Today’s Women in SF&F Month guest is Lucia Damisa! She is the coordinator of Path2pub (Path To Publication), a website where writers offer tips and advice while sharing about their journeys and experiences. Her first novel, A Desert of Bleeding Sand, was just released with Darkan Press at the end of March, and it will be joined by A Winter of White Ash, the second book in her five-book series, this summer. Inspired in part by Nigerian and other African mythology, her new novel blends historical and epic fantasy with romance and features a half-aziza who encounters a rival spy while on a mission to put an end to kidnappings at her academy. I’m thrilled she’s here today with “Yes, Nigerian Girls Read And Write Fiction. No, It’s Not A Waste Of Time.”

About A Desert of Bleeding Sand:

In a glittering Sahara Desert palace, many have come to die…

Zair, a reviled half-aziza with magical powers, is determined to stop the traitors attacking her academy and kidnapping its students—especially as her beloved sister is targeted. Sent to the palace during the king’s coronation, her mission is clear: unmask the culprits behind the disappearances. But when she crosses paths with Dathan, a rival spy from another academy, his hidden motives complicate everything.

As danger escalates and more students vanish, Zair and Dathan realize they must join forces to stop the looming threat. As they close in on the traitors, a shimmering attraction pulses between them, threatening to unravel their focus. In a palace where everyone covets power and night magic guards its halls, Zair must save her fellow students—and protect her heart from the one person she cannot afford to trust.

Yes, Nigerian Girls Read And Write Fiction. No, It’s Not A Waste Of Time.

A few months ago, I hitched a ride with an elderly neighbor and as he drove, he asked me what I did for work. I told him I’m a writer. He asked, “What kind of writer?” Refusing to fidget under his skeptical tone, I tilted my chin up a bit and said I wrote lifestyle articles for my clients, along with fiction books. He scoffed and told me to use my degree to go get a ‘real job’ at a news station.

Shocking? Well, it wasn’t to me. You could say I’ve had practice since that wasn’t the first time people have scoffed at the fact that I love to read and write. I have been asked, “What could a woman possibly be writing?” For many years, I feared I was the only Nigerian who enjoyed these activities.

In high school, we had a lot of readers since it was a boarding school and phones were not allowed. That was where I first discovered my love for reading with books like Purple Hibiscus and authors like Nora Roberts. Writing was also nurtured since my schoolmates and I quickly ran through the published novels we brought. I was the resident writer who was eager to entertain a lovely, enthusiastic audience.

But then I graduated, and people would stare at me like I had two heads when I chose to read rather than go to a party. They would even be more stupefied when I chose to write instead of chatter idly. It was quite isolating, but there were no stakes at the time, just like in high school. Instead, to stop getting those looks, my love for books and stories became a passion I kept to myself. Outwardly, I was the fashion- and photo-loving girl who did all the trendy things and got plenty of likes on Instagram. Indoors, I was the girl who wrote feverishly until 12:00am and then read a book until sleep claimed me. I used to think amusedly that I lived a double life and most people really didn’t know me at all.

Fast forward to 3-4 years later, I decided to pursue a career in writing and the stakes came. I put more effort and dedication into it. It meant something to me. The dismissive or doubtful comments began to sting. The isolated sense grew stifling until one day I went visiting and… I discovered that my cousin loved reading and writing! This is someone I see almost every year when my family visits theirs for big annual celebrations. But writing/reading were such uncommon subjects that we never spoke about it until that day. Shortly after, I realized my youngest brother was also a reader and writer. Somehow, without any prompting from me, he found his way to both—and also went through his phase as the odd Nigerian kid who loved books.

It grew from there. I had joined the Twitter (X) writing community and was shocked and amazed to find Nigerians with as much passion for storytelling as me. I opened a TikTok—very late—and found out that #Nigerianbooktok was a real thing. You cannot imagine my surprise! I was not odd or ‘too bookish’ for a Nigerian, as an acquaintance once said.

Saying that Nigerians don’t have the time to read or write actually perpetuates the notion that most Nigerians aren’t smart. It pushes the narrative that we’re only good with our hands, but don’t have intellectuals.

Writing and reading fiction is not a waste of time. Oh no, I have read books that literally changed my life, or reframed my way of thinking for the better. Many times when I speak on a range of subjects, people are surprised by the extent of my knowledge, but this is because of the fiction books I read. Romance, thrillers, historical fiction, and fantasy books. Not memoirs or self-help books or encyclopedias (although I do love my encyclopedias!).

I personally work through my beliefs, opinions, and experiences when I write. I aim to share uncommon facts/history/events with readers when I write. A DESERT OF BLEEDING SAND is magical and cinematic (as I’ve been told), but it was a book written first to give a voice to the Nigerian youths in a way that bad leaders cannot silence with social bans or harassment on the streets. It is me speaking up against the injustices that my generation faces. It’s me using my pen as a sword.

And even beyond that, books add joy to your day, whether you are reading or writing them. They transport you in a flash to different parts of the world, or to new and fascinating fantasy worlds! They enrich the imagination in the best ways, teach empathy, and more. All of these are important and make an author’s career as valid as that of any other profession.

So yes, there are Nigerians that like to read and write fiction. The books don’t fall from the sky into our laps in seconds. You wish! We writers spend months and years penning a thousand sentences, doing rigorous research, seeking inspiration, and editing/rewriting over and over again until our eyes cross. We fantasy writers are builders of worlds, entertainers, teachers, philosophers, marketers, and more.

It is hard work. And no, it is not a waste of time. :)

Lucia Damisa is a fantasy and romance writer who discovered a passion for writing at age 13 and has amassed stacks of notebooks filled with handwritten stories. After attending an Air Force boarding school and serving in the Navy, she graduated college with a BA in Mass Communication and has experience as a journalist and freelance writer for websites around the world. When she is not hanging out with her fictional friends and world building, she is reading or taking photographs of nature. She also runs the Path2pub website where she interviews publishing professionals to inform aspiring authors. You can find her on Instagram, TikTok, and X as @LuciaDamisa