Wednesday 20 March 2013

INTERVIEW: TOLULOPE POPOOLA


DWN: Tell me a bit about yourself

TP: I was born in the 80s, the first of three children.  I grew up in Lagos,
Nigeria in a household where I was surrounded by books from an early age. As
a child, I was a real bookworm; the introvert who preferred staying at home
reading to going out and partying. I left Nigeria for the UK in 2000 for my
university education. I studied Accounting and Business Economics for my
first degree, and after a year in the workplace, I went on to gain a Masters
in Finance and Investment. I started working in accounting jobs, while
studying for my professional accounting exams. In between all those trips to
the library to study at university, I met my husband and we got married in
2005. I switched careers in 2008 to become a writer.

DWN: Your sojourn into writing, could you tell me about that and how it has
been so far? 

TP: Writing was always something that interested me since I was six years old. I
grew up around books and I enjoyed reading a lot. I remember writing my own
versions of the fairy tale stories I'd read. 

When I became a teenager, I
wrote pages and pages in my diaries regularly. I found writing therapeutic;
it helped me to get things off my chest and sort through my private
thoughts. 
However, it was never something I had considered as a career at
the time. 

When I graduated from university, I was all about getting the
'professional' job - you know the one where you have to wear a suit, work in
a 9 to 5 office job, and get paid every month. I just assumed that work is
something you have to do to make money and nothing else. 

In 2006, I came
across a few Nigerian blogs when I was searching for some information
online. I was immediately attracted to the idea of writing an online
journal, so I started my own blog. I enjoyed writing, commenting, meeting
people and joining a wonderful community of supportive bloggers. Before
long, I started looking forward to coming home after a long day at work and
unwinding by writing on my blog. One day, I wrote a short story and posted
it on my blog and it attracted positive comments from readers. I was
surprised and pleased that people thought I could write fiction and they
enjoyed my stories. So, I started writing some more. The more I wrote, the
more I realised I enjoyed it and I wanted to continue doing it. So I signed
up for a few writing classes, and started writing short stories. With time,
I knew that I should give up accounting to become a writer.

DWN: What are your influences as a writer? What influences your writing?

TP: I'm influenced by many things. For example, the books I read, movies I
watch, conversations I hear, music I listen to, etc. Anything can give me an
idea for a story or a character.

DWN: What do you do when you aren't writing?

TP: I'm reading, sleeping, looking after my family, listening to music, hanging
out with friends or working on my other interests.

DWN: Do you ever experience writer's block? 

TP: I do experience periods of writer's block. When that happens, I read other
books, listen to music and jot ideas in my notepad for later.

DWN: Which do you prefer, writing with a typewriter, computer,
cell phone or old fashioned pen and paper?

TP: Nowadays, I do most of my writing on my laptop. I still carry around my
notebook for those days that I'm out and I want to quickly write down
something before I forget.

DWN: Let's go back in time; did you see yourself becoming a writer as a child?

TP: No I certainly didn't. When I was growing up, reading and writing were my
hobbies, but I never thought I could write for a living. I didn't know
anybody who was a full-time writer and it wasn't one of the options we were
given in secondary school. I ended up doing commercial subjects and choosing
to study Economics and Accounting at university. 

DWN: You have a new book 'Nothing Comes Close', could you tell me a little
about the book?

TP: Nothing Comes Close is the story of two characters, Lola and Wole, and how
their relationship developed in spite of the challenges they had to face.
It's a story of love, friendship, betrayal, secrets, honesty, regrets and,
hopefully, a happy ending. 

Lola is a confident career girl. She is feisty
and intelligent; she has her flaws, but she knows what she wants and she
stands for what she believes in. She often sees things in black and white,
and she is not afraid to speak her mind. Wole is mysterious and
unpredictable, but he's also loyal and he's got a sense of duty and justice.
Together, they make for a very interesting couple.

DWN: What were the challenges you encountered whilst writing and publishing
the book?

TP: Writing the novel was a huge learning experience. I'm a new writer so I
still have a lot to learn. The main challenge was the process of going
through several drafts and rewrites, but it was necessary to make the prose
better.

