Michael Enearu is a Nigerian-born Irish author whose literary journey has taken him from the bustling streets of Lagos to the serene landscapes of Ireland. Growing up in Lagos, a city teeming with energy and culture, Enearu developed a deep appreciation for storytelling from an early age. Inspired by the rich oral traditions of his homeland, he began crafting his own tales, drawing upon the vibrant tapestry of Nigerian life for inspiration. After completing his education, Enearu made the bold decision to embark on a new chapter of his life in Ireland. Immersing himself in the country’s rich literary tradition and drawing inspiration from its lush countryside and ancient folklore, Enearu found a new muse for his writing. Enearu’s debut novel “SeaBreeze” is a captivating work of science fiction that seamlessly blends elements of Nigerian and Irish folklore. Set in a world where the boundaries between the natural and the artificial have blurred, “SeaBreeze” follows the journey of young protagonists as they navigate a world on the brink of transformation.
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Haneefah: Thank you for granting me this interview. Science Fiction is known to explore complex themes. What attracted you to the genre?
Michael: As you rightfully mentioned, Sci-Fi is known to explore complex themes. And this is what compelled me to write a story with the genre as its foundation. For example, I was able to communicate themes around family, grief, resilience, sacrifice, and socio-economic disparities (amongst other things) all in a fun and easily digestible way. For me, this wouldn’t have been possible if SeaBreeze was not rooted in Sci-Fi.
Haneefah: From the reviews I have read, most people love the cover of Seabreeze. What was the most beautiful and most stressful cover art process of Seabreeze?
Michael: I can’t speak about the cover of SeaBreeze without first acknowledging the brilliant illustrator, Morenike Olusanya, who made it all happen. In all honesty, Morenike is the brain behind the whole operation. I presented her with a crude pencil drawing, and after a few conversations, she birthed a book cover that is currently making waves in Nigeria and Ireland. We’ll have to ask Morenike to give her thoughts on your question. Haha.
Haneefah: Some say when writers write, they become mad in the mind and lost from the world. What was the writing process of Seabreeze like for you?
Michael: Whoever said these words knows a thing or two about writing, haha. I cannot overstate how involving the process of writing SeaBreeze is. All your senses and thinking faculties have to be switched on at all times. While this involvement in one’s craft can sometimes lead to stress, dissociation from the world, hallucinations, or insomnia (as in my case), it’s all a labour of love. The determination to create a compelling story in SeaBreeze led me to stay grounded and focused even through rough times.
Haneefah: You were able to blend the element of Nigerian and Irish folklore in Seabreeze mainly through the eyes of the characters, Iska and Amen. What is your personal connection and perception of both cultures’ folklore?
Michael: As someone who was born and raised in Nigeria, but has also lived in Ireland for a significant number of years, I can say, without a doubt, that both countries have rich cultures, which feed their respective folklore. As a Lagosian, I grew up watching the Eyo festival in amazement; my siblings and I cowered in fear and wonder as Egunguns ran through the streets whipping anyone who dared to stand in their way. Meanwhile, in Ireland, I’ve had the privilege of experiencing St. Patrick’s Day in all of its glory (the parades in Dublin City centre are thing of beauty); I’ve walked through the “Fairy Doorway” in Corkagh Park, and I’ve been swooned by the lead singer of an Irish band—it doesn’t get more beautiful than this. In short, I am Nigerian through and through. But in Ireland, I found my adopted home. My perception of either country’s folklore is that it’s rich and true, and there are a lot of similarities.
Haneefah: Do you think the folkloric tradition is evolving without threats in this modern era? Why?
Michael: A good question. I think you can’t think about the modern era without acknowledging its most prized asset: the internet. I believe the evolution of folkloric traditions, of many different cultures and peoples, has drastically stuttered due to the internet, more specifically social media, which has the world firmly in its grasps. Stories about customs and traditions currently have no room to shine with the distractions of the world wide web, TikTok, Fortnite always front and centre. It’s sad, but it is the reality. Having said that, I’m hopeful that folkloric traditions will have their moment and become more mainstream again. It mightn’t be the zeitgeist in our lifetime; it might rise in a different form to what we used to know. But it will dominate the world again, because history repeats itself.
Haneefah: Are always tells Bedtime stories to her children. In the past, elders tell stories under moonlight. As a storyteller, how has the ancestral mode of storytelling influenced your writing?
Michael: Greatly. I grew up listening to just about every version of the tortoise and rabbit story from my grandparents, haha. As a kid, I remember allowing myself get lost in the stories my family told me, I would close my eyes and be right there in the village, with the kids, running away from the man with no face. Listening to well detailed folk tale, helped shape my imagination, my mind, and I’m now using these influences in my day-to-day writing.
Haneefah: You are a Nigerian who moved to Ireland. How has your personal and cultural experience shaped the creation of a character like Iska
Michael: My personal and cultural experiences have greatly influenced SeaBreeze. Iska, for example, enjoys the savoury taste of a Nigerian meal only a few pages into SeaBreeze. She eats meals I’ve eaten my whole life. Although she grew up in a foster home in Ireland, she’s eventually exposed to Nigerian music (Afrobeats), she wines and dines with Nigeria’s elite, she tours Lagos city. Most of these experiences, which by the way shape Iska as the story progresses, are my lived experiences.
Haneefah: Bullying has been an issue that’s growing, especially when people see or feel someone is different. Amen suffered bullying in school because of her eyes. Iska has always tried to defend her. What are your thoughts on bullying, and how can we support those who are affected?
