Lawyer, publisher and poet, Chinelo Iwenofu few days
ago, made a public presentation of her new book ‘Like Father like daughter.’ It
turned out to be an impressive outing for her, as copies of the book rolled out
into the hands of people who hold such creative work dear to their heart.
According to Chinelo, ‘Creative written word of art is
how i like to describe my poems. I have been writing poems since I was 11 years
old. In 1971, I won a national poetry competition in England and Wales for
primary school pupils with my contemporary pieces ‘the sea’ which is included
in this book and after that, there has been no looking back for me.”
Today, Chinelo Iwenofu has written several articles for
magazines and journals in the UK. She founded Africagenda Publications and she
is presently the Head of Communications Affairs of The AFRICA 63 MAGAZINE for
the African Union GENDA 2063.
The book was reviewed by Dr. Eleanor Ann Nwadinobi, the
first Nigerian to be elected President, Medical Women International
Association. She said of the book:
Every crisis is an opportunity for creativity. When
some say there’s a casting down, God will say there is a lifting up as the word
of God says in Job 22:29. If there’s a silver lining out of the COVID-19
lockdown, it's the fact that my teen hood friend decided to produce her own
book after being the one to produce several other publications for other
authors under her publishing company, Africagenda.
The book 'like father like daughter' derives its
unique title from Chinny’s dad Dr. Emmanuel Oluchukwu Iwenofu of blessed
memory who himself was a poet and inspired his daughter Chinny to be a writer. 'Father
and daughter' is like the lyrics of a harmonious duet through the poems from
Dr. Iwenofu in the book. This 138 page book of poetry has been produced
as a hardback coffee table creative piece.
The picture on the front is an abstract in earth
colours with a father carrying his daughter firmly on his shoulders.
The daughter sits proudly, confidently on her dad’s shoulders which
actually is emblematic of the book.
The forward has been written by a celebrated Nigerian
music producer and poet Audu Maikori founder of GAP and the Chocolate City
Group who says that "‘like father like daughter' is definitely not your
run-of -the-mill collection of poetry”. I couldn’t agree with him more.
Chinny has presented her collection of poems
over five decades, representing different genres in highly coded poetry
language. The images that the poems conjure in one’s head are themselves
like unique pieces of art each displayed on a special pedestal as
one weaves their way through the gallery stopping at each special piece to soak
up its beauty. Each poem is accompanied by a related picture, painting or
photograph that makes the book a true art gallery.
The poems are either in
white on a black background, sometimes the words are in the traditional black
on white and in other cases come in red.
The words themselves are arranged in some cases as
verses, and in other places as a continuous wave of words in an undulating
arrangement.
True to poetry, some of the poems take the reader on a
journey of discovery, others reveal new meaning with each read and others are
laden with emotion. Tears and laughter are allowed.
The back of the book has a father holding his
daughter's hand as they walk and he is having to bend one shoulder to reach
down to hold his daughters hand.
Some of the poems represent happenings in Chinny’s
personal and professional life including milestones, celebrations, passage into
eternity, and politics. The current climate in our universe with the pandemic
is also featured in this incredible work of head, heart and mind. This is not a
book for the hour but a book of all time.
I feel personally honored that two of the closest
people in my life, my mother late Violet Ezebuiro and my husband, Okey, are
featured in this creative compilation, in the poems “Goodbye Violet” and
“HOMBF”. You will need to get a copy of the book to know what the acronym
HOMBF means.
Not to give too much away, as what we need to do is to
purchase a copy of the book for our library, for the library of our children
and our grandchildren. A valuable resource for libraries of institutions we are
associated with including the library of our Alma Mater.
In times where there are issues with the reduced
reading culture and reading habits, this is one book that has a place in dispelling the
current narrative that if you want to hide something from Nigerian’s put it in
a book.
I encourage all those reading this to purchase copies
of the book, spread the word to their friends, family and work colleagues,
education and other institutions to purchase copies.
I will conclude with reading one of the poems titled,
“Just Before You Were Born”:
My baby boy number one
My strength who kept me warm
Those cold winter nights
Just before you were born
From Putney Bridge Road
To Roehampton Hospital
And back again My gift from God My legacy My life.
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