About the Author - A 9T9Pages Interview

Please tell us your full name (or pen name) and how you would like to be addressed publicly.

"My full name is Joshua-Philip Kalu Kanu Okeafor. I choose to write under the pseudonym JP Kej. My friends call me KK, for Kalu Kanu."

Where are you currently based?

"I reside in Lagos, Nigeria."

What do you do outside of writing (profession, studies, etc.)?

"I’m a trained filmmaker, and have been involved in motion picture production for more than 15 years. I co-founded a film and tv production company called Loud Thunder Media, Ltd. I also occasionally engage in freelance writing for blogs and websites."

How would you describe yourself in a few sentences?

"I would say that I’m considerate of others and spiritual without being fanatical. I like to laugh and can also be moved to tears quite easily. I’m also tough and extra resilient."

When did you first start writing, and what inspired you to begin?

"My first foray into creative writing was at age 8 or thereabouts when we all made comic books about characters we created. By 14 I was already contributing to Ikebe Super, a popular Nigerian comic then. My first serious book was derived from an outline my older brother, also a writer, gifted me for my 18th birthday. Then I moved on to writing film scripts, short stories, etc. I currently have over a million words published online and offline. I think I have always told stories in my head. I was the kid who sat for hours in a room and fantasized about these impossible worlds, from meeting aliens to going off on wild adventures. In fact, once, I tried to actualize these fantasies and built a raft that would carry 6 friends and I along a small river bank, conquering like the ancient vikings. It ended in near disaster, naturally. I think writing was a necessary and safer outlet to these internal worlds, and I’m so grateful I found it." 

What is the title of your book, and what genre would you place it in?

“The Hunt for H.G. Growmore’ is the title, and it’s Speculative Fiction for YA."

In your own words, what is your book about?

"It’s about wonder and possibilities, especially seen from the eyes of a child. It’s about the hidden world openly around us that our busy lives as adults quarantine us from appreciating, and finally it’s about asking, then seeking, and finding our desires and dreams, no matter how uphill they seem at first." 

Who would you say this book is for (your ideal readers)?

"I would say it’s designed for the lower rungs of YA, between ages 12 and 16."

What makes your story different or unique from others in the same genre?

"First is its local color, which offers a glimpse into contemporary Nigerian socio-geographical youth existence. The world building here is whimsical and yet as relative as everyday life. The story itself is immersive, allowing the reader to suffer the budding near teenage turmoil of this 12-year-old on a quest to save her hairline. Then the speculative elements are as near the borderline of reality as is possible to still be tagged ‘speculative.’ This places the entire experience in the realm of ‘did this really happen?"

If you had to describe your book in one sentence, what would you say?

"A book that follows the adventures of 2 children, crossing hurdles to achieve an impossible dream."

What inspired the idea for this story?

"I actually have a younger sister who seemed to be losing her hair at a young age. The idea came about then as I imagined what we would need to do to save her hair."

How did the story first come to you (a moment, a dream, an experience, etc.)?

"Like I said above, it was one of those moments that quickly balloon and grab a life of their own. My sister’s hair situation was the pivotal moment."

Did you plan the story from the start, or did it develop as you wrote?

"Since this was a quest, I believed the best strategy was just to let the story lead where it would. After that first draft, I then began to attempt some form of linear structure in the storyline."

What was your writing process like while working on this book?

"Urm, I wouldn’t call it a calculated process per se, except you would call intuitive writing a process. I would basically have a vague idea of the general scenarios and events I thought the two major characters needed to go through and then begin writing. But I did do some critique and editing afterwards."

Were there any real-life experiences or people that influenced your story or characters?

"Apart from my younger sister, not really."

How long did it take you to complete this book?

"So, I first wrote it over a two week period. Then after an on/off period of editing that stretched through a year or so, I had a final draft, or so I thought. Some years back, a publisher offered me a book publishing contract for the book. They then suggested I write additional material to increase the word count and also to address certain concerns of theirs, which I did. This took another week or so. Ultimately they decided to delay publishing, citing economic reasons present in the Nigerian publishing landscape. They also advised I could seek alternative routes to publishing then. For a very brief period it was on kindle for a few months, but I then withdrew it. Overall, I would say it has taken years to bring this book to its present state."

What was the most challenging part of writing this story?

"Staying true to the local social and physical environment, while still making it a work of fantasy."

What part of the book did you enjoy writing the most?

"I believe the part about the hyenas, my totally favorite characters in the book."

Did you work with any editors, beta readers, or collaborators before submitting?

"Briefly, during my contract period with a publisher I was assigned an editor that gave me notes that were used to address issues like the contemporaneous nature of the book. Apart from that, I’ve pretty much done all my editing myself."

Who created the cover art or any visuals related to the book?

"So, I created the covers myself, but following the advent of AI, I used that to enhance the cover based on my original design. But all other Art remains my original work."

Have you written or published any other books or creative works?

"Yes, I have a finished anthology of short stories, a crime novel, and an ongoing novel. I have also been credited numerous times on screen as script writer, and have written more than 100 short stories for online publication on a ghostwriter basis."

What are your long-term goals as a writer?

"To produce a book that will sell worldwide and be published in different languages."

What do you hope readers take away from your book?

"First, just an enjoyment of the story and world that I’ve created. Also, it would be great if this could provoke thought, especially regarding striving for one’s dreams in a place like Africa."

If readers could remember just one thing about your story, what would you want it to be?

"The joy of being alive and able to achieve your goals, if you want to."

Are you open to interacting with readers (e.g., messages, comments, events)?

"Absolutely. Although I’m somewhat social media shy, but I will make more of an effort now."

Is there anything else you would like readers to know about you or your work?

"That there is more coming from where this came from."