DWN: Which character(s) from your book can you relate with the most?

TP: I'll go with Lola. I like her no-nonsense attitude. She's not afraid to say
what's on her mind, but she's also got a vulnerable side. I also like the
fact that she found the courage to follow her heart towards the end of the
book.

DWN: Was there any particular research you had to conduct regarding the
characters?

TP: To construct Wole's background, I had to do a bit of research into a period
in Nigeria's history. 

DWN: For you, what goes into naming the characters in your book?

TP: I wanted to choose names that my target reader would be familiar with, so I
chose mostly Nigerian names.

DWN: Why did you choose 'Nothing Comes Close' as your book's title?

TP: The title comes from something Wole said. He was admitting that nothing
comes close to having the love of the lady in his life. It is significant
because he regretted letting that love get away from him.

DWN: Are there any characters in your book that are similar in character to
you? 

TP: No, they are not similar to me, but I would love having a friend like Lola.

DWN: What is your opinion of the current crop of Nigerian authors?

TP: There are many brave new authors finding their voice, honing their craft and
publishing their work. And that's a good thing.

DWN: Most Nigerians grew up reading about foreign (non-African) characters,
did you? If yes, how do you marry that with having to write about purely
Nigerian characters?

TP: I grew up reading lots of different books; fortunately, I read a mix of
foreign and African books. I enjoyed both, some allowed me to escape and
imagine different people, while some allowed me to see my own reality in
fiction. It wasn't difficult for me to portray Nigerian characters, since I
started writing on my blog and I knew my audience could relate to my
stories.

DWN: Is 'Nothing Comes Close' your first publication?

TP: I previously published part of a series with seven other writers, but
Nothing Comes Close is my first full length novel.

DWN: What was your experience getting publishers for your book?

TP: From my experience, I knew there were not many publishers willing to take a
chance on new writers like me. I had met a few publishers who found my work
interesting, but they always said that it wasn't commercially viable because
it was regarded as 'ethnic fiction'. 

But, I believe that I have to tell my
stories and there are readers who want to read about people like them in
books. So, I did a lot of research and decided to take the chance and become
a publisher myself. It seemed like a good idea to try and be proactive about
getting my work out there, instead of waiting endlessly for whenever a
publisher would notice me.

DWN: Why is your book 'Nothing Comes Close' relevant in this day and age?

TP: I was having a conversation with a lady one day and she said that while she
enjoys reading books published by African writers, she was fed up of reading
about wars, poverty, rapes, murder and so on. 

She wanted African stories
that were not about some bigger agenda. And I agreed with her. I think we
need more stories that the average African can relate to, stories that focus
more on the human beings and not on some perception of how people want to
view Africans.

DWN: Do you see yourself as a 'genre specific' author?

TP: No I don't. I mostly write short stories and flash fiction that don't fit
into any genre. When we started writing the initial In My Dreams It Was
Simpler series, we didn't define it as romance or anything. It was just
fiction. I'm fascinated by people and relationships, so I started writing
Lola and Wole's story because it was what I observed around me. 

I saw people
struggling to make certain decisions when it came to their relationships,
and I tried to capture that in fiction. Relationships are one area of life
that every adult has to deal with - we're either searching for the right
person to be with, or trying to make the best of our current status.

DWN: Does your book fall into any particular genre?

TP: I suppose it would fall under the category of "women's fiction" which
includes chick-lit and romance. But there's a bit of mystery and thriller
elements in it as well, so it doesn't fit neatly into one box.

DWN: Love is one of the major themes in your book, are you a hopeless
romantic?

TP: I like romance and I want good relationships to have happy endings. Does
that make me a hopeless romantic?

DWN: What is the greatest lesson in love you have ever learnt?

TP: Love is more than butterflies in your tummy and going weak at the knees.
Love is like a precious garden. It has to be worked on, cared for and
protected so that it grows more beautiful over time.

DWN: What was the last book you read?

TP: I've just finished reading The Rice Mother by Rani Manicka

DWN: Who are your favourite authors and what books have spoken to you most?

