My name is Japer Igwe, and I'm, first and above all, a storyteller. Fiction. Nonfiction. Screenplay. But before that, a little more about my background, right? I'm a Nigerian residing in Nigeria, 25 years old, and currently dividing my time between writing, videography and my nightly driving job. My God, seems like I've taken up a lot, you think? Ha ha ha.
I'm an Igbo, one of the four major ethnic groups in Nigeria in a sea of about 250 ethnic groups. My parents are from Anambra State, one of the 36 subregional states in Nigeria, and I have three other wonderful siblings—a boy and two girls. All grown up now and living in different places. How I miss our childhood days together, when we were young and free, laughed more, and reveled in the physicality of one another's company. I'm the first child, by the way.
Multi-talented and skilled, I've been and done a lot of things. After, I graduated from school in 2017, I took up a teaching job. Nothing much was coming out of it so I quit and acquired a videography skill.
Before becoming a videographer, however, I had worked in a frozen food store, a supermarket, a betting shop, and the Nigerian Breweries. Later, alongside my videography career, I went to driving school. Now I write, drive, and shoot event videos.
Somehow, I fell in love with photography and experimented with mobile photography for a while. It was fun while it lasted, trust me.
MY WRITING
I started writing when I was 10. At first I wrote stories of animals, and one day a classmate offered to pay me to ghostwrite one for him. I did; never got the money or the manuscript from him ever since. That's been written down to experience. Anyway, over the years, I've evolved into a better writer. Through avid reading, keen studying and quiet observations, I've learned the craft well.
Note this, though: writing, for me, is more of a medium of expression and a channel of mental relief than anything else. Whenever I write, I feel more alive, freer, and omnipotent. In my moments of emotional lows I find relief and escape in writing down how I feel. I cannot possibly overemphasize how much this has kept me sane.
Nevertheless, I have written many short stories, essays and screenplays. I learned to write movie scripts in 2020, after taking a course on it, and have since then written quite a number of screenplays, most of which are thrillers and one for the horror genre. I am, I must admit, good at what I do.
DREAMS AND ASPIRATIONS
To begin, I shall quote a line from ‘I Have A Dream’, a song by Abba Gold: ‘You can take the future, even if you failed.’
Like the Phoenix, I've learned to never remain in the ashes. For a young man who has suffered many setbacks, it is natural that I should give in to despair once in a while. However, I am a believer in hope. So, someday I hope to own a transport company, run an international children's library, own a large poultry, and become a famous novelist.
For now though, I'm more focused on going to film school here in Nigeria. My goal is PEFTI Institute, one of the top two film schools in the country. There I'll do a diploma in cinematography—videography has never really my interest. Might interest you to know that one of my filmmaking models, TG Omori (Boy Director), studied there. He's currently one of the most expensive and celebrated cinematographers in Africa.
I have always been enamoured of camera works. I think the charm is in playing with lights, angles and shot compositions. I derive great pleasure from bringing stories to life in the best exquisitely creative way possible and filmmaking provides just that.
Other Nigerian cinematographers I admire their works are Yinka Edward and Muyiwa Oyedele (Mr Movie).
HOBBIES
Singing, cooking, eating tasty meals, travelling, watching TV shows, movies. I also enjoy taking evening walks and admiring the alure of sunset. Listening to music—pop, afrobeat, hipop—is among as well. I can play the piano a little but scarcely do that these days. Actually, I hardly have time for most of those hobbies these days. I read as much as I can, whenever and wherever I can. I used to devour more of romance fiction but have spread to other genres and nonfiction works.
In truth, life in Nigeria gives little room for pleasure and more to struggle and survival. Except, of course, if you are born with the proverbial golden spoon. Or have become financially free. Or have rich relatives who actually care. Or are among the many who have resolved to live in the moment and leave tomorrow to think for itself. Or if you just don't care for much wealth and retirement benefits.
Daalu—that's Igbo word for ‘thank you’.