Chimee Adịọha is a communications professional, literary curator, and children’s author dedicated to amplifying marginalized voices and reshaping narratives about Africa and its diaspora. With over a decade of experience at the intersection of media, literature, and communication, Chimee’s work has consistently bridged storytelling with advocacy, fostering intercultural dialogue and creating platforms for underrepresented voices. His dedication to reshaping African narratives inspires a new generation of writers and advocates for intercultural understanding.

In this interview with Samuel Osaze, he shares his research, writing,  media organization as well as his inspiration to write for children after reading Chinua Achebe’s “The Flute”.

Can you share your journey into children’s literature with us? What inspired you to focus on writing for children?

The first story I ever wrote was when I was a child, so that story was too childish and was meant for only children to read. There was no way I could have written for adults at my age. I think I was eight or nine. I wrote it and shared it with my mother, and she shared it with her friend, an English teacher at the school they taught. It was written in a large exercise book, with a blue pen. In the exercise book, I have also made illustrations of the characters and the setting in my story. I read the story aloud to my parents each night and they were excited that their little son was going to become a writer. I did not get to share the story to the world or publish it. It sat in my father’s bookshelf for a long time, but it was my foundation. I have gone on to write and publish two books for children since I was 18. I would not really say anything inspired me heavily to write for children, but I felt I was exposed so early to children’s books written by African authors. The first I read was Chinua Achebe’s The Flute, and it was so good, so well illustrated, so relatable that I read it for like 20 times over and over again. I wanted to write mine, or copy him or write with the same easiness and simplicity that he used in writing that children’s book.

Can you tell us a bit about these books you published?

Sure. I have two books. I won a competition in 2014. It was called the Splendid literature & Culture Foundation competition. One of the benefits of the competition as a winner was to be published by the foundation, receive royalties and speak at literary events and festivals organized for the winners. The opportunity allowed me to have my first children’s book published and promoted in bookstores in Nigeria, with media rounds and radio interviews across the country. The first book was called My Love for Bingo – which tells the story of a boy’s love for his dog. The second book is about a girl making decisions for herself and combating societal gender norms. The two books have focused on communicating gender equality and fairness. The second book was approved for use in primary schools in Imo state by the education management board.

How has your cultural background influenced the themes and stories you tell in your books?

The themes I examine are usually focused on social justice. I am interested in exploring this theme because I found it being so unexplored and not common to see in popular children’s writing. We need to start early, just the same way I started early. Starting early saved me. For example, children need to understand the primary concept of things, the foundation of big things. It is easy for them to understand through the things they are aware of, the things they are most comfortable with, like stories, games, visuals. If we really need young people to learn, we need to push education to them. They do not have things in their control. To some extent, we are the only control they have.

Now about your organization- Diaspora Africa, how does Diaspora Africa shape the narratives about African migration, and what challenges have you faced in reporting these stories?

I have spoken a few times about Diaspora Africa’s roles elsewhere- and it’s most exciting for me to keep repeating it. The primary reason that Diaspora Africa was setup was to combat discriminatory and biased reporting when it comes to migration in the African context. Through digital technology, journalism, and data, we are remodeling the rhetoric of migration. Oftentimes, we have seen poorly written reports, spreading misinformation about migrants and fueling hate and discrimination through the media. There needs to be some form of ethics when reporting about mobility and people on the move. Diaspora Africa’s work has tried to come in between finding solutions to this problem by offering training sessions and writing labs for young journalists reporting migration, establishing a migration tracker that collects news about migration from credible sources. 

Your current research delves into non-Western writing practices like Nsibidi. What sparked your interest in exploring these indigenous systems of writing?

As someone who is generally interested in language and the use of language to achieve many things- I have always found interest in examining the impact of language on people or a culture. I read a few things about nsibidi from the internet and I was most captivated by the practice of this writing style that is non- European, non-western, no colonial influence. It was such a rare occurrence for me. I had to research on it. I have gone to present my research at the Writing Education Across Borders Conference of the University of Utah on the peculiarities of the nsibidi, its history and how it is now being used in different forms, as social media texts, as body art, as secret signs.

How do you think integrating non-Western writing practices can transform literature, especially in contemporary African storytelling?

I think what writing practices like nsibidi does is to take us back- and it’s not just taking us back and leaving us there. It is supposed to drag us to our roots. You know when they say we have to learn the past to understand the present, that is exactly what nsibidi does. We need to ask questions, especially younger people- what used to be there? What was it like? Why was it there? And when we make these concerned observations, we then find answers and use our answers to promote or amplify. In a year like 2024, multimodality has become a thing, and we need to use that opportunity as a way to integrate important things, important writing forms. If I am very conversant with the nsibidi symbols, I obviously would like to incorporate it into my writing, as illustrations or something that adds to text. It links us to what is possible and helps for a better understanding of our society before and after.

What is the most fulfilling aspect of your work as a writer and literary curator?

First is that I get to read and have access to a lot of books, as much as I want, although I don’t get to read everything. But I am mostly happy that I also get to contribute my own quota to the industry- by promoting African literature or building knowledge. These are key and the  most important influence I would like to associate myself with.

Can you share any upcoming projects or collaborations that you are particularly excited about?

I am working on a new children’s book with a colleague. We are planning to make it into a series, and it is going to serve mostly African children in the diaspora.