By MIKE EKUNNO

Helon Habila, Nigerian born US-based award winning novelist and first Chinua Achebe Fellow was home recently and took his turn on Abuja Writers Forum’s Hot Seat. The occasion was the Forum’s monthly guest writer’s session for the month of July which held at its usual venue – the Pen and Pages Bookshop  on the very last day of the month. Habila, whose new novel is  on the Niger Delta conundrum is being keenly awaited by literary buffs, read  ‘The Hotel Malogo’, a short story to the packed hall.

Before his reading, the business of the day which was compeered by Miss Onyinye Nwadimma had started with a musical glee. Ajime Jeremiah, a young musician, had thrilled the audience to some miming over electronically arranged beats. His wriggles were as frenetic as the sounds that inspired them. Then came an excellent rendition of performance poetry from Eru Emmanuel whose stage name is Dek Mankind. He was at his theatrical best performing a political satire while the audience clapped their approval. There was also an a cappella rendition by Princess J, a female artiste, before the compeer read Helon Habila’s citation.

With the Caine and Commonwealth prizes in his kitty for two novels – Waiting for an Angel and Measuring Time – the guest writer/reader was the destination that many budding writers in the hall were only just setting out for. Expectation was high among an audience that included his relatives and peers. He did not disappoint.
Dressed simply in a white short sleeved shirt flying over dark pants and brown laced shoes, Habila read from typed scripts which were also distributed to the audience. ‘The Hotel Malogo’ was a complete short story and was not read as an excerpt.
It detailed the story of a teenage Johnny-just-come job-seeker who had a close shave with death in one of Lagos’ dingy and dangerous backstreet hotels.

The audience followed the emotive cadences of the story as Fate unites the job-hunting Diaz with another lodger – a pensioner waiting forlornly  for his terminal benefits and living on charity. Habila read in a business-like manner without emotions. Reading over and a round of applause later, it was time for questions and comments.

Having facilitated a poetry writing workshop earlier in the day, it was no surprise that some people took him up on perceived areas of concurrence and divergence with what he had earlier preached. There were concerns about exaggeration and the disregard for historical accuracy among the new generation of fiction writers. There were also issues with the use of pidgin and how it is received by Western readers. One commentator commended his ability to draw his reader into whatever subject matter or locale he wrote about unlike others who wrote from ‘outside’. Another wanted to know Habila’s writing routine.

In response, Mr. Habila acknowledged that exaggeration was an intrinsic part of every creative writer’s license  and noted that historical accuracy should not be the  duty of fiction but history. He would not jettison pidgin English in dialogue where realism warrants it like when penning lines from the lips of a Lagos bus conductor. He was cautious with accepting the compliments about being embedded in his subjects preferring to ask the admirer to just wait for his coming novel on the Niger Delta before concluding the matter.

 He further harped on the necessity for avid reading as the mother of good writing. He was all for having a writing routine and enough discipline to safeguard the creative space from Nigeria’s myriad challenges. He should know, having written Waiting For An Angel amidst Lagos’ stresses and epileptic electricity. He disclosed that he didn’t go into writing to make money but as a natural progression from admiring the narratives thrown up by society. He opined that every good writing whether home-bound or from outside would eventually get recognised on merit.

The richly rewarding event would not end before AWF Founder-President, Dr Emman Shehu, came forward to announce there were freebies to be given out. Immediately, a lucky dip was organised to give away 10 quality new books to as many  winners. Gifts were presented to the day’s chairman, Ambassador Saidu S Pindar, Chairman of the Nigeria-Sao Tome and Principe Joint Development Authority, who was represented by Mr. Ejimofor Agbachi. The day ended with book signings with a modest bee line of those who had bought his very affordable novels taking turns for autographs and then a photo session.