I have been enthralled by Ikeogu Oke’s book of what he terms “operatic poetry” since I first encountered it (review here). There was something about the work that speaks to joyful experimentation, hard work, resilience (it was started in 1989) and a grand ambition. It is the only collection on the shortlist that is just one poem spread over hundreds of pages. It combines elements of fable with drama, poetry, and music.

In this interview, regrettably the shortest of the three because of time constraints on the day of recording, I talk to him about the work, about his craft in general, and his aspirations for the work going forward.

Enjoy.

This concludes the writer interview series. Previous interviews can be found here.

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Update: October 9, 2017: Ikeogu Oke’s The Heresiad is the 2017 Nigeria Prize for Literature winner. Read the review of his work here. Congrats to him.