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Sarah Ladipo Manyika
70 quotes
“A book reads us as much as we read a book.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) first seen 2019 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: - Sarah Ladipo Manyiko speaking on the relevance of In Dependence in 2019.
“Negritude is an ideology of the elite, completely devoid of meaning for the masses ... Negritude is an ideology suggesting that Africans are blessed with a soul and not reason. They would have us believe that Africans can sing, dance and feel, but not think.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) first seen 2008 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: In Dependence (2008)
“The future of Nigeria is no longer in it's army as some of us used to think, but in the oil business.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) first seen 2008 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: In Dependence (2008)
“always remember that you are an Ajayi man. Don’t forget the Ajayi motto – In all things moderation, with exception of study.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Now the books are arranged according to which characters I believe ought to be talking to each other.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“How often I have felt lonely even when with someone. Lonelier sometimes than when I’m on my own.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I may be old, but farting and burping in public is not something I intend to succumb to. If I can help it.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“What is done is done and I’ll wait until I get home to see how bad things really are. Consider the birds in the sky, I remind myself. Consider the birds in the sky.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I dream of being held. Of being touched. Of being desired again. Of being recognized. Of not having to worry about what other people might one day think of this, might already be thinking.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Madness. Old age is a massacre. No place for sissies. No place for love songs. No place for dreaming. No place for dreaming erotic dreams”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The architects must only have thought of women when they designed retirement homes, and assumed they liked to sit and stare solemnly at gardens all day.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I keep remembering the man who repeatedly lifted an empty fork from his plate to his toothless mouth.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It’s tough out here, and sometimes when I read about Africa, I don’t see America being any better. It’s really a crying shame.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“How could I explain that the way he craved my body made me angry”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I wonder if I should explain that it’s not that I don’t want to make love, only that after a long day of attending to others I’m craving space.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Is every, every?’ ‘Everything’s fine,’ I say, sensing her struggle with the words.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Thanks to my mum, I read many Puffin classics. I loved the miniature Beatrix Potter books, Richard Adam’s Watership Down, and tales of Brer Rabbit. As a child, I was a voracious reader, of books and of people, and still am an inveterate eavesdropper and people-watcher. Snippets of overheard conversations and the faces of people not usually noticed often inspire the stories I write. Wondering about other people’s life stories is what I do.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I tend to disagree with most end-of-year ‘best of’ arts lists, not so much for what’s on the lists but for what gets overlooked. In the realm of recent films for example, I would have loved more attention to Steve McQueen’s Small Axe series, especially his sonic and visual gem, Lovers Rock and the same for Jeymes Samuel’s directorial debut, The Harder They Fall, a casting tour-de-force. On the writing front, Yewande Omotoso’s novel, An Unusual Grief—a book about friendship, sex, grieving, domesticity, and depression is one that deserves more attention.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Oh, there are so many! When I think of feature films, I imagine the intense drama of Nawal El Saadawi’s Woman at Point Zero; the quiet grief, as well as the eroticism of Yewande Omotoso’s An Unusual Grief; the forbidden wartime love story of Chinelo Okparanta’s Under the Udala Trees. Short stories such as Segun Afolabi’s ‘Monday Morning’ would also make for powerful and timely feature length films.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Whenever I can’t find stories that I want to read, I try writing them for myself. In this case, I’d met many older women who’d lived colorful lives and yet when it came to fiction, I didn’t find stories that mirrored these lives, especially so when it came to the lives of Black women.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“For my second novel, I did almost no historical research. With Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun I played much more with form and with voice than I’d done in the past. As such, it was particularly gratifying to have the novel shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize, a prize that rewards innovative approaches to fiction.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“This book came out of a personal search for greater perspective, inspiration and hope in the context of the current turbulence of our world. I’ve had the great privilege of getting to know the twelve people featured in this book, which allowed me to go beyond their public profiles to the more intimate conversations. They’ve all been an inspiration to me and as such I wanted to share their stories more widely.