A Letter Away from Asaba is an epistolary novella that speaks on history, that has effected so many, through letters sent by our main protagonists Chioma and Onome. Onome is an international student from Nigeria studying law at King’s College London whilst Chioma lives in Asaba, Nigeria. Chioma experiences the Asaba massacre, an overlooked and traumatic event of the war, and is forced to confront issues of censorship, grief, and trust. Whilst in London, Onome notices the blatant censorship of the event within the British press. Amongst us interns there is Emmanuel, lawyer in Nigeria, who is going on to do his PhD in Germany 🙏🏽, Dejuan founder of The Bookdems and undergrad at SOAS University of London, Medomfo talented musician and singer, as well as music undergrad at the University of Cambridge, Ndubuisi who is currently studying in the UK and has written a phenomenal play called Luscinia, Spencer who has recently graduated with his masters from the University of Cambridge, Patience recent undergrad graduate and aspiring councillor, Usha genius in all things pertaining to renewable energy who holds multiple master degrees and is a lecturer in Nigeria, and myself.

The work is based on an under-researched episode in history, so how did you learn about what happened at Asaba? It’s so crucial for us as global citizens to remain critical of information we receive and to familiarise ourselves with a variety of interpretations and opinions, whether or not we are necessarily in agreement with them. It simply enriches our personal knowledge. This in many ways relates to A Letter Away From Asaba, which explores the power that censorship can have on the perception and handling of an event. It’s food for thought.Therefore, instead of having narrative chapters in between each letter I changed them into alternating diary entries of the two protagonists. So, A Letter Away From Asaba is a novella of letters and diary entries! The structure really allows for a mixture of narration and letter writing, which keeps the reader well informed about not only the lives of Onome and Chioma but also their long-distance conversations with each other.

In the book you explore the idea of being ‘changed’ by being in the West, where did you pull that from? Advocate: We advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion within the university and society at large. Definitely- this is such a good question that I didn’t think about until you asked. I do think my own life experiences have shaped the characterisations in the novel. Initially, I wanted to write it only set in Nigeria, but I realised it was harder as someone who did not grow up there. I’ve been on holiday once and I do have family there, but I was raised in the UK. As I was describing the setting, I wanted it to be represented rightly and I did not feel equipped to do so. So having both the UK and Nigeria feature eased the writing process.YouthDay2023 #OTD #YouthDay #Soweto #screenprinting #illustration #artivism #SouthAfrica #Mzanzi #Soweto #June16 #heritage #youth #students #school #tohellwithafrikaans

Writing fiction based in a country that I have never lived in was quite challenging. I had to draw on conversations I’ve had with people who live there, my ethnic ties to Nigeria and my imagination. The dual setting of the novella definitely helped ease the writing process, given that the book is set in London and Asaba. How do you think fiction can be a powerful tool in educating people on the realities of colonialism and its consequences? What do you hope for other students to take from the book and the history it helps to uncover?

It wasn’t until “year 11+” and my second unsuccessful attempt to attain my GCSE Maths and English that suspicions were raised. It was then that the possibility of Dyslexia was a thought. However, at this point, I had not been tested nor screened. It was not until university that I was given the opportunity to explore this further. It was then that I was diagnosed by an Educational Psychologist. Not only did I have Dyslexia, but Dyspraxia and Dyscalculia too. You are slowly turning into one of them. A descendant of colonist who belittle our continent and undermine our experiences to doge responsibility for their despicable actions. " A Letter Away From Asaba, an epistolary novella, is a historical fictional narrative centred on the Asaba massacre of the Nigerian Civil War. The story follows the lives of best friends Onome and Chioma. Onome is an international student from Nigeria studying law at King’s College London whilst Chioma lives in Asaba, Nigeria. Chioma experiences the Asaba massacre, an overlooked and traumatic event of the war, and is forced to confront issues of censorship, grief, and trust. Whilst in London, Onome notices the blatant censorship of the event within the British press. Through a series of diary entries and letters these two young women attempt to come to grips with the massacre and fulfil their desire of publicising its existence in opposition to this censorship. This is far from easy, and they await a series of hurdles in ways they least expect that, in contrast, try to ensure that the victims of the massacre die in vain. I appreciated the ending because it was hopeful rather than final. They were unable to achieve their objectives of resisting British censorship and obtaining justice for the Asaba massacre victims, which, in my opinion, held a more important lesson. Sometimes our need to achieve a thing causes us to lose sight of the bigger picture, we burn ourselves out with rage or frustration leaving us with nothing. The ending left us hoping that someone would someday locate the letters (maybe even write a book about it) and tell their story. Both characters were bold, courageous, and brilliantly written; they accomplished much more than individuals at their (fictional) time were able to. Letters were always going to be a huge part of the book, especially since I wanted to bring light to the censorship in Britain. Having someone in the UK and Asaba emphasised the contradiction in the two different stories which was key to their relationship. Seeing the real story versus what is depicted in the press was the angle I wanted to explore.

So today and tomorrow, let’s empower each other. Let’s share our stores. Let’s stand up to injustice. Let’s work toward a more equitable world for all women. The process of writing was good. I got lots of my friends involved who wanted to help. Being in a university space gives access to inform a lot more people and broadens the reach. Being in an academic space means I can get advice and knowledge from people. If I waited until after graduation, I wouldn’t have that community of people who are passionate about history, and decolonising the curriculum, so though it was scary I am glad I did it. A book that really became the base of my research was American scholars Elizabeth Bird and Fraser Ottanelli’s The Asaba Massacre: Trauma, Memory and the Nigerian Civil War. It was such a great read and incredibly insightful.Why did you choose this particular style of narration? How does it compliment the message you are trying to get across? There is no way I can summarise this experience into a few words so I won’t bother, but I will leave you with three takeaways/ lessons that I will carry forward.