By Lois O. Adams
Nnaemeka Nwankwo Okere, the author of Blood at Noon hails from Imo state, a graduate of English Language and Comparative Literature of the prestigious University of Uyo, Akwa-ibom State. A certified election media expect with the European; in 2011 and 2015 respectively, he was hired by the European Union Election Observation Mission in Nigeria to monitor and ‘facilitate’ elections in the country.
Blood at Noon gives you a thought to think with the scary nature of the title, this view was in agreement with that of the author, as he expressed that the title “reflects the contents. They are very gory with scenes of carnage, and therefore deserve scary title. To some people, the word ‘blood’ creates emotion and nerve rises”.
Blood at Noon seeks to promote the spirit of factual documentation, irrespective of the story therefore, without proper account of the past, and with ignorance, a repeat of it may occur again.
The book is not fresh in the ‘cooler’, a few months after it was released, in April, 2016, it was nominated for the best non-fiction category by the Nigerian Writers Award (NWA) and it eventually won the award in February, 2017. The status of the book had attracted readers in all spheres of life. On the question ‘why take a long time to officially present?’ “there is no time specification on book public presentation. Book public presentations are done when the time is right in terms of the impact the book had made in society”.
The author revealed that Blood At Noon went through the scrutinising eyes of Amina Aboje, author, ‘Promises on Sand’. Mr. Okere was quick to express his feeling towards editors revealing that he will never abandon a job based on editor’s attitude in as much as he wants the best content. He added that it depend on him to accept the editor’s correction hook line and sinker.
He went further to state that it takes a writer with good-large heart to tolerate and accept some editors ‘slaughtering’ of writers works. That a writer who wishes to see his work make good readership should develop a heart to accommodate editors’ corrections to an extent having known that the writer knows he or she has the final say on the work.
Blood at Noon is not inciting in any kind to re-opening healed wounds but it seeks to remind us of the carnage of the past that would have been thwarted. It calls on the government to resolve to dialogue in addressing perceived ‘grey areas’ arising from any region of the country.
The virtuous writer Okere advised budding writers to be patient and focus to tell their stories well, warned that they should not be in a hurry to push out their yet ‘undone’ materials in to the public with a view of spinning money from it Noting that “writing is not all about money but education that comes with it sustains it”.
He hinted that his second book is ready to hit the market and be reviewed in 2018; “also, my book tour starts immediately after the public presentation of the book to remind agitating minds of the evils of war that they never witnessed, and never to repeat the mistakes of the past”.
All is set for the public presentation scheduled for Saturday 19 August, 2017, at 2:00pm in Denis Hotel, Wuse 2, Abuja. The media and the general public have been waiting eagerly for the day.