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I’ve been surprised by how many young people as well as people who are not from the African Diaspora have found this book an inspiration and a comfort.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Resist the temptation to write stories you’re expected to write and take inspiration from a wide array of art forms. Use all the tools available to improve your craft. Be innovative, be new! And when a door opens for you, hold it open for others. We all stand on the shoulders of giants and we’re stronger together than on our own.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I love the innovative nature of Olumide Popoola’s writings across literary genres and so I’m very much looking forward to her forthcoming novel, Like Water Like Sea. I am also looking forward to Hala Alyan’s new poetry collection: The Moon That Turns You Back.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“My main goal is to make progress on my current novel. I’d also like to play more with the new tools of artificial intelligence (AI) and have more conversations with writers about the future of writing in this age of AI, not just about what we might lose but what we might gain too.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I have a number of books in other languages—aspirational books for when my language skills improve enough to be able to read them. I’m particularly keen to read more books by African authors that are not yet translated into English. The two that currently sit on my desk are translations from other European languages: La sombra de la Mulemba—Cuentos Africanos Lusófonos and Matemáticas Congolesas by Koli Jean Bofane. I would love to add to my bookshelves, many more books published in African languages.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“When was the last time you failed or faced rejection as a writer and how did you cope with it and what did you learn from the experience?”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I’m thinking a lot about the fraught state of our world including the wars in Ukraine and in Gaza. I’ve just started reading The Ukraine by writer Artem Chapeye, who is currently fighting for his country, as well as The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi. I’m also re-reading David Grossman’s To the End of the Land.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Toni Morrison’s novel Home for the immense power of her story and the exquisite beauty of her language. I’ve read, re-read and listened to the book being read by the author.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I usually begin with the idea of a character and then work on getting to know the character better. I’ve learned from actors that if I try to embody my characters physically, by walking, talking, and even dressing like them, then my characters become more real to me and therefore more believable on the page.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I also never write about characters whose lives I don’t have at least some sense of or a genuine interest in. Having a deep interest in my characters gives me both the confidence and passion to stick with them and write them as best I can.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It’s still rare to see eroticism explored in elderly female characters, but not so rare for male characters. Thanks to such authors as J.M. Coetzee, Ian McEwan and Philip Roth, I have many literary examples of older men’s desire, but far less when it comes to older women. Yet, when I speak to older women I hear from them many stories about desire– sexual and otherwise. So yes, desire was always going to be an important part of the book.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The name, Morayo, means “I see joy” in Yoruba, so this already signals to some readers that joy has encircled her from birth. At the same time, Morayo works hard to stay optimistic through the challenges that life brings. She is someone who is interested in narrative and in the same way that she enjoys changing the endings of some of her favorite books, she also tries to embrace narratives that help move her forward rather than getting her stuck or depressed. I suppose I’ve written a character to inspire me.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Thanks to my character, I too have begun to group my books in non-traditional ways. Thus far, my groupings, unlike Morayo’s, have been less about characters talking to each other and more about pairing authors. For example, I have Marilynne Robinson and Toni Morrison’s Home’s next to each other as well as God Help the Child next to Lila as there are thematic similarities in both pairings.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“And recently, because London has been on my mind, I’ve found myself placing Zadie Smith’s NW next to Brian Chikwava’s Harare North, Muriel Spark’s The Ballad of Peckham Rye and Ben Judah’s This is London. I, like Morayo, am interested in books expanding and enriching the literary landscape. As for my two novels, they currently still sit alphabetically on my shelves, happily wedged in between Jhumpa Lahiri, Amara Lakhous, Javier Marias, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“At the time that I began to write the novel I was simply looking for a really good love story set in my parent’s generation with at least one character from West Africa, and because I couldn’t find such a story, I tried writing it myself. As Toni Morrison says, if there’s a book you want to read but can’t find, then try writing it.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Had I known that my first novel would become required reading for all students applying to university in Nigeria, I probably wouldn’t have had the courage to write it. It has been an incredible honor for me to have a book read by so many people and especially exciting to know that the novel is, in some small way, inspiring a new generation of writers.