Dearth of Hausa books inspired me – UK-based author

Bookshelf: What is your latest work, ‘Magana Sai Mai Ji,’ all about?
Helen Aisha Ward: ‘Magana Sai Mai Ji’ (Wisdom is for the hearer/obedient), is a collection of short stories about life in Northern Nigeria, mainly in the later part of the 19th century, before the coming of the white man into that part of the country. It was a period when the autonomy of Northern Nigeria was still in the hands of its kings or ‘Sarakuna’ and Caliphates were well respected and held in high esteem by their subjects.
The short tales revolve around two kings, the kings of Sokoto and of Kano. There has been a long history of animosity between these two kings as a result of a decision taken by the king of Kano regarding a generational dispute between the two Caliphates. The king of Sokoto felt slighted and decided the only way to settle the age-long dispute was to wage war on the king of Kano. But the latter, being a man of peace, was anxious to settle the dispute through peaceful means rather than war, in order to avoid unnecessary blood-shed. His chief adviser, Malam Salmanu, is renowned for his gift and eloquence in story-telling and because the king of Sokoto loves listening to stories, the king of Kano hopes to use Samanu’s skill as the ammunition for bringing peace between the two Caliphates.
The short stories, in essence, are as relevant then as they definitely are today because human traits are the same today as they were over 200 years ago. The stories are about love, animosity, greed, religion, politics and so much more, not only amongst the ordinary people but also amongst the kings and their families. The moving and inspiring tales are meant to be taken as words of wisdom – to teach, instruct, inspire and advise us about life’s experiences. They are for all ages – children, youth and the old; they are stories that will, amongst other benefits, primarily and greatly appeal to their sense of humour.
Bookshelf: When and how did you start writing in general?
Ward: I have always loved writing, ever since I was a student at St. Faith’s College, Kawo, Kaduna (now Government Girls’ Secondary School) in the 1970s. Writing was one of my main passions. Because of my flair for the English language and literature, I found great pleasure in the skillful use of words as a way of expressing myself, orally and in writing. My English and Literature teacher, Miss Metcalf, was a huge encouragement to me. I always strove to excel in her subjects, particularly in essay writing. I used to write collections of short stories and poems and was the Prefect of the Writing and Debating Society clubs. During my university years in the UK, I still wrote. I have written short stories and a novel still unpublished. I have also co-authored and proof-read two novels in English, but ‘Magana Sai Mai Ji’ is my first solo published book. My second book, ‘Sophie’s Birthday Surprise’ (in English) will be published soon, while I’m half way through my third one, ‘The Many Names of God,’ also in English.
Bookshelf: What was your background like?
Ward: I was born and raised in Kaduna. I’m the second of seven children. My father was the Territorial Controller of NITEL before his retirement in 1986. My mother was a home maker. Ours was a very academic as well as a happy Christian home where dad placed emphasis on education, with a constant exhortation for us to excel academically. This was even more so as he was a secondary school teacher before his last post, hence his dogged resilience that ensured all of us children reached our full potential academically and in every other way. I later left for the UK in the 1980s where I obtained my BA Honours and Master’s degrees from Kingston University, London. I am also, at the moment, researching for my PhD degree in Education, English Language Teaching.
Bookshelf: How did your background shape your writing?
Ward: I started reading and writing at about the age of five. As a child growing up in Kaduna in the late 60s and 70s, our house was always full of literary books of all genres and magazines which I would gobble up with much enthusiasm. As I grew older, I could never have enough of reading books, and writing down my thoughts – how what I have read in these books and magazines affected me. We all loved to read and write and I loved writing down anything; and when dad gave me my very first diary when I was nine, my flair for writing knew no bounds.  Indeed, it was at the age of nine that I decided when I grow up I was going to be a writer.
Bookshelf: Why did you choose to write in Hausa?
