The Voice Interviews: Adedotun Eyinade

Dotun Eyinade

Adedotun Eyinade started the Pulpfaction Book Club to encourage reading in Nigeria; they organise the monthly book readings at Debonair Bookstores. He tells us about his favourite five books. He had this to say about his love for reading.

What are your fondest memories of growing up? One of the fondest memories, asides attempting to read every book I found in our bookshelf, was making up with our neigbhours' kids with whom I had quarrelled because I wanted to swap novels with them. I also recall reading the Rise and Fall of Idi-Amin in primary school. A classmate had taken the book off his father’s shelf to brag about his father’s collections. I talked him into lending me the book. The book was eventually seized by my class teacher who felt the details in the book would fly over my head. It gave me great joy any time I recollect that I stole  the book back from my class teacher’s house when I visited him after primary school. Reading was all that protected me from negative influences rife back then in my neighbourhood. Reading Famous Five adventures, comics, Pacesetters series and African Writers Series fired my imagination and left an insatiable thirst for more books.

Why the interest in encouraging reading? I suppose encouraging reading came natural. I grew up in an environment surrounded by books. Books provided me succour and timely sanity while growing up. I have always been a believer in the capacity of a well-read public to challenge and unsettle a pernicious status-quo. The reason why we deify the puny minds who have brought us to this sorry pass as a nation is because we don’t know any better and the capacity to ask questions that reading fosters is sadly missing. I believe that building an army of well-read and informed citizenry is at the heart of well-intentioned effort to build the Nigeria of our dreams. I dream of a time when kids will be able to reel off from the top of the heads the names of celebrated Nigerian authors like they are familiar with the names of today’s soccer league and music greats.

When and why did you start Book n Gauge? Book n Gauge was informed by the need to bring books and authors closer in an environment where they can engage each other and swap ideas. Books and the themes they address are living subjects and they should fuel animated discussions they way soccer buffs fiercely debate matches. That passionate exchange is what we seek to achieve. The book of the month selection for our book club is also discussed during the event. What more, we are also not averse to good music, drama sketches, networking give-aways, photo-ops and autograph sessions. Who says reading cannot be hip and cool? I have always been puzzled by the dearth of collectives whose common interest is reading and books. It is worse that community libraries are sadly few, usually in a dismal state. I wanted to create an avenue for hip and busy crowd to spare time to read and share books that they love and draw meanings with social relevance. Reading can be hip and cool again. Reading is not only for the nerds and the wonks. We wanted to make a statement that one can be new media savvy, hip, cool and still be well informed. Through the Pulpfaction club, we want to create the biggest community of book lovers in Nigeria and our focus is young people who will eventually sire a generation of young ones who will be naturally gravitated towards books just the same way kids today are wont to do video games.

From my findings, in the early independence years, the reading culture was still around…what happened, in your own words? It is the economy, stupid. James Carville couldn’t have put it better. Nigerians became obsessed with the prosaic details of getting by to cater for their minds. Everything is now seen through the prism of utility. We go to school not to get our minds beautified but as a means to landing a plum job and thus the process is abuse. It is all about the money, that is our creed. So that means as soon as schooling is over then it is au-revoir to reading. I have heard this question ad nauseum: ‘will this book bring food to my table?’ The question of access is another thing. The crippling absence of infrastructure for distribution of books is disheartening. There are few good book stores and they are almost always located in the up-scale areas. Every other store masquerading as book stores only sell religious tracts. Government and corporate organizations must invest in building libraries and resources centres and make them accessible. Enough of jamborees and concerts. Let’s build an informed citizenry.

When it comes to the reading culture, what was different when you were growing compared to now? Bookshelves were fashionable in living room. In fact it was a sign that the family was a pretender to the non-existent middle class or the last vestige before the military era wiped them out. Today flat screen TV is the symbol of arrival. The bookshelves are gathering dust somewhere in the stores and no one remembers t build a study when they build fanciful houses.

How do you encourage people to read? Read along with others especially the book of the month. Hang out and discuss the books the same way we discuss the movies that we love and the soccer matches of the previous nights. Throw in good music, poetry and a good measure of the cool, perhaps Nigerians will start to read religiously the way they read their devotional material authored by their pastors.

How do you blend your passion for books with your busy schedule? I have got a great team that I could delegate tasks to. I also that I use public transport to work so that frees my time to read en route to and from work. I carry tablets too so I can jot my ideas and of course, I can push emails on the goal. Who ever created audio books deserves a place at Jesus’ right hand. I am a great fan. I have also caught down on faffing time on Facebook. The time saved leaves me with time to think about making reading cool again.

Is it true that Nigerians don’t read? Or do they just choose what they read? Nigerians read but they are too hungry to buy and care about books. Even those who are well off to buy books don’t read except to pass exams and get by. It is also a question of access too. No good book stores except shacks were they sell motivational and ‘how to be rich’ schemes.

Why is reading  important? Reading refines the minds and broadens one’s worldview. A widely read person sees the world differently. He/She is open minded. Like Francis Bacon Said, Reading makes a complete man. It is the ultimate step to getting there although we all don’t get there.

What do you think is the biggest challenge to promoting a reading culture in Nigeria: dying publishing sector, hunger or just lack of interest? Hunger. Getting down the bass tack, a hungry man needs to eat first before you pitch books to him. Feed him first and bring books along his way. It is still the economy, stupid.

How can the publishing industry boom? Investing in capacity and also build infrastructure for distribution. Let’s do other genres too. Something less serious. We should create our own Harry Potter

What do you think of the Federal Government’s “Bring Back the Book” Campaign? What can be done to improve it? It is another jamboree; another stunt. Bring back the libraries. Don’t pack the stage with pop stars who don’t know any better. Government should give incentive to publishing houses and prop up libraries with funds and books. Corporate Organisation should cut down on concerts. A reading public is a corporate asset.

What keeps you going despite all? The brevity of it all. So why not pack as much into it. Perhaps it could be eventful.

Define literature in a sentence The ultimate science of depiction of human nature. What the minds can conceive

Eyinade works as a risk advisor in a professional services firm by day. He is an ardent lover of books.