I use words to colour the world with wonder, empathy, touch of the mystical, says Jumoke Verissimo

How do children deal with the loss of a loved one? That’s a hard question, but Olajumoke Verissimo has provided some insight in her book Grandma and the Moon’s Hidden Secret, as a form of therapy and to expand children’s imagination on a complex subject as death. What comes through is a heartfelt writing with colourful illustrations, as she shares insight on her book with ANOTE AJELUOROU

Grandma and the Moon’s Hidden Secret is your second time on the longlist of The Nigeria Prize for Literature, your first being with poetry, I Am Memory. What would you say is unique about your writing?
THANK you once again. My first time was with my second collection, The Birth of Illusion. I think I can respond based on the feedback I have received from my readers. I have been told my writing is very imaginative and that I employ reality to create an immersive world. In Grandma and the Moon’s Hidden Secret, for example, I wanted to capture the magic that children find in the ordinary, the way they can use their imagination and curiosity to navigate loss. On my own, I’d say that I’m very particular about language. I use words to colour the world with wonder, empathy, and a touch of the mystical.

Of course, you write across genres, having also published a novel. What’s your writing process?
I usually have a backlog of ideas, so I’m constantly facing the challenge of knowing where to start my writing process. An idea dictates how the story should unfold. Most of my ideas come from random thoughts, observations, or experiences. They can even stem from a conversation with others. Sometimes, I feel a sudden urge to write, while other times, I ponder an idea deeply before researching it further. I find that outlining the main points or plot helps me visualize the overall story once the concept is clear.

Next comes the exciting (and sometimes frustrating) part: drafting. As a pantser, I typically dive in without much planning. I set it aside for a while and then return with a fresh perspective. However, with time-bound projects, I must carefully develop the story’s elements and seek feedback from beta readers, who are also my friends. It’s more complex than it sounds, but this summarizes a part of my process. Since I often write while commuting, my routine isn’t always consistent, but the moment inspiration strikes, I start writing.

Are you looking forward to the Book Party via Zoom? What’s your expectation?
Yes, and it went very well. Sorry, I responded late because the time I got the question was middle of the night in Canada. I enjoyed it, and it was great to see many of my friends as well.

What was your reaction when you book made it to this longlist for the second time?
I was so happy. I don’t know if you remember when I tweeted and put it on Facebook that I had just written a children’s book. The first draft was in Yoruba. My publisher and I were discussing this book in 2019, and I wrote it without thought that it’d be a part of the prize. I am grateful, deeply grateful to have my children’s book on the longlist.

Jumoke Verissimo

Your book is about child experiencing love that most children don’t have, but which is cut short. How did your heroine navigate the trauma that comes with that?
I guess that is exactly why I wrote the story, to help children navigate loss. This is not a book on trauma. Dying is a slice of life. Children witness loss, and death, but they also process it differently from adults. I don’t know if you have read it to the end, but in the story, the Aduke, the main character learns that her grandma goes to the moon with other grandmas and grandpas and would always watch over her. One of the primary reasons for writing Grandma and the Moon’s Hidden Secret was to address loss. It was crucial to approach this sensitive subject with care and sensitivity, without overwhelming young readers. The book explores the child’s experience of losing a beloved grandmother, in a way that respects a child’s understanding while also celebrating a strong family bond and the power of imagination as a coping mechanism. Beyond the emotional core, I aimed to instil hope and resilience in young readers. The idea of Grandma living on the moon offers a comforting and imaginative perspective on loss. Children are visual learners. To deny them the power of images is to limit their understanding of the world. It is one of the reasons the illustrations in the book explore the imaginative depth of the book.

Would you say your story is child fantasy writing? If that’s the case, what comes through when you juxtapose it with reality? Does it match up?
I should say that children are typically dreamers. I have written a special book that lends a new way to understanding life’s passage—the death of a grandparent. Children deal with reality every day; they need stories that challenge their imagination and my focus was to achieve that in my book.

As you know, as you’re also a creative writer, there are different types of children’s books – beginning, readers, chapter books and novels, or what you’d call Young Adult Fiction. The storybook is always a work of fiction, and it accommodates any form of subject matter. It is the hardest to write because in these stories the child takes the lead. The child sees the problem and tries to make sense of it. In my book, Aduke realizes the loss of her grandmother and even when her older cousin convinces her to go to bed, she figures out a way to connect with her grandmother. Storybooks like the one I have written have plots that are resolved quickly, because of the target audience. Nigerian kids deserve to read quality, world-class books with colourful illustrations that warm their hearts, and I am grateful to the illustrator, Chinyere Okoroafor and my publisher, Cassava Republic for helping me achieve that dream.

This is the 20th year of The Nigeria Prize for Literature. What do you say about this longevity in a country where most institutions are falling apart? What has been its impact on Nigerian literature?
To a large extent, the Nigeria Prize for Literature is responsible for the country’s increased literary diversity. While many prizes emerged around the same time, the Nigeria Prize remains the sole enduring institution of its kind. It consistently demands excellence, attracting authors worldwide who share their unique stories and perspectives. The prize is increasingly inclusive of diverse voices and experiences.

For two decades, the prize has celebrated Nigerian storytelling across prose, poetry, drama, and children’s literature. This has expanded the audience and nurtured a new generation of writers with varied perspectives. In the past 2021 years, we’ve witnessed a significant enhancement of the literary ecosystem, making it more inclusive, representative, and reflective of Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage. Anyone can argue with this, but this transformation is largely attributable to the Nigeria Prize for Literature.