Conversation with Kofi Akpabli, author of 'A Sense of Savannah' and 'Tickling the Ghanaian'
How did you come to write this
travelogue?
I had the good fortune of being ‘thrown’ off to the north easternmost
part of Ghana to do my national service. For a first timer it was a curious,
exotic world. My sense of adventure and my curious nature did the rest. By the
first three months, I had seen most part of the region including parts of the
upper west and Northern Region.
Would you even consider this a
travelogue?
Yes. It is. I had to travel to write every piece. As a freelance
writer and journalist I can confide in you that I am in my element when I do
travel writing. I enjoy doing it.
This book brings smiles to the
lips and cheeks of the reader, sometimes even guffaws. You employed a lot of
humour in your writing. Was this your first reaction even as you were
experiencing these, as some of your experiences would be difficult to label as
fun at first occurrence?
Humour is important to me. One would say it enriches my work. I would
say it defines me. Even when I write about death I could make my audience
laugh. As to my real experiences yes, they made me smile a lot. Like when that
goat urine sprayed my shirt. Question is which is easier: get angry and take
all those responsible to task (including the goat) or laugh it off. I choose humour, any day.
For those of us who are
fortunate enough to have travelled to the three northern regions of Ghana, your
description brought some form of nostalgic feelings. It was so vivid and
picturesque that for one moment I thought I was revisiting. I lost myself
completely in the narrative allowing my mind to roam the Savannah. How did you
piece all these together? Were you keeping some form of diary?
I like this question. I had travelled the place close to seven years.
Some of the impressions thus become familiar and entrenched. So even when you
are woken up at midnight, blinded folded and asked to relate a scenario it
comes easy. Other experiences were just one-offs like the hippo sanctuary
safari at Wechiau. Yes, carrying a diary helps but a mental one was most
useful.
Wechiau is a place I would love
to visit one day. Not necessarily because of the hippo sanctuary but the use of
cowries for certain business transactions and the exchange rate there. That
information somehow told me that at least we are not all lost to this
monstrosity we call civilization, which keeps heaping upon problems of
monumental proportions. How did you warm yourself into the places you visited
and into the hearts of the people you met?
Simple. Be myself and respect the other person. Everything else
becomes easy. One thing I also did was to get a local guide. People feel
important when you show them that you are ignorant and you want to know.
This interesting book presents
fresh views of an area most Ghanaians in the south have never visited and
probably would never visit. The place has always been associated with
chieftaincy conflicts and poverty. Would you say this your presentation would
get people visiting?
I hope it does. But what’s more important is the renewal of minds
about the place. Anyone who reads A Sense
of Savannah will see the positive side as well.
Most often when Westerners are
coming to Africa (they always come to Africa, forgetting – naturally – that Africa
is not a country) they are wont to read Conrad’s The Heart of Darkness or perhaps now they would be reading
Naipual’s The Masque of Africa. How
much justice would you say this book has done to neutralize these diabolic
Conradic and Naipualic tales?
I believe people think what they want to think. True, they are influenced
by what they are exposed to, still, the final decision is theirs. I want to
believe that with an open mind, one should realize that people are the same
everywhere. It is only the environment which makes the difference.
How do you feel after the publishing
your book? Do you feel accomplished? Is the popularity increasing?
I am not a woman but I believe this is how they feel after they have
delivered a baby. I feel I have downloaded something important that took a long
time to form. Accomplished? No. Just
‘finished with this one’ and looking for the next. Popularity? A few people
claim I look familiar or my name sounds familiar. Is that how it begins? You
tell me.
Was it difficult getting
published?
You bet it was and I am still counting the cost.
How wide is the book
distributed? Where could readers and future tourists go for copies?
It is in the capitals of the three northern regions. In Accra, Legon
bookshop, silver bird bookshop, accra mall, Baatsona Total shop (Spintex Road),
SEDCO bookshop, EPP, Wild Gecko, etc.
Now your last word… tell us
something. How should your book be read?
It should be read like a tour guide, a novel and an autobiography. My
last word? It is possible, always.
_______________
another great interview with another new to me african writer Nana ,all the best stu
ReplyDeletethanks Stu.
ReplyDeleteA travelogue that has it's toe squarely in humor? Oh, that sounds wonderful and like something that I would really enjoy. I also find it interesting that Kofi has traveled to all the places that he has written about in the book. To me, that signifies that there will be a lot of realism in the stories he presents. This was a wonderful interview, Nana. Thanks for sharing it with us today!
ReplyDelete@Zibilee. Yes. That's what makes it interesting. Humour plus local knowledge.
ReplyDeleteGive me humour any day. Kofi sounds like an interesting writer. Would look out for his second book too.
ReplyDeleteI now have both of your blogs on my bloglist. Can't believe I've missed this much. Where have I been?!
Humor is so important, especially in memoir-who wants to read something heavy and portentous? What a great interview- you've definitely got me intrigued!
ReplyDelete@Adura Ojo... you are welcome to this blog. In end we got connected.
ReplyDelete@Marie... his style is uplifting. thanks
ReplyDelete+1.
ReplyDelete