Charlie and Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ (Dazzling) discuss Igbo mythology, the differences between polygamy and monogamy in Igbo culture, and the social impacts of colonialism and military coups in Nigeria. Chịkọdịlị also talks about having her characters bother her when she's trying to shower, finding literature in rubbish heaps, and needing a literary residency - please let her know if you've one to spare!

Please note there are mentions of rape and general violence in this episode.

A transcript is available on my site

Books mentioned by name or extensively:
Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ: Dazzling

Buy the books: UK || USA

Release details: recorded 7th February 2024; published 10th June 2024

Where to find Chịkọdịlị online: Twitter || Instagram

Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok

Discussions

01:43 The starting point of Dazzling
04:54 The original narratives and the hows and whys of Chịkọdịlị's choices in terms of points of view and tenses
07:41 Why Chịkọdịlị doesn't have a favourite character and how she knows her characters
09:23 Is Chịkọdịlị writing a sequel? Shhh...
14:13 Chịkọdịlị tells us about how she worked on world building, which includes information about her childhood in Nigeria and how it compared to her initial years in the UK. She also discusses colonial and Christian impacts on Igbo culture
22:03 Why it was important to include the lack of family - Chịkọdịlị talks about polygamy in her culture and the differences between that and a one-mother family
29:08 The spirits and Igbo mythology in the book
34:32 Chịkọdịlị's use of the leopard society, which is a factual society, and who they were in reality
39:47 The 'lost girls' in the book - the whys and hows and the connections to reality. And the 'use' of menstruation
44:15 The inclusion of politics and its importance - looking at the civil wars and coups
47:04 Bringing the Harmattan into what Chịkọdịlị's been saying
49:25 What Chịkọdịlị is writing now

Photo credit: The Visual Team

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