Bookshelf: Congratulations on your debut novel.
Marvellous Michael: Thank you.
Bookshelf: How did you become passionate about writing?
Marvellous: I have been writing for a while, since I was 12 years old. I wrote poems and short stories and it was easier to transit to novel writing. I had already become used to it so those short stories and poems became my building blocks. It’s something I have always wanted to do. It just took me a while to get there.
Bookshelf: What should readers expect from ‘Birthmarked’?
Marvellous: It’s a mystery story and it’s full of suspense. You won’t know what to expect when you flip the next page. I hope people call me asking me why I killed some characters and hear their reactions. So I’m very sure that people will find it different from what they usually read, especially from a Nigerian author. It’s not even set in Nigeria. It has a lot of different themes to it and I’m very excited and nervous to see how people will react to it. I realized that Nigerian reader are used to a particular kind of storyline so I hope they love this.
Bookshelf: Why did you decide to set your story outside Nigeria?
Marvellous: My story isn’t based in Nigeria because I wanted to focus on the characters and their lives based on the decisions they made and not on where they lived. Many people tend to attribute people’s character or behavior to where they are from, which breeds issues such as tribalism and racism. But in this book you will see that the characters are from different cultures and they all have their flaws and this is simply because they are human.
Bookshelf: How do you think Nigerians would relate to your story?
Marvellous: I think every Nigerian would relate to this story not because they have all lived in the U.S., but because they have all been in difficult situations and may not always have made good decisions. However, the connection they make with this book will not be on the basis of culture, so I believe not only Nigerians but the world as a whole will find themselves in this book.
Bookshelf: How did you start writing?
Marvellous: Aside writing I also make movies and work as an auditor, so writing is something that has always been part of me. I have never really had that moment where I told myself I’m going to start writing. It has always been there. Writing has been more of a hobby to me.
Bookshelf: How do you approach your art?
Marvellous: When I write, I literally become my characters. In my book there are characters like Mote, Ara, and Jack, so every time I write about them, if they’re sad, I have to be sad too so that I can reflect and feel what they’re feeling in that moment and put it into words. When I’m writing, I don’t focus on the place or where they are but more on the characters and how I believe they’re lives will play out.
Bookshelf: Where did you draw your inspiration from while writing ‘Birthmarked?
Marvellous: In anything and everything. I watch a lot of movies and read books too, so everything I come across inspires me in one way or the other.
Bookshelf: What was the most challenging part of writing the book?”
Marvellous: The most challenging part was allowing it evolve past my initial plans for it. As I got deeper into writing, I realised that many things had to be changed and soon it felt like the characters were pretty much writing themselves and I just flowed with it. Also, because it’s a mystery novel, it gets tricky when deciding when to reveal a secret or include a new character.
Bookshelf: What kind of reaction are you expecting from readers?
Marvellous: I’m expecting all kinds of reactions, really. I think that’s the fun part of writing this book, the feedback. So far I have had so many and all of them great. I hear many things from “I wish I could read it all over again” or “I wish it wouldn’t end”. ‘Birthmarked’ definitely takes you on a journey of self-reflection.
Bookshelf: What lessons are there to learn from the book?
Marvellous: I believe there are as many lessons to learn from it as there are people who would read it. Everyone will find a different lesson to take away from it. In the book, there’s love, betrayal, trust, friendship. Every single character is one to be evaluated and compared with one’s self.
