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| Reginald Ebere |
Nollywood screen-writer director, Reginald Ebere has upped
his game once more. The amiable and quiet movie maker known to be one of the
better and most prolific writers in Nollywood with well over 150 movie credits
to his name, movies like WHEN THE SUN SETS, ISSAKABA, LAST BURIAL, LAST
WEEKEND, THE KING AND THE PRIEST, OSUOFIA IN BRAZIL and a host of other titles, is getting set to release his much awaited book, BOUNDARIES OF
HEAVEN. We got a little information on the project and we tracked him down in
his writers’ workshop in Surulere Lagos, where he holes up to do his writing. At first he
was reluctant to talk about the book
“It is still a work in progress. I’d done a little
introductory, promotional test on facebook to gauge peoples reactions but we are in the
process of publishing and I wouldn’t want to say more than that for now."
Bearing in mind that another Nollywood Writer/Director
Charles Novia had recently published a book NOLLYWOOD TILL NOVEMBER we asked if
this was the reason why he was pursing book publication.
“No, far from it. It is just another level in my development as a writer. I have always had something to say and for
a long time my friends had urged me to do a book. They felt that my talents
could be fully utilised if I did a novel. I was a little apprehensive at first
although I’d had some stuff published under the THRILLS AND BOON SERIES of True
Tale Publications when I was working for HINTS MAGAZINE. I was a bit too young then to understand certain things. But now, I think I am
a little bit more mature so some people can listen to what I have to say.
Charles’ book is his memoirs and, his memories of his walk through Nollywood. I
don’t think I want to do something like that yet although I have a blog called REGINALD
EBERE –THE LIFE AND TIMES OF A NOLLYWOOD MOVIE DIRECTOR, where I talk about my life and
my journey but BOUNDARIES OF HEAVEN is not about that at all.”
So what is the book that is quietly generating a buzz in the
literary community about we asked. Dre as his close friends call him laughed
and answered.
“I don’t know about it generating a buzz in the literary
community as only very few people have seen the manuscript but I think some
strong opinions were expressed in it. BOUNDARIES OF HEAVEN is about Nigeria, my
country. It is a collection of fifty loud poems. My country is seen as one that
is endowed with unbelievable human and material potential. This country which
has been acknowledged as the most populous black nation in the world and its
peoples, can literarily live in heaven. But even with all her gifts, promises and endowments,
this beautiful land has always desperately fallen short of its awaited glory,
not because of any external extenuating forces and factors but because of the failings of
its national character and the lines that divide. It is these factors and these
lines that we talk about in the collection. So BOUNDARIES OF HEAVEN is a
metaphor for my country. We keep waiting, praying and hoping that we can, one
day fulfill our potential, rule the world and live in heaven. But until that
happens we will keep hovering around the boundaries of heaven, so close to
nirvana, yet so far away.”
Mhn Very deep words from the master wordsmith and until the
book comes out we will keep praying that it is all that it promises to be.
See you!
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