TP: Different books have spoken to me at different times in my life, including:
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, On Black Sister's Street by Chika Unigwe,
The Help by Kathrny Stockett, Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Adichie,
and The Life of Pi by Yann Martel. 

DWN: If you could go back in time is there anything about your book and the
publishing process that you would like to change?

TP: Not really. I just wish I knew beforehand that I would need lots of patience
to deal with the slow process of writing, editing and publishing.

DWN: With regards to your writing, what has been the best decision you have
made this far? The worst?

TP: Best decision was to leave Accounting and embark on this writing journey.
Worst decision? Trying to publish something before I was really ready.

DWN: Do you have any projects you are currently working on? What is next for
you as a writer?

TP: I'm working on my next book, and also a collection of flash fiction.

DWN: What are your words of advice for budding writers?

TP: Read, read and read. Read many books in the genre you're interested in so
they can give you ideas of what to do and what to avoid. Also read outside
of your chosen genres. Then start writing your story and don't stop give up
if it seems difficult. You can only get better by practicing often.

Thank you :)





------------------------------------------------

Tolulope Popoola was born in Lagos, Nigeria. She moved to England for her university education where she studied BA Accounting and Business Economics and a Masters in Finance and Investment. She started blogging in 2006, which rekindled her love for writing and telling stories. A few writing classes and an online fiction series soon followed and Tolulope quit her Accounting career to write full-time. She now writes short stories, flash fiction, and articles for many print and online magazines. Nothing Comes Close is her first novel. Tolulope lives in London with her husband and daughter.


You can interact with Tolulope online via:

Blog:
www.onwritingandlife.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TolulopePopoola

Twitter: www.twitter.com/TolulopePopoola

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/TolulopePopoola

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tolulopepopoola

Where to buy the ebook:
Kindle US, Kindle UK, Kindle Europe (Germany, France, Italy, Spain)

Kobo , Apple iStore , Sony Reader store , WH Smith , Smashwords,

To buy the paperback
Amazon US , Amazon UK, Waterstones, Barnes and Noble, BOOKS etc. , Book Depository, Foyles , Blackwells




Tuesday 19 March 2013

BOOK REVIEW: 'NOTHING COMES CLOSE' by Tolulope Popoola

Nothing comes close is a tale of tumultous romance. A romance between two characters Wole and Lola.

Tolulope Popoola delves into issues bordering on love, forgiveness, friendship with a dash of secrets and good intentions gone horribly wrong.

Lola and Wole partake in a feast of new found love and get caught up in a whirlwind romance.

Admist this whirlwind, the grim reaper rears its ugly head, upheaving secrets which have been long forgotten.

The crux of the matter then becomes the survival or death of Wole and Lola's fairytale romance.

Lola's ability to love continually, bend over backwards and care for her friends as well as preserve all relationships in her life is shown throughout the novel. This ability is tried and tested by the man she falls in love with, her family and her friends.

Lola shows self doubt at pivotal points in the novel. But her self doubt cascades into confidence on the wings of her caring and loving heart as the story unfolds.

Set in the UK, Tolulope Popoola weaves a tale made of fine rafia that is the manner in which the lives of Lola and Wole intertwine.

With friends like Temmy, Titi, Funmi and Maureen, Lola's relationship with Wole becomes even more complicated as different opinions arise concerning the issues that face their romance.
These friends make for a good read as the drama in their lives act as some sort of support system for Lola.

Wole is a man who is a bit rough around the edges. He has had a taste of both sides of life. He is a man whose past still haunts him, he walks around the 24 chapters of the novel attached to a ball and chain. Wole is definately not a 'fluffy' man but Lola is able to bring him to a place where he becomes more in touch with his emotions.

We are taken back in time thanks to Woles dark past. In the deep recesses of Woles mind, there lies a battle which is embedded in rich Nigerian history. Will his past catch up his present and ruin his future? Will this spell doom for his fairytale?

Popoola potrays young Nigerians in diaspora in a different light in her novel. She tells a tell of unending forgiveness as against those of the woes of the African continent that abound in the African authours category.
A tale of young ambitious men and women who are highly educated and yes, express a myriad of emotions without any form of reserve.

