Favourite Five: Sylva Ifedigbo

Sylva Ifedigbo

Sylva Ifedigbo is an advocate of good governance and believes in the use of creative writing and Journalism in addressing Africa’s socio-political issues. He is a graduate of the University of Nigeria, and has written extensively both on and off line. He currently lives in Lagos. He tells us about his favourite five books.

I will start from the very beginning. Number 1 will be Akin Goes to School by Christie Ade Ajayi and Michael Crowder. It was in the league of Eze Goes to School and Chike and the River. The books that introduced me to literature and nurtured my childhood fantasies. There was something about Akin Goes to School though that made it stand out in my memory…can’t quite place it now.

Our Children Are Coming by Vincent Chukwuemeka Ike. Fantastic writer. The very best we’ve had in my opinion. This book stimulated my interest in Student activism and in writing stories with political themes.

Anthills of Savannah by Chinua Achebe. This book is Achebe’s best till date. I said so. Here Achebe did a deconstruction of military dictatorships, demonstrating how the fierce pursuit for personal interest comes at huge costs to friendships and the community in general. A good read any day.

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Adichie. I need not say much on this one. The whole world attests to the genius that is the work.

The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger. An account of the life of Holden Caulfield in the few days after being expelled from school. I hear the book has been banned many times by zealous parents and educators who cite the profanity, sex, alcohol abuse and prostitution but there is much more to the book which has seen it sell over 60million copies to date and translated to many languages. This rambling of a 17 year old is a must read for all.