Liberian Literary Magazine
Author Interview 3
SPOTLIGHT AUTHOR
EBIDENYEFA T. NIKADE
talk show host/advocate
Promoting Liberian Literature, Arts and Culture
Why writing?
I just w anted to tell a story
and express my thoughts in
poetry. I found myself
w riting .
around w omanhood, love,
life and rape.
I t is a collection of 58 poems
in fiv e parts.
What books have most
influenced your life/career
most?
Books authored by Pst Sam
Adeyemi, Bishop Dav id and
Pst Faith Oyedepo and
Dav id
Abioye.
Also,
Chimamanda
Adichie's
'Purple Hibiscus' and Sefi
Atta's 'Ev erything Good will
Come'.
Ebidenyefa Tarila Nikade
Thank you for taking this
time with us, we appreciate
it. Let us kick off by you
telling us a little about youchildhood,
education,
upbringing etc. Tell us a little
about yourself
My name is Ebidenyefa
Tarila Nikade.
I hail from Ukubie in
Southern
I jaw
Local
Gov ernment Area, Bayelsa
State. Nigeria.
I 'm married to Dr. Tarila
Nikade and w e are blessed
w ith a daughter. I 'm an
educationist ev ery other
day but I go to the studio on
Wednesdays to host my
personality programme '
Creativ e
xpressions
'
creating
a
platform
for creative entrepreneurs
to express their creativity.
I don't hav e a fav ourite
colour. I lov e blue, green
and red a lot.
How do you approach your
work?
I hav e my w riting seasons.
Those seaso ns are sacred to
me. I lock myself indoors
and
flow
w ith
the
inspiration.
What themes do you find
yourself
continuously
exploring in your work?
Themes centred on Rape,
Abuse,Motherhood, and
Teen related issues.
Tell us a little about your
book[s]storyline,
characters,
themes,
inspiration etc.
My first book, These Words
Are Not Mine; A Pilgrim's
Note' is a collection of
poems majorly themed
24
Vulnerable Chronicles is
actually my first w ork but my
second published book.
I t tells the story of growing
up mirroring the liv es of four
girlsAyaere,
Angela,
Daniella and Pauline who
w ere
an
aw esome
foursome in school but
began
to
disintegrate
shortly
after
secondary school to tow
their v aried destinies.
Ayaere gets raped by a
supposed friend and later
discov ers she's not alone in
the abuse trauma as
Angela has had a bout of
incest; being defiled by her
uncle at nine.
Together they bemoan
their chastity w hich was
hitherto
their
maiden
treasure.
I t's a book that highlights
the life before the abuse,
the abuse and life after the
abuse.
What inspired you to write
this title or how did you
come
up
with
the
storyline?_
Grow ing
up!
As
a
parenting/teen and sex
education
coach,
I discov ered that a lot of
parents grow up and forget
that they w ere once