T5 Interview with Michael Onsando

1. Your latest volume of poetry has just been released. How have you evolved, personally and stylistically, since your first edition?

I think I have developed a different style. But beyond that, The Perilous Journey to Beyond my Nose is more of a collaboration. It includes poems from Rosie Olang and Boniface Maina.  There are so many other people who worked behind the scenes to make it a success. The July Agency, for example, played a pivotal role. 

2. Tell us about The July Agency…

It is a newly established company that is looking to revolutionalise the local publishing industry and to make it more profitable. The people behind it are Frankline Sunday, Alexis Teyie, Clifton Gachagua, Roseline Olang and I. We have so many more projects in the works but right now, we are focused on getting this book properly out.

3. Do you consider yourself a poet first or an essayist?

I am a poet first. Even when I'm writing essays I borrow a lot from my poetry.  If poetry is a language then I think in poetry.  I like to think of myself only as a person who is trying to construct a good sentence. I hope I am earning top marks so far (chuckles). 

4. There's a lot of talk about Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi's views on gender and sexualities. What do you make of her comments?

Honestly, I don't know. I saw people discussing her views and comments but I didn’t follow up. I am more interested in what people are creating. I am glad there are more writing works centred on the issue of identity and self-awareness. That’s where the magic is.

5. If you were interviewing yourself, what question would you ask? How would you answer?

I would ask myself, "If you were stranded in a deserted island, what book would you carry?" The answer: Boat Building for Beginners.