Favourite Five: Mazi Chiagozie Nwonwu

Mazi Nwonwu is a Lagos based freelance writer and editor. He writes non-fiction, science fiction, present reality and stories set in his world -- the fictional Land of the Seven Hills. His non-fiction has appeared in local and international publications, both online and offline. His fiction has been published by Storytime, African Writer, Sentinel Nigeria, Naijastories and others. He is currently trying to live up to his promise to review every African fiction he reads.

His short story collection Footsteps in the Hallway will be published in the first quarter of 2013 by Melrose books. He blogs at fredrnwonwu.blogspot.com and publishes his reviews via Africanwriterstrust.com and 7venhillsmedia. He also writes a column for DailyTimes.com.ng. We asked him to send us his favourite five books, he had this to say before the list "Five favourite books? Hmm. This is turning out to be harder than I thought. I have read thousands of books and dozens come to mind as I try to zero down on five. Ok. I think I may have to do this randomly."

Grass by Sheri S. Tepper

"Grass! Millions of square miles of it... a hundred rippling oceans, each ripple a gleam of scarlet or amber, emerald or turquoise... the colors shivering over the prairies... Sapphire seas of grass with dark islands of grass bearing great plumy trees which are grass again."

Thus did Grass, which surely will forever be on any favourite list of mine that is not restrictive, begin. Grass is a science fiction novel that will find space on any literary fiction shelf if language is a criteria. Marjorie Westriding Yrarier, the main character, is one of those that you want to meet in person and the conflicts are exquisitely handled.

Imajica by Clive Barker
If I didn’t buy Imajica from a bend-down-select bookseller at Ikeja Under Bridge some years ago, perhaps I would never have started writing a novel about a man who loved his wife so much that he felt it would be better to kill her than to lose her to another. Imajica is one of those books that cradle the world of science fiction, fantasy and horror, only this one does it better than any other I have read. Gentle, the main character stayed with me and the one-foot distance between parallel realms that have little in common was exhilarating.

Blackbird by Jude Dibia

Blackbird is beautiful, it is a book that I want to buy and gift to everyone that has ever told me “...but I don’t read Nigerian writers.” With Blackbird, Jude Dibia showed me that exquisite novels could be written by home based writers of my generation without pandering to script of western literary award organisers. Blackbird for me is one of those books you remember with a smile. Well written, balanced and delightful to read.

Fine Boys by Eghosa Imasuen
Eghosa Imasuen is a damn good writer. His word usage is the closest thing to Naija speak I have seen in any book. I wrote in my review of this book that it will inspire a new kind of Nigerian writing and I still stand by that. The story of many in my generation, Fine Boys is a statement; a poignant record of time’s passing. Yes, I also want to dash this one to everyone I meet.

African Delights by Sipiwo Mahala

African Delights is the first book I reviewed with a word count of over 2000, yet I still feel that I did not say all I wanted to say about the book. This short story collection could very well be a historical narrative of Sipiwo Mahala’s native South Africa. I loved every story in this collection. I loved the language, the unapologetic telling and the honesty it conveyed. Very few copies of this book exist in Nigeria at the moment and I am gloating over the fact that I own one. Will I buy it to dash? Sure, but my autographed copy won’t leave my house without me.

Five already? Well, as I said, this is random. Now I remember several other books that should be in my favourite five.