My Upbringing Influenced My Passion For Writing --Philip Nyam

Philip Nyam, despite his busy schedule, finds time to pursue his passion for writing- using his experience as a Journalist of 20 years. The media expert and author of "A House and the People: Tambuwal and the Seventh House of Reps" tells TMG what makes him tick when he writes and where he plans to take his career in the near future.

TMG> Tell us about yourself...

My name is Philip Nyam, I have a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Language from the University of Jos and a Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism from the International Institute of Journalism, Abuja. I have also completed M.A. course work at the University of Abuja. I have worked for different media houses including the defunct National Interest and New Age newspapers. I was News Editor at Leadership Newspapers and later Assistant Editor at Blueprint Newspapers before joining New Telegraph Newspapers in December 2013 as a pioneer staff; where I have been till today. I have almost two decades' experience in Journalism. I am also into media consultancy.

 

TMG> What was the motivating force for you to start writing?

Philip> I developed interest in writing right from my childhood due to the influence of my parents. My late father was a school principal and he made me cultivate the spirit of reading, which metamorphosed into writing. He was an avid reader of newspapers and I had to start reading newspapers and magazines like him. In those days, my father would buy New Nigerian, Daily Times, Nigerian Voice and later Nigerian Concord, Champion newspapers, The Guardian etc. then for magazines it was The Analysts, NewsWatch, Citizens and TSM and I would read them back to back. As a teenager, I was attracted to Dan Agbese and Late Dele Giwa’s writings; I enjoyed their style of writing. I also enjoyed Reuben Abati’s style of writing. Then my mother, also a teacher, was incidentally my first teacher and she would make me to recite poems and read short stories. This was the foundation that spurred me into writing. When I went to secondary school, I was a member of the debate society and I actually started writing some short stories and composing poems. I remember the first novel I read in the college- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain and then Burning Grass and The Drummer Boy by Cyprian Ekwensi, the Marriage of Anansewa by Efua Sutherland, So Long a Letter by Mariama Ba, Chike and the River and Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. These were some of the works that aroused my interest in literary writing. They quite impacted on me and made me to try my hands on writing. I consequently developed keen interest in reading creative works. At the high school, I became a regular contributor on the notice board- writing poems and short stories. When I got to University of Jos, I became an instant contributor to the departmental magazine called the Weaver Bird. I later served as the assistant production editor of the magazine in my third year. Jos also opened the way for me as I started contributing features to the Nigerian Standard Newspaper. My first published work in the Standard was a feature titled “Between ASUU, Government and Reason”, and my very good friend and course mate, Joseph Olatunbosun had helped me edit the piece. Later I met Lanre Shonekan, who, though was studying Building Engineering, had an interest in writing and we started Watch Out newsmagazine on the campus. We published three or four editions and could not continue due to threats from some bad boys who actually made attempts to attack Lanre, who was the publisher. I was the editor- in- chief. While I was doing my NYSC in Akpomu in Osun state, I initiated and edited a ‘Corpers’ magazine, The Isokan News, which I could not publish anyway.

 

 TMG> What sort of formal media training did you get and what credentials did you earn from the program?

Philip> Like I said earlier, I have a Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism from the International Institute of Journalism, Abuja. I have also been trained by the World Bank Institute in Parliamentary Reporting and attended several media courses. But even without the training, I had special interest in writing and journalism, so lack of formal training could not have stopped me.

 TMG> Tell us about an accomplishment that you are most proud of in your career.

Philip> I would say that my biggest accomplishment is the book; A House and the People: Tambuwal and the Seventh House of Reps. I said so because, I have a lot of unpublished writings- poems and short stories but I have been able to publish this book by the special grace of God.

 

TMG> Tell us about your management style and how you handle your readers?

Philip> Actually, I have not done the public presentation of my published book, so I cannot talk about my management style yet. But for those who read it and have also read my other works, they have been commending me and making their recommendations. I appreciate them all. The reaction from readers is an impetus and will definitely make me to improve and even write more.

