Dike Okoro Interviews Tenure Ojaide for Munyori Literary Journal

Tenure Ojaide

In addition to all the great works to be featured on the firt-ever multi-genre issue of Munyori Literary Journal is an interview with the renowned Nigerian poet Tenure Ojaide, conducted by the poet Dike Okoro. Here is an excerpt:

Dike Okoro: What would you say the African writer’s role in society should be?

Tenure Ojaide: The writer should be a pathfinder in the sense of his or her vision. So the writer must be truthful about the conditions of his people but must hold on to their hope. The African writer must be an activist in a way to fight the negative forces that dehumanize his or her people. The African writer must praise the good and condemn the bad but must focus on uplifting the overall ethics of his or her people. This said, each writer should be free to write as he/she pleases or take the direction he/she best leads to the ideal society or humanity.

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