On sale now: Be transported to a childhood of wonder in Nigeria, through this Sheffield writer’s new book
Under the Moonlight is a debut short-novel, written by Harrison Okhueleigbe, who has spent most of his life in Nigeria, growing up in Lagos in the 1990s and watching his home surroundings change from a rural town to a thriving metropolis.
He says: “I wanted to create an evocative and vivid picture, transporting the reader back to my homeland and to that inquiring mind you have growing up, which is often so difficult to reconnect with.”
As a youngster he says he was always writing – and daydreaming – finding ways to talk to the objects around him; the stars, the trees, and other inanimate objects.
One of his favourite ways to describe writing is: “Words become the paint and brush with which we capture our thoughts, memories, and wildest imagination."
The book is part memoir and part fiction, capturing his childhood life and experiences and weaving in the experiences of those around him, and all told in the first person. It’s a literary device that Harrison enjoys.
“I find it convenient to use the first person. It means a lot of my writing will resonate with people – children will have had those experiences.”
His mother says he was always an over-thinker – but for Harrison, it is this thinking which drives his creativity.
“I have always told stories,” he says. “The book captures the enigmatic mind of a child. I had the knack for wild imagination and daydreaming. This fills the mind of the child in the book as well as African folklore which is portrayed in there too, such as spirits which dwell with humans.”
In the novel a long summer holiday spent with his grandmother introduces the folklore and myths – in the story she fuels the boy’s desire for adventure with mythical tales.
The book is dedicated to his grandmother, who died aged 93, on the day the book was to be published. Harrison delayed printing to change the dedication so it acknowledged her passing.
Synopsis
The first part introduces the reader to the child, Eghọnghọn and his family, the dynamic there, and the world he created and coloured in his imagination.The second part portrays the exciting fictional world where humans and spirits either coexisted or communicated in some way, exploring themes like envy and perseverance.
It is written in an informal style in plain and simple English, but with some “Nigerian English”, something which Harrison perfectly describes as a very emphatic way of speaking and describing things. It also includes notes to explain some of the less common phrases or words or the accompanying songs, poems and proverbs to help the international audience understand the book and its references better.
The book explores themes such as perseverance in the face of adversity, envy, and the importance of the family unit in the larger societyHarrison says: “Under the Moonlight will touch the souls of those with a connection with Nigeria, but also those who love nothing more than a tale about the human spirit.”About the authorHarrison is an artist who has had success in Banking and Information Technology. He now lives in Sheffield, where he works for the city council. He has a bachelor’s degree in English and Literature from the University of Benin and he has recently graduated from Sheffield Hallam University with a Masters Degree in Digital Media Management.
He moved to the UK two years ago but continues to write as he works and studies. His writings reflect the profound adventurous nature of the human mind, and how these shape who we are and become.He was an actor for the University of Benin’s Playhouse, a theatre group known for staging plays across Benin City, Nigeria, popularly referred to as Elsa Playhouse. He still works and supports the theatre group as an alumnus, while spearheading initiatives to promote arts and culture through theatre and stage performances in his native Nigeria.He recently, in May 2022, appeared on the popular Nigerian news television station, Arise News. The book is available in hard copy and ebook on Amazon and Kindle.