 

TMG> How do you distribute and market your books?

Philip> I have not started distribution yet. But by the time my book is publicly presented, I should be able to design a marketing or distribution strategy. For now, I do not have any.

 

TMG> Why should people read your book? What’s unique about your book?

Philip> What is unique about my book is that it is written by me and not any other person. I must say that I am the first person to give an in-depth analysis or expose’ on the theme or subject of discourse in this book. So, these are the things that made the book unique. I have been able to give readers an insight into how Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal defied his then political party, the PDP to emerge as speaker of the House of Representatives; how the plot was hatched and executed; the characters involved and intrigues and manipulations. I think no writer has been able to chronicle these into a comprehensive book. That is unique.

TMG> How do you help people reading your book? What advice do you bring: What guidance, what counsel?

Philip> Well, the only help I can give people reading my book, is to ensure I feed them with credible information and entertain where possible. I also try to be objective as possible; in other words, I try to relate the events as they are instead of fabricating unconfirmed facts.

 

TMG> Did you ever make a change that you were sorry about later?

Philip> Of course, no human being is perfect hence I’m not an exception. There are many decisions I took and later regretted ever doing so. And don’t forget, even God who is the creator of heaven and earth; who is the all-knowing being at some point regretted creating man.

 

TMG> What are the three 3 core ideas of your profession?

Philip> Well, I would say it is to give credible information, investigate and entertain while at the same time not losing sight of objectivity, balance and accuracy. I feel that as a journalist or writer, one must always try to be objective by balancing his facts and being factual.

 

TMG> What will readers learn from you as a writer?

Philip> I hope they will learn from my sincerity because my writings are not meant to score a political point but to inform and enlighten.

TMG> Who is your audience? And what response do you get from them?

Of course, my book is meant for politicians, historians, journalists and indeed everybody because we are all political animals. But for my literary works, they are meant for creative minds.

 

TMG> How do you get readers' attention towards your work?

Philip> I believe if you have a good product, you will attract readers. So, to me the best way is to produce good works to attract more readers.

TMG> Tell us something you would like to learn or improve upon.

Philip> I would like to improve on every aspect of writing because I am just beginning and have a lot to cover. I hope to grow into a good writer; I dream of writing flawless scripts.

TMG> What are your challenges and how do you intend to handle them?

Philip> My biggest challenge is sponsorship; getting a publisher to publish my writings. Like I told you, I have many poems and short stories but do not have the resources to get them published. Secondly, I have the problem of promoters or marketers. If I am able to get this right, then I will be satisfied.

TMG> What do you do to stay educated about new trends?

Philip> I read voraciously to keep myself abreast of development in the polity. And I do not restrict myself to any sector or genre. I am interested in politics, economy, sports, health and every human endeavor. So, I read virtually everything I come across.

 

TMG> Does it hurt your feelings when your editor or art director tells you something is wrong with your story at the last minute?

Philip> I’m never offended; not at all. Remember, I was once a news editor and I edited people’s scripts. If an editor identifies a fault or error in my work, I try to correct it to make the piece publishable. As a writer, you learn every day and the people who edit your writings are the mirror you must see to enable you improve and get better. And I believe if you want to grow, you must be open to criticism and correction from those who know better.

 TMG> Do you ever worry that when you send in a story the publishing company might steal your ideas?

Philip> It’s a common occurrence especially in our country, but I do not allow that to bother me much.

TMG> What way can you encourage youths into writing and to be self-dependent?

Philip> I intend to establish a writer’s academy to train young writers and also source for publishers and sponsors for budding writers. This is how I believe I can encourage upcoming writers. There are many untapped talents out there waiting to be discovered.

TMG> Do you have time to socialise and how?

Philip> All work and no play makes Philip a dull writer. As a reporter, my schedule is very tight but that notwithstanding, I still create time to socialize and ease off stress. So, there is time for my reporting job; time for my personal writings and time for my social life. I also try to engage in sports; whenever I’m chanced, I play football to keep fit.