Today we talk about Humans shall be free, a book by Nnamso Okon Ekpenyong published with our publishing house Europe Books.
Europe Books had the pleasure of interviewing the author Nnamso Okon Ekpenyong to get to know him better, if there was a particular moment that led him to the writing of his book Humans shall be free, as well as how he felt when his book was published.
Below you can find our interview. Take a seat and enjoy your reading!!!
- Is there a particular moment in your life that led you to the writing of your book? What was that?
It was not a dream, maybe a vision. This author, about age nine, before noon, on a Sunday, when the roads are usually stark and bereft of human activity or traffic, on an errand, to meet and assist an aunt in the stream down the the outskirts of the village, came face to face with a living being, chained to a stake, enveloped by tongues of flame, turning from side to side in torment, but not consumed by the raging fire. Frozen with fear, the young errand boy turned, took an alternative route to pursue his immediate commission. From my university days, I became preoccupied with what that vision I had as a child meant. Every elderly man I related the vision to asked: “what did you do to free the being that was in captivity and torment?” As I pondered over the answer to that question, it dawned on me that I was given the assignment of at least preaching Freedom, the attainable Freedom, if not out rightly setting the captives free. The more I dwelt on this subject, the clearer it became to me that humans wishfully desire unconditional freedom, the type that is different from the freedom prescribed by their maker. Freedom with strings attached. This understanding wells up inside me and is the impetus, the commission which made me to write first, humans shall be free, then women shall be free, even though the later was published first.
- What characteristics your audience should have to appreciate your book?
The characteristics of the audience suitable for appreciating the book humans shall be free include not being stereotyped. Not being dogmatic. They should be receptive, with an open mind to assimilate new ideas and information from deep thinkers. Should be able to discern the strategies of the creator to preserve humanity through principles, practices and natural pre-arrangements. Facts should be their barometer and not bandwagon fallacy (appeal). The fact that women are weaker, more vulnerable and more dependent is discernible and indisputable. It is a deliberate design for a purpose: for them to need protection from a husband against violators, mirroring humans, weaker than, vulnerable to and vincible by the gods and so needing protection from God. Seeing is believing. From nature we see the supremacy of the creator and the hierarchy of power demonstrated by the power of the woodpecker and predators over their preys. All these are not happenstances but purpose-specific grand designs.
- What is the first book that you read and what did it teach you?
My literary acumen was piqued by the first book I read: William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The poet in him, the rhymes and rhythm, the clarity and conciseness all stand him out as the author I should emulate. In our time, with Google and the internet, creative writing is gruelling and mentally racking. In Shakespeare’s time, with no internet or Google, and without much technology, it must have been mentally draining. Nevertheless, he excelled. Talent and hard work it must have been. I doff my hat for him. What all writers do to stand out is edit, edit and re-edit. This must be the least of what I learnt from Shakespeare. Even though creative ideas well up from within, all writers must learn how to create the right environment for this to happen.
- How did it feel to see your book published?
Seeing my work published gave me the optimism that my message would get to the audience. It made me hopeful my years of hard work would serve its purpose and also made me optimistic about receiving my rewards. It will also make People abandon their archaic notions of freedom and embrace the prospective perspective of Freedom. These messages are: The experiences of the protagonist made her learn that the state of divorce is worse than the state of marriage, and so she returns to marriage. At the same time, it also teaches humans that Freedom from God imperils while submission to God protects and so engenders the craving for salvation which gives real Freedom. The violators are instruments put in place to chase women into marriage just as the lions roaming about are to draw humans to God, the Highest in the pyramid of power, the Grand commander on the summit of the unified cosmic forces, the ONLY source of FREEDOM.
- Are you working on a new writing project you can tell us about?
Re-editing and transforming the book women shall be free to republish. And to repurpose it to reflect the fact that God who made the template for marriage had a purpose: the example of the wife protected by her husband against the violators is planted by Providence to convince humans that God is capable of protecting them from the gods but on the condition of submission as a wife submits to her husband. The purpose of the arrow that flies by night and the lion roaming about is to chase humans to the stronger lion (the lamb, the lion of Judah) that will deliver them, showcasing the hierarchy of power just as the husband saves the wife from indiscriminate violations. That is the only WAY humans will be convinced of the source of their Freedom. That there was a head in place already so no need for a co-head. The purpose of marriage is not to demonstrate gender equality but to mirror God’s strategy for saving humanity from destruction in the hands of the gods as husbands save wives from indiscriminate attacks.
Europe Books thanks the author Nnamso Okon Ekpenyong once again for taking the time and answering our questions. We are really pleased to have walked alongside him on the editorial path that led to the publication of his book Humans shall be free. We wish him the best of luck for his book and for his future works.
To you, my dear reader, I hope this book captures your curiosity and your interest. And remember: be free, be receptive, with an open mind in order to assimilate new ideas and information.
So, my dear reader, all I have to say is to enjoy your reading!
Your editor!