by Gloria Ezeh
Nigerian writer and DNB Stories founder Daniel Nkado sits down with Gloria Ezeh for a quick 1-minute chat. Enjoy their conversation.
Gloria: So exciting to be interviewing my boss!
SMH!
Gloria: Where are you from, Daniel?
Anambra State, Gloria.
Gloria: School?
Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
Gloria: What is the meaning of your surname, Nkado?
I really don’t know. It doesn’t sound very Igbo, I know, but I like that it is unique. I once asked my grandmother and she said it meant ‘something well done.’
Gloria: Bravest thing you’ve ever done?
I don’t know o. Maybe leaving my job to start DNB Stories.
Gloria: Proudest moment of your life?
Probably when I got my first pay alert from my book sales.
Gloria: Strangest rumor you’ve ever heard about yourself?
Not sure I can remember.
Gloria: Tell me something about you no one will ever believe?
That I am still a virgin.
Gloria: And you expect me to believe that?
Laughs.
Gloria: Full meaning of DNB in DNB Stories?
Gloria: What do you consider the most guiding principle of your life?
The power of options.
Gloria: Please explain quickly…
Realizing you always have options. If one person doesn’t like you, other people will. If you didn’t get that one job, better jobs will come. If today didn’t turn out well, there are tomorrows.
Gloria: What is the most important advice from you regarding love and relationships?
Love, but with your head. Better to stay single than remain stuck in a toxic relationship.
Gloria: What is the saddest truth about love and dating?
That it is extremely rare for two people in a relationship to share the same level of commitment.
Gloria: Please explain…
There is always one person who loves, or is loved more. Finding yourself on either side is no fun though.
Gloria: What scares you the most in life?
Losing any of my parents.
Gloria: Why do you write romantic stories?
I don’t just write about romance. In my stories, you will find love, hate, betrayal, anger, self-realization, politics, all sorts. I always believe the magic of imaginative writing is being able to artfully capture all the things going on both inside and around us in a piece of work.
Gloria: Best writing advice you can give?
Write as if you are telling your friend a story. That way, it’d be easier for you to know the things to add and omit.
Gloria: Favorite story you’ve ever written?
Not sure I have a favourite — I put as much effort and myself into all my written works. However, African Juju, Greenland, Ola, The Village Girl and Something Bigger Than Love are four of my works I really respect because of the things and time of my life they represent.
Gloria: You say you support equality, but don’t identify as a feminist, why?
I’m just totally egalitarian. Men and women are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities. Also when talking about gender issues, I pay attention to both. There are men issues and there are women issues – it is necessary we address both.
Gloria: What are your views on homosexuality and Nigeria’s anti-gay laws?
Someone I once knew told me how he wished all gays were assembled and burnt to ashes, only a few minutes after narrating to me how “sleeping with underage girls is the sweetest thing ever”. That shivery interaction with him inspired my writing the short story — “A Man of Honor.” Countless times I’ve seen people use homophobia as a moral valium to feel good about their own sins and such twisted line of thought can be terrifying.
Scammers, murderers, rapists, etc. all want gays killed, without a single thought about their own hypocrisy. It’s all so crazy to me.
Gloria: What superpower would you wish you have?
The power to grant everyone all their heart desires.
Gloria: What is that one thing that you admire about you?
I’m always in my own lane. I don’t go by public opinion, nor do things because everyone is doing them. I wear what I like, eat what I like and live just the way I agree with myself.
