Monday, July 23, 2007

The Silver Lining in my... uh... 18th Century Cloud?

Now that legal education is done, and the 9 month holiday has begun, my appetite for literature has returned. And I'm soooo pleased it has too! Unfortunately, it's made me even more of a hermit, and in the 3 weeks I've spent in Lagos, I have been only to the following places - the hairdresser, the Nail Place, and church. I haven't even once been tempted to go hunting for carrot cake in Chocolate Royal, or duck curry in Pattaya. My books have kept me well-fed. Tis sad, but true I'm afraid. As such, I have had absolutely nothing to blog about!!

People, I have passed day after day in 'Casa Flamingo' (my bright pink home). Every morning I have devoured a splendid platter of the thinnest, most divine crepes known to mankind (courtesy of our in-house pancake whiz), injured my shoulder/wrist/groin/french manicure playing tennis, and then passed the rest of the day in a haze, with a book pressed up against my nose.

I have been in heaven!

I chose to blog today, firstly because I didn't want to be seen to be neglecting my blog (which saw me through many a boring/lonely day this past year) and secondly, because I have only just finished reading a truly fabulous book and decided I had no choice but to share my excitement.

Simi Bedford, she of 'Yoruba Girl Dancing' (which I am still to read) fame, has produced a novel timed to coincide with this year's 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade. 'Not with Silver' is what it's called, and it is an epic tale (believe me, it's more than bloody epic, the thing is the size of an encyclopaedia)!!

It starts in Oyo, in the 18th century, heads to America (the homes and farms of slaveowners), and then returns to West Africa in the period running up to formal abolition. And it is spectacular!! Never having been one to pore over movies like Roots or whatever that other one with that Djimon Honsou guy was called, I couldn't believe how quickly I got into it, and how I just kept rolling along from place to place with the characters. Okay at times it might've dragged a little and become a tad preachy, but it was so incredibly detailed, and so alive, that I could not but continue.

If I'm being honest, I think what really hooked me was how well Ms Bedford seemed to know the architecture, speech, rites, custom, culture, history and personalities of Old Oyo. I confessed to be a geek a couple of posts ago, and will be a bit more specific now - I am a history geek! The true nature of my geeky interest is seldom revealed, as I am loathe to get into discussions centred on my beloved subject for the simple reason that my memory is a sieve... It's more than a sieve... it's a bottomless bucket! I can never retain anything, facts, details, nothing! And so I habitually conceal the breath of topics and periods I've covered in my academic life, simply because I muddle them all up, forget which crusader did what to which saracen, and which pope did what to which king, which king to which general, etcetera etceteroo.

When it comes to Nigerian history however, my ignorance is not feigned, it is in fact very genuine. I have never had the opportunity to study the stuff! That's the main reason why I was so taken with the Naij Documentary I blogged about aeons ago, as that was the first time the picture of modern Nigeria took on a form comprehensible to me. Ancient Nigeria, is even more difficult to access, partly because of the sheer lack of secondary sources (I am not geeky enough to try to grapple with dusty source documents, no thanks!). And so Simi Bedford's book, which literally fell into my lap (courtesy of my beloved Daunt Books - had to give a shout out to my homies there, you can find them on Marylebone High St in London), was a GOD send!!

Bedford's Old Oyo is steeped in conspiracy upon conspiracy, it's personalities are shrewd, fiercely proud people (who from her description of their kingdom, it's wealth and military prowess have every right to be so). And it is just such a phenomenal place!

Ever the lunatic, I saw myself in a silk wrapper, dancing and singing with the crowds at the wedding and few feasts she detailed, having my hair oiled and braided, and then being carried off on horseback by my tall, dark, warrior of a husband. The only thing my 18th century self took serious objection to (aside from the ritual, but not at all frivolous, killings) was the tribal marks she would've had to sport. Being of noble, and I'm sure, even royal, descent, I would have been marked at birth. And as I'm sure you know by now, Bitchy would rather die than allow any grandmother or wicked aunt scar her pretty face!

And I would of course have been far better looking than Benoist's Negress


My day dreaming aside, 'Not with Silver' was an incredible journey, and such a vivid one at that. My ignorant self learnt so much. Not only about Yoruba, but also about American, and then even Sierra Leonean (?) history. The egotistical (and inquisitive) Nigerian in me cannot but wish that Ms Bedford had devoted more than just a third of her novel to Old Oyo, and possibly even extended her reach to other Yoruba kingdoms at least (if not the entire Niger-area... hehe)! But I live in hope that someone else will, and soon too.

If no one does rise to the challenge, then me thinks I might just have to get on with it myself. Spurred on of course, by the excellent examples of Bedford, Achebe and Adichie (who by the way I'm meeting tomorrow... exciting or what?) who have gone before.

Woohoo! I'm on a high....

15 comments:

Jaja said...

wait! wait! wait!
did you say u were meeting Adichie tommorrow??

ok.. am hopping on a plane to Lagos..

Jaja said...

Am very fascinated with history myself...
nice post...

Arundhati Roy's book is wicked.

Ok.. lend me the Khalid hosseini's new book... my bookshop has refused to bring the one i ordered for.. psst!

do u read several books all at once?

Unknown said...

