AN INTERVIEW WITH ONE OF THE FINEST OF YOUNG POETS IN NIGERIA GRACIANO ENWEREM

THE POETRY COURT
"WORLD POETRY DAY"
March 21st 2015
AN INTERVIEW WITH ONE OF THE FINEST OF YOUNG POETS IN NIGERIA GRACIANO ENWEREM

He was the Spoken word artist who won the War Of Words season 3. He promotes poetry at Seaview Poetry club and Rhythm FM Port-Harcourt. This bard’s voice is hilarious you will often wonder if he is a comedian. He has a way of communicating with his muse, and he is a spoken word poet who always pushes forward towards excellence. His pace and confidence on stage is also forward and amazing. Graciano bagged an award at the Speaking Pen International Concept Award event, and he teaches poetry on a WhatsApp group. So lets get to meet him.

ThePoetryCourt: Lets meet you

I'm Graciano Enwerem. A native of Imo State and graduate of English And Literary Studies (2010), Imo State University. A Poet, Writer, A studying poetry teacher  and a media personnel.


ThePoetryCourt: How did you get to meet poetry?

I didn't meet poetry... Poetry met me. 1991 she met me but twas in 2004 that I agreed to her flirtations. However, we declared our vow publicly(spoken word poetry ) in the year 2008.


ThePoetryCourt: What role should poetry play in our society?

 Poetry should be allowed to play the role of a big brother. We as poets should mirror the society in our works. Poets tend to lose their muse when they rely so much on their imagination. There are lots of poetic deductions to be made from things going on around us. Let our works be the archive that the next generation shall rely on during serious delving.



ThePoetryCourt: Can poetry change a society?

 It sure can. If the poets in question can be sensitivity enough to know what appeals to the people in their society and carry them along. People don't get changed by what they don't accept.


ThePoetryCourt: How can poets be able to survive in this kind of society that they find themselves?


 Like I said before, a good writer does not write out of the blue. Poets can survive this non adhering society if they become sensitive enough to know that we've been writing in a defunct period and do their bit to etch gracefully in relation to the concerns of trends of our peculiar period.



ThePoetryCourt: What poet do you continually go back to, and why?

They're 3 actually. Professor Isidore Diala, Donna The Poet, Saddiq Torpedo Mascaw. Their poetry and the performance thereof are like performance enhancement drugs to me. (Clears throat)...That's all!



ThePoetryCourt: Is there anything you find difficult and challenging in your writing?


Just one funny thing though. I hope to write beautiful sets of poetry in pidgin. Looking forward to learning from Sir Eriata as soon as possible.



ThePoetryCourt: Do you have a major theme that runs through your mind when writing, and what are they like?

 Yeah. Sociopolitical themes. This is because there's no end to their flow. Especially here in Africa, they're always trendy.



ThePoetryCourt: Do you plan to write something in some other genre of literature?

I already have 6 drama sketches. Will publish 2 this year hopefully. Look out for the first titled, "REAP OFF RIP OFF! ".



ThePoetryCourt: What do you think about "Page and Performance poems" whats the meeting point?

 Well, I know that both are poetry. However, page poetry is more depth; less sounds whereas performance poetry is more sounds; less depth.




ThePoetryCourt: What's that thing that triggers you to write, cause you sometimes write with much passion, like your "12Million Nonsense" what the driving force behind your writing?

 Simply put, sociopolitical occurrences are what I'm passionate about and I unwittingly carry the selfsame passion right through to my performances.



ThePoetryCourt: What are you reading right now?

As a tradition, I don't read a book at a time. So right now, my mEYEnd is perusing Jeffery Deaver's THE TWELFTH CARD, Who Shall I Make My Wife, Edited by Sir Eriata Oribhabor and What Can Words Do, by Kukugho Iruesiri Samson.


ThePoetryCourt: What comments do you have about the reading culture in Nigeria?

 Palpably, it hasn't been encouraging but now, it's a good thing that we're undergoing a rebirth so to speak.


ThePoetryCourt: How have you been able to join force with other poets to support poetry?

 There are various platforms erected by poets that I'm part of. Chill & Relax, Wordup, Freedom Spoke Words, Port Harcourt Writers' Hangout, Freedom Hall Poetry Event, Be Blessed and above all, Figures Of Speech (FOS). FOS provides a platform strictly for young poets to spur themselves towards excellence in all ramifications. There's hardly any champion of any slam in Africa that wasn't and still is a Figure. Also, through these platforms  I've been able to meet wonderful poets and learn from them too.



ThePoetryCourt: As the world celebrates WorldPoetryDay what do you think that poets can do, to make their work more attractive?

 We should try to follow trends and add aesthetics to our poetry. Spoken word or not, "more sounds less depth" encourages shocking buys and amasses massive reads any day any time especially considering the various distractions in the clusters of music, football, radical politics and even movies that compete with our poetry for the attention of the few available audience that we have.



ThePoetryCourt: What do you think about the Nigeria Publishing Industry?

 (Smiles eerily and adjusts specs.)... What can I say about our POORblishers? Well, they're just there somewhere. The few good ones are doing just fine covering the nakedness of the handful of POORblishers we have.



ThePoetryCourt: Where do you see poetry in the next ten '10' years from now?
 

I'd like to take our poetry's success one at a time. However, I believe that this year is gonna see an explosive success of Nigerian poetry especially by the selfsame young poets that were referred to as "budding poets"!



ThePoetryCourt: The first time you claimed a stage to perform, how was it like for you?

 I believe nothing special happened that day... at least I would have still remembered how the feeling was. The truth is I've been doing some public speaking before I ventured into spoken word poetry. Sorry if my answer disappoints you... (grins).


ThePoetryCourt: since you met poetry what's the thing that have once discouraged you, that you felt like quitting poetry?

 Nothing has ever made me think of that. Poetry is me and I'm poetry.


ThePoetryCourt: Thanks for being with us. Hope we can get your attention some other time?

 The pleasure is mutual sire and about the next time thing, I can't wait!

ThePoetryCourt: Thanks