In nothing comes close we are made privy to the newage friendships between Nigerians of different tribes.

It is good to see several '-isms' which are purely Nigerian throughout the dialougue of the characters in the book.

The novel is presented from the vantage point of Wole and Lola. Each chapter is from the perspective of a particular character. But the way the novelist goes about it does not go deep enough to show the peculiarities of each character. This would have let one in a lot more on the character's thoughts and opinions regarding the unfolding tale.

The novel is a rollercoster ride in 193 pages. On the whole, it would have been fantastic to have deeper foundations for the characters in the book as that would have made relating to them even better.

Some of the characters came across as a bit watery and the main characters Wole and Lola are not excluded from this.

The novel allows one to see how strangers become lovers and how truly, Nothing comes close.

------------------------------------------------


Tolulope Popoola was born in Lagos, Nigeria. She moved to England for her university education where she studied BA Accounting and Business Economics and a Masters in Finance and Investment. She started blogging in 2006, which rekindled her love for writing and telling stories. A few writing classes and an online fiction series soon followed and Tolulope quit her Accounting career to write full-time. She now writes short stories, flash fiction, and articles for many print and online magazines. Nothing Comes Close is her first novel. Tolulope lives in London with her husband and daughter.


You can interact with Tolulope online via:

Blog:
www.onwritingandlife.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TolulopePopoola

Twitter: www.twitter.com/TolulopePopoola

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/TolulopePopoola

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tolulopepopoola

Where to buy the ebook:
Kindle US, Kindle UK, Kindle Europe (Germany, France, Italy, Spain)
Kobo , Apple iStore , Sony Reader store , WH Smith , Smashwords,

To buy the paperback
Amazon US , Amazon UK, Waterstones, Barnes and Noble, BOOKS etc. , Book Depository, Foyles , Blackwells



BOOK EXCERPT: 'NOTHING COMES CLOSE' by Tolulope Popoola


We were still carrying on about the previous night when Titi knocked on the door to the bedroom and reminded us that she was having a party later in the day. If things were to go smoothly we had to get a move on. We stumbled out of bed, cleaned our teeth, washed our faces and trooped to the kitchen downstairs to have breakfast.


"I'm starving. Titi what have you got?" Maureen asked, opening cupboards.


"Let's see, you can have toast, cornflakes or instant oats." Titi said.


"I'll have oats." Maureen said. "I haven't eaten a proper breakfast in a long time."


"Why?" Funmi asked.


"Oh, because I sleep and wake up at all odd hours of the day."


"You need to take better care of yourself." Funmi said. "No wonder you're so skinny."


"Maureen can eat like a horse and still remain a stick." Temmy said. "I'm so jealous."


"Yeah, me too." I said. "I have to work hard to maintain my figure."


"Since you're making oats, Maureen, make enough for all of us." Titi said. 

"Let me get my list of things we need to do."


"Miss Organised," I teased.

"I have to be." Titi replied. "Okay, here's the menu. Who wants to do what?"


"I'll make the jollof rice," I offered.

"I'll help with the chicken and beef," Funmi said.

"Put me down for salad and fried plantain," Temmy said.

"Great!" Titi said. "So that leaves Maureen to make the finger food. I've got some filo prawns, spring rolls and stuff like that."

"Is that everything?" Funmi asked.

"Let's see, I need to pick up my birthday cake, and get some disposable plates and cups from the supermarket." Titi said.

"What about music? I can help you sort out a playlist," I said.

"Thanks Lola." Titi said. "I think that's everything."

She turned to leave the kitchen when I noticed something.


"Hey, Miss Organised, you've forgotten something. What about drinks?"

Titi turned around. "Oh drinks have been taken care of."

"Where are they?" Maureen asked. "Let's put them in the fridge now so that we won't forget."

"Oh, they are not here, somebody is bringing them in the afternoon."

At that point we all looked up and turned to face her.

"Who?" The four of us asked at the same time.


"Somebody, a friend of mine is bringing the drinks..." Titi said blushing and lowering her face.

