When did the issue of climate change get personal for you?
Climate change has been an ever-present issue for me, especially as I had an eco-warrior as my second father. Interestingly, it was something he picked from his father, my grandfather, who was an agric extension officer and forester. So, I had a good idea of these things traditionally at an early age, but not in the scientific or critical sense that I understand now.
There is a strong presence of nostalgia in your story. Could this sense of nostalgia be of loss or hope?
It is a bit of both. My piece is a coming of age story of a child with his dad who tells him many things based on events around them. The loss in the story is in the events that lead to tragedy for the environment and significant characters. The hope is embedded in the decision highlighted at the end to move forward with the struggle.
What inspired your story for The Green We Left Behind nonfiction anthology?
My story is nostalgic, as I mentioned, and was inspired by the struggles of some of my forebears, my second father and grandfather and all the work they did as eco-warriors of various generations.
As an artist, how are you able to merge beauty in language with such a dire theme on climate change?
Sometimes the most refined language comes out in the direst themes and situations. In a case where it is combined with a story from the heart, I am sure there will be no other result than beauty.
As you release your story to the world, what is your wish or hope for the story?
That people will do better and be active eco-warriors. More than that, I am just glad that I got to spend some time in the memory of writing about my second father, Mr Charles Ayede. Hopefully, other people will be inspired by his life to do better or at least be inspired to write their own stories to share those they love with the world.
Aside from writing, how else do you intend to contribute towards curbing climate change?
I am a development consultant and eco-activist whose projects interface with climate change initiatives every once in a while. I hope to continue this journey while advocating for better attitudes to the geographical, social, and human environment.
Biography
Su’ur E. Su’eddie Vershima Agema is an editor, culture activist, and development worker. A Chevening, University of Sussex and Benue State University alum, Su’eddie won the Association of Nigerian Authors Prize for Poetry 2014 and was awarded the Mandela Day Short Story Prize in 2016. He was shortlisted for the inaugural SDGs Short Story Award 2021 and the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa 2018. He also has a children’s book, Once Upon a Village Tale (shortlisted for the ANA Children’s Literature Prize) and a short story collection, The Bottom of another Tale (shortlist, ANA Prize for Prose 2014 & the Abubakar Gimba Prize for Short Stories 2015).
