WRITE NOT BECAUSE OF MONEY OR AWARD BUT BECAUSE OF PASSION, LET YOUR WORKS AFFECT THE SOCIETY POSITIVELY – BUSAYO FAKUNLE
Busayo Fakunle is a Phonics consultant, poet, publisher, seasoned English language tutor, an editor, author of children's literary texts and the CEO, Hope Alive Educational Consultancy. Some of his creative works have appeared in both national and international anthologies cum journals of high reputation. Busayo Fakunle is the winner of The Poetry Court contest to celebrate Prof. Wole Soyinka’s 81st birthday. In this interview with Wole Adedoyin, he shares with him details about his writing and his latest book, “Tomi’s Trials”.
WA: WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START WRITING?
FAKUNLE: My unending love for children and the desire to cause a change from this unpleasant state of the society to a better one actually are the two main reasons why I started writing. I feel responsible for every child. As an adult, I constantly believe I have a responsibility to every child and that's to put their feet on the right path with a quest to cause a drastic change in the society.
WA: HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WRITING?
FAKUNLE: I started writing while in UNAD (where I obtained my first degree) after taking a creative writing course taught by Dr Adeseke. That should be over twelve years ago. But then, I became a published author in 2013, with the book, 'The Faces of Life'. 'The Faces of Life' eventually made the list of literary texts recommended for public schools by Oyo State Ministry of Education in 2014. That achievement encouraged me to write the more.
WA: HAVE YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A WRITER?
FAKUNLE: Yes. And I give the credit to my late father. He allowed me to choose the department of my choice (Arts) while in secondary school. There, I read works from Camara Laye, Richard Wright, Femi Osofisan, Niyi Osundare, JP Clark, Elechi Amadi, Ola Rotimi and to fully make me fall in love with writing was when I encountered our own WS in 'The Lion and the Jewel’.
WA: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE A NEW WRITER, SOMEONE JUST STARTING OUT?
FAKUNLE: Be real. Read deeply. Write not because of money or award but because of passion. Let your works affect the society positively. Write so humanity can feel your absence when you leave here.
WA: HOW DO YOU HANDLE WRITER’S BLOCK?
FAKUNLE: Writer's block is caused by many factors. For me, there are so many things that distract me when writing; books to read, works to edit, classes to teach, family needs etc. But then whenever any of these happen, I take time to attend to them and also sometimes go for walks, listening to my favourite artistes, in fact I do house chores to stop thinking about writing, for a while.
WA: HOW MANY BOOKS HAVE YOU WRITTEN?
FAKUNLE: Just last month, the list clocks ten.
WA: WHAT IS THE MOST SURPRISING THING YOU DISCOVERED WHILE WRITING YOUR BOOK(S)?
FAKUNLE: That the first thing is to start. Once I start, I may not be able to predict the end. Also, I see a part of me in most characters.
WA: WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE CHARACTER?
FAKUNLE: While I love how I have developed all characters, my favourite character is in my first book, 'The Faces of Life’. His name is Toro. I see myself the more in this character each time I read it. He's blunt with truth. He's honest and sincerely loves everyone. He values his culture. Hear what he says;
'Foreign culture has sent ours to its grave. It has killed the richness in our culture. It has made us a nonentity.'
Wait for it, I'm not saying civilisation is bad but can't we also see into modernizing things that are ours too? Can't we find ways to make what's ours more appealing? Kudos to Prof. Okonjo Iweala who just showed some people that our Ankara isn't bad to resume in an international office.
WA: WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION?
FAKUNLE: Nature inspires me. So also my daily encounter and experiences especially with children. Yes, reading inspires me.
WA: WHERE CAN READERS PURCHASE YOUR BOOKS?
FAKUNLE: My books are in some selected bookshops. You can also easily access them from my publisher, Pethant publishers, 47 Bashorun Road, 2nd Floor, Titlas Building, Opposite BCOS Bashorun, Ibadan, Oyo State. I can also be reached on 08164776627.
WA: WHERE CAN READERS FIND OUT MORE ABOUT YOU AND YOUR BOOKS?
FAKUNLE: https://www.facebook.com/Possibilitybooks/
WA: HAVE ANY OF YOUR BOOKS BEEN MADE INTO AUDIOBOOKS?
FAKUNLE: No
WA: WHICH OF YOUR BOOKS WERE THE MOST ENJOYABLE TO WRITE?
FAKUNLE: I enjoyed writing all of them.
WA: TELL US ABOUT YOUR FIRST PUBLISHED BOOK?
FAKUNLE: 'The Faces of Life' captures different stinking phases of the society through the story of a particular family that has been grounded on poverty. Wole, the breadwinner couldn't survive the hostile condition, leaving Toro in such a corrupt society caused by bad governance, poor system and betrayals in turns.' Here is also what a renowned journalist has to say about 'The Faces of Life's : At a critical time in Nigeria when writers need to be the voice of reason in the society, Busayo Fakunle's 'The Faces of Life' presents everyday existence and reality of Nigerians as a perfect social commentary. It is certainly beautiful to note that a young writer such as he has recognised the need to make every work of art a voice that seeks to highlight and improve everything that is wrong in the society.- 'Kunle Falayi, Journalist
WA: WHAT WAS THE JOURNEY LIKE?
FAKUNLE: It's been fun and I feel fulfilled seeing the reactions of people towards my works. And it will be appropriate now to say that I don't write to compete with others or for awards cum prizes, I just want a better humanity as I focus on the concept of family. Reason being that families have become bad streams that flow into a polluted river.
WA: WHAT, IN YOUR OPINION, ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF GOOD WRITING?
FAKUNLE: I think content; the message in a piece of writing is the most important element. Messages or lessons should be coherent enough for readers. And this can only be achieved once the writer has a targeted audience.
WA: WHO'S YOUR FAVORITE AUTHOR OF ALL TIME?
FAKUNLE: Wow. Favourite author? Of course our own WS. Wole Soyinka. This love is further cemented when my role model, Prof Remi Raji-Oyelade was the University of Ibadan's orator in oration for Wole Soyinka, in 2015 I think. I mean the 'Enu dun ju'yo'.
WA: ON YOUR LATEST BOOK TITLED “'TOMI'S TRIALS'”, CAN YOU SHARE WITH US SOMETHING ABOUT THE BOOK.
FAKUNLE: 'TOMI'S TRIALS' presents an image of the road to success. It teaches that diligence, perseverance, persistence and prayer are ingredients to becoming victorious.'
WA: HAS A BOOK EVER CHANGED YOUR LIFE?
FAKUNLE: So many of them.
WA: WHAT GENRES DO YOU LOVE?
FAKUNLE: All
WA: ARE THERE ANY GENRES YOU DISLIKE?
FAKUNLE: No
WA: WHAT AUTHOR (WHO IS STILL LIVING) WOULD YOU DEARLY LOVE TO MEET?
FAKUNLE: Wole Soyinka. I want to meet him a thousand times.
WA: DO YOU LIKE TO DISPLAY YOUR BOOKS ON A BOOKSHELF OR KEEP THEM IN A VIRTUAL LIBRARY?
FAKUNLE: I display. I sell them out offline. In fact, for each of the published books, I've sold a considerable number.
WA: DO YOU PREFER FLASH FICTION, SHORT STORIES, NOVELLAS, OR NOVELS?
FAKUNLE: I'm actually in love with all. But then I write more of short stories and Novellas.
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