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I don’t find juggling easy. However, for the past few years, I’ve been lucky enough to attend a few writing retreats (such as Hedgebrook) and that always gives my writing a boost. Currently, I’m not teaching, which makes it easier to prioritize my writing. The way that you’ve described your struggle to maintain balance certainly resonates for me.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“In the early stages of any project I need longer periods of unstructured time to delve deeply into the writing and to stick to the project. It’s easier for me to balance several things at once if I’m in the editing and polishing phases of writing. I’m almost always craving more time and solitude to write, but at the same time I know that being engaged in the world is what fuels my writing.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Going to Hedgebrook was a transformative experience for me. I was already a published author before I went, but the experience of going to Hedgebrook and meeting other writers made me believe in myself as a writer and trust in my own voice more than I’d ever dared to before. I’ve always tried to support fellow writers and Hedgebrook has given me an even wider platform from which to do so.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Thank you, Darlington. My hope is that this book will lead, in some small way, to a deeper and richer understanding of Africa and the African diaspora—of the many things we hold in common as well as our differences. Similarities range from experiences of racism and discrimination to police brutality, and to the fragility of democracies whether we’re talking about Nigeria, Zimbabwe, or America. Differences include personal histories, identities, backgrounds, and geographies.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“There are some in this book, like Michelle Obama, for example, who used the platforms they were given to effect change while others, such as Evan Mawarire, created a movement from the bottom up to speak truth to power. The twelve featured are a tiny subset of many others doing extraordinary things. My hope is that Between Starshine and Clay will inspire more writers to capture such stories and histories.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I have written about Baldwin in Between Starshine and Clay and elsewhere. Baldwin means a lot to me for the following reasons: he inspires me as a writer; he inspires me for his wisdom—his insights and clarity around many issues; and I identify with the various places and peoples of the African diaspora that he writes about from France to America. My introductory essay is a reverent nod to Baldwin’s Notes of a Native Son with its personal exploration of race, histories, and countries lived in.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Humans are fond of putting people into categories for all sorts of reasons, but oftentimes, especially when it comes to skin color and nationality, for creating hierarchies or pecking orders. As for my experiences of race and identity, that’s a very big question deserving of an essay-length response, hence my introductory chapter.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“But in brief, as a child of a multiracial marriage who has lived in various countries with different histories of race and racism, and as a scholar and novelist for whom race and identity feature fairly prominently in my work, it’s safe to say that these issues are weighty, albeit not to the point of holding me back. Here again is where I take my cue from Baldwin, who advocates remaining committed to the struggle against injustices while keeping one’s heart free of hatred and despair.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“My first thought is that there are, of course, harsher forms of exile. Morayo does at least have a comfortable place to live, food to eat, and access to health care. I also suspect that Morayo, with thoughts of the ethnic and religious strife that had taken place in her home city of Jos, might be quick to say that the internally displaced face the cruelest form of exile.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“In many ways, the story I chose to write is not what readers might associate with the archetypal immigrant or exile story. It’s not a story of someone who has arrived in a country without all the necessary documentation, or of someone living on the edges of society, just barely scraping by. I chose to write about a character who lives a life of the mind and is materially well off. Yet, as you highlight, she too faces hardships and loneliness in her old age.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I’d met many older women who had lived colorful lives, and yet when it came to fiction I couldn’t find many stories that mirrored this, especially so when it came to the lives of Black women. Similarly, I couldn’t find many books that explored an older woman’s sexuality. I had many literary examples of older men’s desire, but far less when it came to older women, and so I decided to go there, albeit in a small way.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Thank you, Darlington, and what a touching story! I’d love to meet your neighbor’s daughter. In terms of what inspired the novel, it was simply as Morrison once put it: If there’s a story you’re dying to read and you can’t find it, then write it. I was looking for a great interracial love story set in geographical locations and historical periods that I was particularly interested in—namely West Africa from the 1960s to present day—and because I couldn’t find that story, I attempted to write it.”
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