Interview with Zege Aondofa
I would thank you from the bottom of our heart for giving us the privilege of publishing your book ‘The Chickens and the Birds’. We could never have successfully published your book without your continuous support. I want to ask you a few questions regarding your recently published book.
Exceller Books: What was your biggest inspiration behind writing this book?
Zege: My biggest inspiration behind writing this book is where I come from, I mean my background. As an African I feel bad or emotional about the kind of stories reported about Africa especially by the western Media. They make people believe that it is a continent ravaged by Wars, Natural Disasters, Corruption, Illiteracy, Diseases and so on. Forgetting or deliberately ignoring the good things about Africa like our good climates, Vegetation, wild life, Hospitality. Just name it!
Beside Africa is always at the receiving end. When the Developed countries emits all the Greenhouse Gasses from their industries that cause climate change and global warming, the innocent or rather poor Africa will be warned to be the worst hit or feel the impact more. The same is true when there is an outbreak of Disease or Virus from these developed counties, Africa will be warned to prepare for the worst. Most recent example is the outbreak of COVID-19 although coming from China but Africa has been warned to feel the impact more due to poor infrastructure, High level of Illiteracy, dwindling economy etc.
And when I say receiving end I mean in everything. Africa is only good enough for second hand Goods and so the continent is used as Dumping ground for all kinds of rubbish. We consume second hand clothes; drive second hand Cars and so on.
Exceller Books: So true! Can you tell us why you chose to write an allegorical novel to highlight the contrasting nature of the developed and underdeveloped countries?
Zege: I feel such writings call for critical thinking or deeper reflection from the readers to unravel the hidden meaning in the story.
And so people who love to meditate and contemplate about their environment and the issues surrounding them will task their minds to connect with the novel and try to make sense of it.
In the Novel I used The Chickens and The Birds as a direct contrast. Both are feathered creatures but the Birds Can Fly while the Chickens cannot. And so flying has a great significance; the ability of the birds to fly gives them an edge over the Chickens.
Therefore, the Birds represent the Developed countries while the Chickens represent the Underdeveloped Countries. Thus the economic, political and social advancements of the developed countries give them an edge over the underdeveloped countries and they use this advantage to loot resources and manipulate the underdeveloped countries through Imperialism, Colonialism, Slavery and so on.
Perhaps for anyone who will ever ague that all these have stopped then he or she must rethink, because it is rather on the increase except that it is done in a different way called ‘Modern Slavery’. Africa, Asia and other underdeveloped countries still experience high rate of Human Trafficking, Child Labour, Sex Slavery and other such vices. Just think about it.
Exceller Books: What do you think is the reason of the glaring difference between the developed and underdeveloped countries and since when did you start becoming aware of this?
Zege: The over-dependence of Underdeveloped Countries on the Developed Countries; underdeveloped countries like Africa depend on European countries for virtually everything, called it Food, medicine, clothing’s, Housing, infrastructure etc. hence the reason why the European countries dictates and manipulates the underdeveloped countries.
I became aware of this glaring difference right from my 100 level in the University.
As a fresh man in the university my course was Mass Communication but we use to take General Studies (GSTs) which includes NATIONALISM this course thought us Patriotism, Imperialism, Colonialism etc. and it raised my consciousness but must importantly I read books like HOW EUROPE UNDERDEVELOPED AFRICA by Walter Rodney this book greatly influenced my thoughts about the developed and underdeveloped countries. And so I became passionate about these issues, I started to notice the discrimination against blacks across the world especially in America, Football Fields and other profession.
What kind of changes need to take place to change this picture?
Zege: There must be equal right and Justice, and government of nations must be genuine about this and not pay lip service.
Exceller Books: Can you explain your choice of animals and birds to represent the characters?
Zege: I carefully selected animals with special characteristics to symbolize and connote a particular massage. For Example Dogs in the novel were the Chickens shepherds.Dogs are known to help hunters to hunt for games and Nomads to shepherd their flocks. Besides, they are highly aggressive and gluttonous and so they typically fit the nature of African leaders, who are very greedy, aggressive, corrupt and so on.
I also used special birds like the Parrot, Bat, Dove, Eagle, etc. because of certain Characteristics and virtue exhibited by these special birds.
The Parrot for example has a special ability to mimic sounds and talk like a man and so I used it to represented wisdom, a prophetic bird. Moreover parrots are mostly used as pets and so it was used in the novel as the messenger of man and later the watch man over the earth representing the voice of truth among the Chickens and the Birds.
The Bat is a nocturnal Bird and is active only at night. It is believed that evil triumph mostly at night and so the Bat symbolizes evil, power monger and mischievous bird.
I also extol the virtue of the Dove. It is a bird believed to be gentle, holy, pure and so on.
The eagle is believed to be the king of all birds, proud, confidence and majestic. Therefore the eagle still maintained its kingship of all birds but for the Bat who dare to contend this position with the Eagle.
Exceller Books: Do you want to concentrate more on allegorical novels or want to write on different genres?
Zege: I will explore different genres because allegorical novel may limit me. I also have interest in children stories and that is another area I am contemplating to venture into.
Exceller Books: Finally, what message you want to convey to your readers through your novel?
Zege: The simple massage I want to convey to my readers is that they should forsake the peanuts and begin to fly; by this I mean underdeveloped countries like Africa should wake up, do away with all these fairly used and toxic products dumped on them that is making them to layback and begin to produce and develop their Mother Land.
In the novel, I make a serious caricature of the underdeveloped countries by comparing them with Chickens to challenge them to wake up and take their destiny in their hand and to stop depending on the developed countries.
Thanks for sharing your views with us. Wish you all the best for your future and hope this novel will give you the exposure you deserve as a writer.