"Who is it?" I asked with feigned and exaggerated curiosity. "Does he or she have a name?"

Titi mumbled something under her breath.

"Say that again." I said, cupping my hand over my ear in a mock attempt to hear her better.


"My friend, his name is Dayo."

"Eh, who is Dayo?" Funmi asked.

"He's this wonderful guy I just started seeing." Titi said, the smile on her face, giving her away.


"Hmmm, na wa o Titi," Funmi said. "When did you become so secretive?"

"I'm not! I only just started seeing him two months ago."

"Ohhhh ... so is that why you cancelled on me the last time I asked you to come to the new bar with me? Temmy asked, pretending to be hurt.

Titi didn't respond.

"See, she is guilty." Maureen said.

"You guys let's leave her alone for now." I said "We'll meet the guy today and deal with Titi later."

"So you won't even give us any information?" Funmi asked.

"Alright, alright." Titi finally said. "I met him at a conference. I noticed him right away because he was the only black guy there. Throughout the conference our eyes kept meeting and afterwards, he came to say hello to me and we got talking. He took me out for a drink and we exchanged numbers."

"What does he do?" Maureen asked.

"He's a lawyer too, it was a legal conference."

"That's cool," Funmi said. "So why the need for secrecy now?"

"Well, since you guys will see him today, I might as well tell you." Titi paused. "He's older than me."

"How much older?" Temmy asked.

"He's thirty-six." Titi replied. "So he's like eight years older than me."

"Thirty-six! I couldn't date a guy more than four years older than me." Maureen said.

"I know." Titi said, looking downcast. "That's the only problem."

"Actually, I don't see why that is a problem." Funmi said thoughtfully. "Eight years is not that bad."

"I don't see a problem either." I added. "When you said much older I was already assuming like fifteen to twenty years older."

We all laughed, and Titi said, "Lola! Fifteen years? He doesn't even look that old."

Maureen said, "Okay maybe it's not so bad. At least he should be more mature than guys our age."

"Tell me about it." Funmi said, rolling her eyes. "I could do with a mature guy right now." Funmi's last relationship had ended sadly because her boyfriend's mother did not approve of their relationship and he had refused to stand up and defend her.

"Exactly." I said. My own ex-boyfriend Gbenga had given me no reason for our break-up before he packed up his things and left to travel the world. He had left me wondering what the hell I had done to deserve that kind of treatment.

"Yeah call him and tell him to bring his single friends along this evening." Temmy said.

"Temmy! Are We were still carrying on about the previous night when Titi knocked on the door to the bedroom and reminded us that she was having a party later in the day. If things were to go smoothly we had to get a move on. We stumbled out of bed, cleaned our teeth, washed our faces and trooped to the kitchen downstairs to have breakfast.

"I'm starving. Titi what have you got?" Maureen asked, opening cupboards.

"Let's see, you can have toast, cornflakes or instant oats." Titi said.

"I'll have oats." Maureen said. "I haven't eaten a proper breakfast in a long time."

"Why?" Funmi asked.

"Oh, because I sleep and wake up at all odd hours of the day."

"You need to take better care of yourself." Funmi said. "No wonder you're so skinny."

"Maureen can eat like a horse and still remain a stick." Temmy said. "I'm so jealous."

"Yeah, me too." I said. "I have to work hard to maintain my figure."

"Since you're making oats, Maureen, make enough for all of us." Titi said. "Let me get my list of things we need to do."

"Miss Organised," I teased.

"I have to be." Titi replied. "Okay, here's the menu. Who wants to do what?"

"I'll make the jollof rice," I offered.

"I'll help with the chicken and beef," Funmi said.

"Put me down for salad and fried plantain," Temmy said.

"Great!" Titi said. "So that leaves Maureen to make the finger food. I've got some filo prawns, spring rolls and stuff like that."

"Is that everything?" Funmi asked.

"Let's see, I need to pick up my birthday cake, and get some disposable plates and cups from the supermarket." Titi said.

"What about music? I can help you sort out a playlist," I said.

"Thanks Lola." Titi said. "I think that's everything."

She turned to leave the kitchen when I noticed something.

