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The much awaited
West African edition of Lola Shoneyin’s novel ‘The Secret Lives of Baba
Segi’s Wives’, was unveiled in grand style at the French Cultural
Centre in Abuja on December 17, 2010.

The venue of the
book party, which featured other side attractions, was a beehive of
activities. At first glance, the gathering would have passed for one of
the many diplomatic functions that the FCT is known for, as it
attracted a large turnout of expatriates and the crème-de-la-crème of
Abuja’s literary community.

In her
characteristic liveliness and engaging demeanour, Shoneyin read from
different portions of her book (the UK and US editions of which have
been well received), to the admiration of the audience. Enthralled by
her reading, a member of the audience, an evangelist who introduced
himself as Uche, said “She reads really well. I feel like sitting here
to hear her read from beginning to the end. Listening to her read is
like watching the story in motion.” ‘The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s
Wives’ is Shoneyin’s first novel, after successfully churning out three
collections of poetry so far – ‘So All The Time I was Sitting on an
Egg,’ ‘Song of a Riverbird’ and ‘For the Love of Flight’. She also
recently released a children book titled ‘Mayowa and the Masquarades’.
‘Baba Segi’, as the novel is now popularly known, tells the story of
everyday polygamous situation in Nigeria but in a very unique,
humourous and engaging language.

With three wives
and seven children, all is well in Baba Segi’s household until he takes
the university graduate Bolanle as a fourth wife, and things go awry.

In an interactive
session, the author revealed that she sees herself more as a poet than
a novelist. “I still feel more at home as a poet than a novelist. What
is here today is a product of a very long work. A lot went into making
this what it today between me and my publishers in terms of editing.”
She added that the story that gave birth to the novel is a true life
experience which she encountered when she was fourteen years old.

The book party did
not end with the reading, as visual arts were also on the menu. The
beautiful ceramic arts of Lami Abubakar, the paintings of Millicent
Osumuo and Tyna Adebowale, creative cards of Pat Adidu and photographs
by Rita St. John – all combined to make the evening a memorable one.
The raw talent exhibited by Swat, an Abuja based musician, was another
major attraction.

Talking to the press, Bibi Bakare-Yusuf of Cassava Republic
expressed happiness for eventually succeeding in releasing the much
awaited book after a series of obstacles and disappointments that had
forced the company to postpone the date of release about twice. “This
is one writer Nigeria has anxiously awaited and I am sure they will not
be disappointed. ‘The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives’ will sure
excite readers. And in line with our vision to serve you the best of
African literature, we are glad to have brought to you Lola Shoneyin’s
book as our gift of love and appreciation to our customers and all
lovers of literature, in the spirit of the season,” the publisher added.