Usually on my BM’s In Memoriam posts, I just post a picture of the author and a few words but this author is someone close to me as I grew up reading most of his novels and especially The Concubine which was and still is my personal favourite for obvious reasons and the fact that it made you appear cool in junior high school if you had read either his books or that of Wole Soyinka or Chinua Achebe at the time. Plus, anyone who knew me back then (Gambo Sagada dont expose my secret o) knew I had a massive ‘author crush’ on him.
I had an opportunity of meeting him on a class literary tour and even still have an autographed copy of The Concubine (well everyone in my class got one on the special trip to meet an award-winning author then in the 90’s) which I still cherish and yes don’t lend people. Lol. He left us with a word that still helps me till date.
‘ Never allow anyone tell you what you can be or not be. Books are not necessarily a way to escape reality like most people claim but it helps deal with reality itself’. (Paraphrased)
Even though he died yesterday and I think I was in denial for the better part of it till this morning when it dawned on me that he really had passed…
In honour of my favourite author of all time passing, I wont be posting anything today except for tweets of course because truth be told I’m really saddened by this sudden loss. My prayers are with the wife, Mrs Preye Amadi and family.
You will be missed immeasurably by all of us at BM.
Photo credit: pmnewsnigeria.com, goodreads.com, elechiamadi5.com