Last weekend I had the pleasure of being interviewed by PEL’s Peter Okonkwo. We spoke about a number of subjects, including my bestselling novella 47 Days and Surviving the Fatherland, my writing career, advice for aspiring writers, dealing with criticism, and much more. I particularly enjoyed meeting Peter who started PEL. He contacted me from Nigeria via Zoom here in Germany. Isn’t being part of an international author community amazing? Listen in and see for yourself.
About PEL
Founded in 2020, PEL stands for P. English Literature, a literary organization dedicated to the promotion of English literature regardless of genre. They offer reviews, author interviews, opinion commentaries, literary criticism, writer’s conferences, open mics, and other literary activities explicitly done to publicise and incite authors and writers of different backgrounds, heritages, and cultures.
About Peter
Peter Okonkwo is a Nigerian writer, fatalist, publisher, editor, literary critic, soon–to–be–novelist of Etean’s Destiny, and a certified orator from the Friendship Leadership Institute of Nigeria. He is the author of six poetry collections: Ecstasy of the Dead; Fate, In the Dungeon of Doom; Whose Fault, Kismet or Impediment? and Escape from the Unseen Dungeons book series, (A Cry for Mercy, How the Demons Leave, and I Saw the Light)
New Projects
I’ve completed THE LIFE WE REMEMBER: BETWEEN WORLDS, a historical immigration/love story about a German woman and an Irish man, meeting on a ship to America in 1848. It is currently with a handful of beta readers and should hit shelves in the fall of 2024. The new cover will follow shortly.
Also in the works is a story about a German woman and a French forced laborer – sorry, no title yet – meeting at a coal mine in Bochum in Germany’s industrial region in 1943, known for coal mining and steel production. According to a historical document, one hundred forced labor camps were operated around Bochum during WWII. I started the manuscript in 2021 and put it aside for a while. Sometimes, things don’t flow as I wish and I’ve made peace with the fact that I can place things on ice for a while. Well, I’m back at it and hope to complete the novel before the end of this year.
Meanwhile, I’m taking care of projects around the house, learning beekeeping – I’ve got two small hives now -, traveling, organizing a small writing retreat for my local class, and…and…