Michael: As someone who was bullied as a kid, I believe bullying, in any way, shape, or form, is committed by weak, broken people who are desperate to appear strong. People who cannot come to terms with the fact that the victim of their hate can be different to them, and that this victim is a whole and complete human with emotions and fears and goals and aspirations. I believe bullying is wrong and should be aggressively stopped whenever it rears its ugly head.
I also believe society can do better to support victims of bullying no matter the context by offering them a safe space to share their experiences, or by providing them the best care to heal from trauma they’ve inherited as a consequence of being bullied.
Haneefah: Which character in Seabreeze was the hardest to create while you were writing and why?
Michael: Nirewa. Simply because she is a container of widely contrasting emotions that could manifest themselves within a minute of conversing with her. It’s not her fault, though. The nature of her abilities sometimes makes it seem like she’s unhinged. Maybe she is, maybe she isn’t.
Haneefah: Suspense is one of the most important literary device that makes a novel interesting. What was the most challenging aspect of creating suspense in Seabreeze using Ares?
Michael: I like this question ,haha. The most challenging aspect of creating suspense in SeaBreeze is finding and maintaining the right balance between giving readers enough material to work with, but not too much that the final act or punchline is revealed too early.
Haneefah: You ended Seabreeze with a letter from Amen and Iska’s Dad. It reminded me of the epistolary form. The letter insinuates that you will be good at epistolary. Have you considered writing in the epistolary form?
Michael : Unfortunately, I haven’t considered writing in epistolary form before. In all honesty, I didn’t know about this style of writing until this very moment, haha. However, I will do more research on this, and see if it’s a style of writing I want to pursue going forward in my writing career.
Haneefah: Sometimes, books are made into movie adaptations. Do you think movies do justice to the details of books?
Michael: Another good question! I think, with a few exceptions, movies never do justice to the books they’re adapted from. Books, especially the ones that are popular enough to made into movies, are so well detailed that it is most times impossible to fit all the material into a two or even three-hour long movie. That being said, there have been film adaptations that have delivered with aplomb.
Haneefah: How do you manage your emotions during the writing stage?
Michael: Haha, I don’t manage. I let myself feel every single emotion: excitement, frustration, anger, sadness, relief. As they hit me, I feel them. I do this because they are all part of the experience of writing, and if I’m being honest, help improve your story-telling. I guess the most important takeaway is that through all these emotions, I never stop writing.
Haneefah: If you could change anything about Seabreeze, what would it be?
Michael: Nothing. SeaBreeze is my debut novel and it’s filled with a lot of perfections and imperfections. I would have it no other way. SeaBreeze in its current form is reminder that my craft is constantly evolving, that I am constantly evolving.
Haneefah: What is the most discouraging and the most encouraging writing advice you have ever received ?
Michael: Most discouraging writing advice, “don’t use more than one exclamation point in your WHOLE book”. Rubbish advice. Most encouraging writing advice, “write in your own voice. Cut out affectation.”
Haneefah: While I was reading Seabreeze, I didn’t want it to end. Would you consider writing a sequel if 50% of your readers requested one?
Michael: Joy in my heart; I’m glad you enjoyed reading SeaBreeze. I would 10000000%. Amen and Iska’s story has only just begun, there’s still so much the world needs to know about them.
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Haneefah Abdulrahman is a second class upper graduate of English Literature from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. She is a Writer, an editor, an Interviewer, a content creator, an arts event planner, a Spoken Poetry Artist and a Podcaster. She is a 2021 fellow of Ebedi International Writers Residency, Oyo State, a Pioneer Fellow of Imodoye Writers Residency, Kwara State and she was a Columnist at DailyTrust Newspaper. She is the Author of Shades of Becoming (a collection of short stories). She is the 2021 Winner of The Arewa Rising Literary Star. She has edited and curated books including anthologies. She also does freelancing writing for tech companies and others.
She is the Chairperson of Kaduna Branch Hill-Top Creative Arts Foundation. She was the 2021 – 2023 Chairperson of the Creative Writers’Club , A.B.U Zaria. Right from her first year in school, she has been a very dedicated member of the Club. She was the Treasurer in her second year and held the position of being the Financial Secretary and Editor 1 in her third year. The Creative Writers’ Club is known to be qualitative in picking their officials. She is also an arts administrator. She has organized many literary events including the Nigerian Poetry Festival.
Haneefah is the Editor-in-chief of Literature Voices (LITVO). She served as an Editorial assistant for The Moveee Magazine. She was shortlisted as one of the 30 Contemporary Women Poets to read by Poetry Column-NND in Nigerian News Direct. She was named YELF ARTIST OF THE MONTH, November Edition 2020. She was the 2019/2020 Business Head of Eagle’s View Tour and a Delegate for Conference Leadership Training of A.B.U for all ENACTUS Schools in Nigeria which qualified me as a Project Head. She has been invited as Guest Speaker, Judge and Panelist to Arts events like Benue Book and Arts Festival, Taraba State Schools Festival, National Library of Nigeria Readership Campaign, Yasmin El-rufai Foundation and more.
Over the past years, she has gained ample experience in the field of writing, public speaking, art events planning and organizing, researching and undertaking projects.
She is someone who is hard working, persistent, consistent, always ready to take challenges and learn new things.
You can reach her via abdulrahmanhanifah2017@gmail.com
