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As a student in England, I studied French and English literature. I read L'Etranger and the rhythm of the novel felt familiar to me - very African.

Sefi Atta

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Sefi Atta
Age: 60
Born: 1964
Born: January 1
Author
Playwright
Writer
England
Students
Studied
Novel
African
Literature
Student
Read
French
Felt
Rhythm
Familiar
English

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My accountancy experience could come in handy if ever I find myself in the right position. For now, I'm very happy to write.
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I read Macbeth as a secondary student in Nigeria and it was like an African play to me. It had all the right elements - witches, kings and assassinations.
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I don't have a schedule, but I can write for hours non-stop. If I'm drafting a book, I try and do a chapter a day. I dislike first drafts. Revision is a lot more fun, but it takes years.
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I enjoy writing plays most. I haven't written a radio play in a while and I don't write short stories anymore because the process of submitting them depressed me. I really enjoy revising novels, but drafting them can be a pain.
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What works for me is that I read widely and stay focused on my writing. I'm no longer concerned about what happens in the literary marketplace. It is distracting and can lead to discontent.
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I always begin [a novel] with outlines, but they change and so do my endings and beginnings.
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At some point, practicality requires that you reach out to people in the business. You have to take care of business if you value your work.
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I don't have much of an imagination, but I have a mind bank of details, which I play with. It's how I daydream, so writing like that is natural for me.
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I don't write non-fiction because I get bored. Some of my writing is autobiographical, but not the way readers imagine. I use my memory of settings, events and people. I weave history into my stories, but my narratives are made up.
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I can't say L'Etranger influenced me to write, but for the first time I considered the possibility of telling a story that resembled my own experiences in my own voice.
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I had stopped writing plays set in villages because they were not relevant to my experiences and I knew my English classmates wouldn't appreciate them.
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've had notebooks, but they are nondescript. All I care about is that they fit in my hand. I scribble down ideas. The problem is my best ideas come while I'm driving or showering.
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You don't need attention to write. All you need is passion for your work and an overwhelming desire to tell a story you genuinely care about. Readers can sense your sincerity and it separates you from pretenders.
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I never wanted to be a writer I just had stories I wanted to share so I learnt how to write and kept going. If I could sing or paint, I would.
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I get stage fright with short stories. For me it feels like standup comedy: kill or die. I'm more confident when I begin a novel because I know I have space to fail.
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I don't remember being a keen reader, but apparently I was. My aunt told me that whenever I was teased for reading, I would say, To each his own.
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