"Hey, Miss Organised, you've forgotten something. What about drinks?"

Titi turned around. "Oh drinks have been taken care of."

"Where are they?" Maureen asked. "Let's put them in the fridge now so that we won't forget."

"Oh, they are not here, somebody is bringing them in the afternoon."

At that point we all looked up and turned to face her.

"Who?" The four of us asked at the same time.

"Somebody, a friend of mine is bringing the drinks..." Titi said blushing and lowering her face.

"Who is it?" I asked with feigned and exaggerated curiosity. "Does he or she have a name?"

Titi mumbled something under her breath.

"Say that again." I said, cupping my hand over my ear in a mock attempt to hear her better.

"My friend, his name is Dayo."

"Eh, who is Dayo?" Funmi asked.

"He's this wonderful guy I just started seeing." Titi said, the smile on her face, giving her away.

"Hmmm, na wa o Titi," Funmi said. "When did you become so secretive?"

"I'm not! I only just started seeing him two months ago."

"Ohhhh ... so is that why you cancelled on me the last time I asked you to come to the new bar with me? Temmy asked, pretending to be hurt.

Titi didn't respond.

"See, she is guilty." Maureen said.

"You guys let's leave her alone for now." I said "We'll meet the guy today and deal with Titi later."

"So you won't even give us any information?" Funmi asked.

"Alright, alright." Titi finally said. "I met him at a conference. I noticed him right away because he was the only black guy there. Throughout the conference our eyes kept meeting and afterwards, he came to say hello to me and we got talking. He took me out for a drink and we exchanged numbers."

"What does he do?" Maureen asked.

"He's a lawyer too, it was a legal conference."

"That's cool," Funmi said. "So why the need for secrecy now?"

"Well, since you guys will see him today, I might as well tell you." Titi paused. "He's older than me."

"How much older?" Temmy asked.

"He's thirty-six." Titi replied. "So he's like eight years older than me."

"Thirty-six! I couldn't date a guy more than four years older than me." Maureen said.

"I know." Titi said, looking downcast. "That's the only problem."

"Actually, I don't see why that is a problem." Funmi said thoughtfully. "Eight years is not that bad."

"I don't see a problem either." I added. "When you said much older I was already assuming like fifteen to twenty years older."

We all laughed, and Titi said, "Lola! Fifteen years? He doesn't even look that old."

Maureen said, "Okay maybe it's not so bad. At least he should be more mature than guys our age."

"Tell me about it." Funmi said, rolling her eyes. "I could do with a mature guy right now." Funmi's last relationship had ended sadly because her boyfriend's mother did not approve of their relationship and he had refused to stand up and defend her.

"Exactly." I said. My own ex-boyfriend Gbenga had given me no reason for our break-up before he packed up his things and left to travel the world. He had left me wondering what the hell I had done to deserve that kind of treatment.

"Yeah call him and tell him to bring his single friends along this evening." Temmy said.


"Temmy! Are you serious?" Titi said and we all burst into laughter. Temmy was the only one among us in a relationship at the moment



------------------------------------------------


Tolulope Popoola was born in Lagos, Nigeria. She moved to England for her university education where she studied BA Accounting and Business Economics and a Masters in Finance and Investment. She started blogging in 2006, which rekindled her love for writing and telling stories. A few writing classes and an online fiction series soon followed and Tolulope quit her Accounting career to write full-time. She now writes short stories, flash fiction, and articles for many print and online magazines. Nothing Comes Close is her first novel. Tolulope lives in London with her husband and daughter.


You can interact with Tolulope online via:

Blog:
www.onwritingandlife.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TolulopePopoola

Twitter: www.twitter.com/TolulopePopoola

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/TolulopePopoola

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tolulopepopoola

Where to buy the ebook:
Kindle US, Kindle UK, Kindle Europe (Germany, France, Italy, Spain)

Kobo , Apple iStore , Sony Reader store , WH Smith , Smashwords,

To buy the paperback
Amazon US , Amazon UK, Waterstones, Barnes and Noble, BOOKS etc. , Book Depository, Foyles , Blackwells