Q: Your debut novel is a compelling tale of the Nri kingdom of Southeastern Nigeria, the cradle of Igbo culture. Why did you decide to write this story?

A: When I was growing up in Nigeria , I didn't learn about Nri history. The limited writing done about Nri was for university level students and was not available to ordinary people. So I decided to write a historical novel about Nri that anyone can read and enjoy, and in the process learn about the Nri culture. I think everyone can learn from Nri culture, not just Nigerian people. ^top

Q: You grew up in Southeastern Nigeria, but where did you learn about Nri civilization?

A: I learned about Nri culture in the United States while attending college at the University of Washington . I must add here that as an Igbo and a descendant of Nri, I knew about Nri through oral history and from observing rituals growing up in Southeastern Nigeria before coming to the United States . But the oral histories that I learned from the village were like myths to me. I believed some of them, but some seemed far fetched. Just seeing Nri history on paper was an epiphany for me and many of those myths became real. It opened my eyes, and I wondered what else I did not know about Nri. I have learned far more since then. ^top

Q: What significance does Nri civilization have to the history of Africa ?

A: Nri was the oldest kingdom in the geographical area called Nigeria today. And it inspired later kingdoms when it collapsed.

One of its more obvious contributions to the area is the high population. As a result of the peace and stability it created, the population thrived. The Nri kingdom also went out of its way to welcome immigrants to that area and make them feel comfortable.

With the population of about 140 million people, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa . It is estimated that one out of every seven black Africans lives in Nigeria , and I believe that Nri has something to do with this high population.

Nri civilization also affected the slave trade era. Because the area did not see any wars until after it collapsed, the people did not know how to fight back. As a result, they were the highest victims of slavery. ^top

Q: Why is so little known about Nri civilization when it has thrived for more than a millennium?

A: This is a very important question. Little is known about Nri for several reasons. First of all, history and historians are not very kind to peacemakers. Do you know that the most guaranteed way to be included in history is to go to war? It is sad, but true. And the higher the body count, the more likely the culture or the particular dynasty will be included in the history books. Nri did not fight a single war throughout its existence and never had an army, so they were of little or no interest to historians.

Secondly, the British administration who colonized the area did not favor Nri when they first came. Although Nri had collapsed before the Europeans came to the area, it still had an enormous influence. The early European contacts did not understand how they could have that much influence without an army to enforce it. Through their reports, some of them speculated that Nri used some form of magic to control their neighbors and, therefore, were evil. As a result, the Europeans banned the activities of Nri priests. They did not bother to study or understand its customs and rituals.

In addition, Nri did not want to cooperate with the Europeans because they saw that the foreigners brought guns and took slaves and they did not want any part of it. Consequently, the European Administrations did not study Nri as they did other empires in the area. Later on when the British realized their mistake, they commissioned a study on Nri, but it was already too late because their activities had been stopped for about thirty years and most of the knowledge had been lost.

Another reason little is known about Nri civilization is because they did not build big monuments. They left very little behind. They spent most of their energy doing missionary work outside of Nri. The few ancient artifacts attributed to them today were manufactured later around the collapse of the major empire when they began to focus their energy at home. And even those few artifacts were discovered by accident.

Basically, there has not been any real hunger to understand the ancient Nri civilization because we did not understand fully its importance in the history of the area. ^top

Q: What do you hope readers will take away from your book?

A: First of all, I hope readers are entertained by the novel and feel they have read a great story - that it took them away from their stressful lives to a strange and yet familiar land. Secondly, I want readers to realize that most African people are peace-loving, and that some even tried to set good examples and inspire humanity. Third, I want readers to reflect on how we are living today and compare it to how the characters in my novel lived. There are so many parallels! The two opposing views in the story (in terms of the characters' priorities and how they believed their society should be) could not seem to find a common ground, and it eventually caused their collapse and breakup. Similarly, our world today is polarized, but we can and should learn from the mistakes of the past. ^top

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