If you think fiction is that exciting, you'd be blown out of the water with the non fiction tales.
Get your hand on a good narrative-history book about the beginning of West africa; Shonghai and Mali empire, Oyo empire, Sundiata Kieta, Mansa Musa I, his eastern travels and the subsequent economic depression in Cairo because he gave away so much gold.....

Okunrin meta

SOLOMONSYDELLE said...

Ooh, I am jealous. What a vacation! Books, tennis, relaxing and of course meeting Achebe and Adichie. Fill us in.

By the way, I too have been reading a lot this summer and just read (finally) The Shadow of the Wind. It's a great book, but it is a mystery book set in historic Barcelona. Was reading it at an airport in the Commonwealth of Dominica and had people walking up to me praising the book.

Okay, take care!

uknaija said...

Meeting Adichie? Are you on the workshop? Lucky thing! I too am a history geek- that and anthropology...and yes, Daunt Books rock...

Bitchy said...

@ Darcy Mark Jaja, how now? :-) I can't lend you Hosseini's book oh, it's next on my must-read list. I don't read several books at the same time, I just have an addiction to book-buying. I buy hundreds and hundreds and leave them piled up in my room. I'm finally working through the pile. And Roy's book was fantabulous... I loved it, though it was a tad gruesome!

@ Olu, Hellooo... you're new! Hehe. Can you recommend any books in particular? Would looove to read them.

@Solomonsyndelle, Yes so far I've really enjoyed this sleepy holiday. Even the spots on my face are holidaying it seems! Hehe. Will look up the book you mentioned. And no, I met only Adichie, not Achebe.

@ Yookay, you're really a man after my own heart you know? Hehehe. Have just come home from Day 1 of the workshop. Will only say for now that it was interesting.

Anonymous said...

Ask MrO, he has a book on Yoruba that's good - bought it on Lagos Island.

Anonymous said...

Yay the Bitchy is back.....x

jadedjune said...

eh yah,,,,,those that can relax in naija....chei, i miss those days.
enjoy ur time there....naija rocks.....and have fun meeting Achebe and Adichie!!

Cheetarah said...

Girrrl,u give lit chick a whole new meaning :) Will try and amazon this book because ur excitement has made me curious.
How naija? And how was China? Hope u alright and remeba to blog about the bloggers do, which trully sounds kinda formal!

Anonymous said...

I saw these two comments on Bella Naija’s comment page of “This day Concert” and I thought the whole world should know. I love Oprah and the rest of the Artists my aim is just to show Nigerians that it is time we start supporting our own people and make our own country better. Contrary to what Oprah thinks Nigerians are the smartest most intelligent people in this world.

PLEASE READ THE PIECE BELOW FROM NIGERIAN PUNCH NEWSPAPER AND PASS YOUR COMMENT:


Oprah Winfrey got it wrong

By Our Reader
Published by PUNCH NEWSPAPER: Thursday, 26 Jul 2007

Recently, America’s TV girl, Oprah Winfrey, called on America to sever diplomatic relationships with world’s topmost corrupt countries.

Worst of all the countries, Oprah surmised, is Nigeria.

According to her, “all Nigerians – regardless of their level of education – are corrupt.”

It is very pathetic that Oprah could ascribe to a larger population, the evil act of an insignificant number of persons in the world’s most populous black nation.

Oprah’s conclusion is based on the fact that a Nigerian of Igbo extraction was caught with $500,000, which was alleged to have been stolen from a foreigner through the Internet fraud popularly known as 419.

Oprah had sponsored an hour-long programme, which ran for several days on the CNN, with the sole aim of exposing the clever tricks espoused by this group of Nigerians to con their victims.

Much has been said about the greed of the victims themselves, and I need not say more about it.

However, at a time when Americans are committing heinous crimes against children and women, nobody has tagged all Americans as murderous.

So, why call all Nigerians rogues because of the sin of a few bad eggs?

Oprah regularly tells her life story: how she was sexually abused by close relations, how she ‘walked the streets’ (Americans’ euphemism for prostitution), etc., but nobody has ever deemed it fit to tag all American men as incestuous because of Oprah and others’ experiences.

She did drugs – just like the typical American teenager, but nobody has cast all American youths in the mould of drug abusers!

So, why should an individual that is supposed to know better sentence a nation to odium for the infraction of a tiny fraction of its population?

I urge Oprah and her likes to disabuse their minds about Nigerians.

Be wary of requests for money from strangers, and if you fall for a scam, blame your greed and not Nigerians.

Okoli Vitalis,

legendchyke@gmail.com


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art200707260133325
Ps: to the owners of the blog I’m sorry for invading your blog. I just felt we Nigerians need to let go of that inferiority complex of American things being way better than Nigerian’s. We need to make our stuff better too if we think it is not up to standard.

Noni Moss said...

How was the Adiche meet?

Anonymous said...

Hi ya bitchy is there an email i can get to u on. Need to chat one on one with u. Let's jus call it some girl talk. About something wehave in common
cheers.

Favoured Girl said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Favoured Girl said...

Hey girl, for some reason, I've just discovered your blog! I like the way you write and I'll definitely be coming back to read more. Did you say you wanted to be a writer? I think you've definitely got the talent. You'll be having your readers hooked to your work. All the best and I'll be looking out to see when you've got something published.
I also see that you are meeting some great Nigerian writers soon. Good for you, I wish I could meet them too. Adichie is a big inspiration to me.