Writers are generally known for what they write about. Though a writer might explore different themes and topics during their career, there is often an underlying train of thought running from one work to the next. For instance, while Ghanian author Ama Ata Aidoo was known to comment on the reality of being an African woman in her works, Nigerian author and photographer, Teju Cole, is more renowned for detailing the peregrinations of young, book-smart, middle-class men. Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, calls this phenomenon a ‘thread of continuity’.

Behind what writers explore in their own writing lies what they read about. That’s why in our First Draft column at The Republic, we make it a point to ask leading African writers and thinkers about the topics or stories they like to read about. We have learnt that while the topics that preoccupy a writer’s work often mirror their reading interests, writers also enjoy stepping outside their comfort zones to explore new ideas. From the Nigerian poet who had lately begun reading about the history of Black people in England to the journalist and speech writer who likes to read about women’s health, ‘especially periods because everyone is too grossed out to write about them’, these writers read anything and everything.

Here are seven Nigerian writers and the topics they like reading about.