fit for
purpose with twists and plots that make this adaptable for a drama/movie.
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FOLLOW THE AUTHOR
Website : https://reinvent3r.org
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/public/Hon-Bolah-Olivia