Ward: One of the reasons I chose to write in Hausa is because it is such a unique language, with its flowery and distinctive intonation of words and being a tone language the pitch differences add more meaning to words. I was exposed to the Hausa language right from the cradle; indeed, I grew up speaking Hausa as well as English. Thus, as a native speaker of the Hausa language, it’s only natural, indeed, it behoved me to write in Hausa; this was even more so when I started teaching the language a couple of years ago here in the UK to British and non-British students. The result of a research I carried out showed there was and still is a serious dearth of Hausa books and course materials in the market. And when I helped in setting up the Hausa department in one of the Languages Institutions, there were extremely few or no Hausa course or reading books available as compared to other languages in the UK. The very few we could find were mostly written by Western authors and most of these books were very old, from the 1930s. Because language generally is dynamic, some of the spellings of words in these books do not resonate with today’s spoken Hausa. Furthermore, I found that some of the meanings of words in these Hausa books authored by foreigners do not really conform to how a native speaker would translate the words.  Apart from books such as ‘Magana Jari Ce’ and ‘Ruwan Bagaja,’ the very few Hausa books authored by Nigerians, who are not native speakers are usually mediocre and not up to standard, especially for learners of the language. My co-Hausa lecturers and students also lamented the fact that there weren’t enough Hausa reading materials on the market and I decided there and then to write a book that would appeal not only to Hausa students and learners, but also to Hausa native speakers as well, notwithstanding the fact that writing in Hausa is not commercially viable. The few good ones on the market are of a different genre – grammar books authored by foreign writers such as Paul Neuman and Professor Phillip Jaggar, a colleague and friend of mine.
Another reason why I chose to write in Hausa is due to the experience I gained from reading a similar Hausa book, ‘Magana Jari Ce’ by Abubakar Imam, many years ago. Not only did I read the collection of short stories, I also starred in the NTA Kaduna Television drama series of ‘Magana Jari Ce’ in the 1980s, produced and directed by Debrah Ogazuma. I was cast as Princess Badura. The series was telecast every Wednesday. This wonderful experience was another major deciding factor for choosing to write in Hausa.
Bookshelf: What is your driving force being that writing in Hausa may not be commercially viable?
Ward: It’s true that writing in Hausa is not commercially viable and this I hope, will soon change; and therein lies the driving force behind my writing in Hausa. Another is my husband Chris Ward, who is English and also a novelist. We have visited Nigeria together several times, particularly the North, such as Kaduna, Abuja, Kano, Zaria, Yola and other parts. He loves the country, especially the northern parts and loves learning Hausa. Under my tutelage, he understands and can say a few spattering sentences. He has always encouraged me to write a book in Hausa, especially as I teach the language.
Bookshelf: What inspired the creation of the collection of ‘Magana Sai Mai Ji?’
Ward: My inspiration for the creation of ‘Magana Sai Mai Ji’ came from my Hausa language students. One of the tasks on the curriculum the students enjoyed very much was writing essays and short stories in Hausa. This was particularly more enjoyable, as I already stated, Hausa reading materials were very thin on the ground and the very few available were very badly written. I used to complain about this and my students encouraged me to write a book they could read and enjoy. Thus, while reading, correcting and discussing their short stories in the classroom, I was inspired to produce a collection of stories, that, coupled with my experience as an actress in the NTA Kaduna drama series ‘Magana Jari Ce’ and the fact that I love telling and listening to stories, particularly as told by my mother when we were little and growing up in Kaduna. I also relived this wonderful experience with my own children here in England.
Bookshelf: Now back to how you set-up the Hausa department at the Languages Institute in London and at another Hausa Language centre.
Ward: When I was recruited to teach at one of the Language Institutes in London (Communicaid, London) the Hausa department wasn’t up to standard. Firstly, there were virtually no course books or materials, secondly, there was no curriculum to guide and help with teaching the students. I helped in carrying out research on how and where to order the right and appropriate learning resources such as course books – which was quite hard as there weren’t enough learning materials on the market – videos and establishing on-line websites for reference, such as BBC and USA Hausa world service.
I also helped in creating and writing the curriculum for Hausa. This curriculum is now the benchmark in other Hausa Language institutes, such as the one I set up at Language Services Direct, London. I had to set up Hausa department from scratch at this centre, there wasn’t even a Hausa department there. I also helped in writing examinations templates on which future exams will be written at these two centres.  All these were due to my resilience, enthusiasm and determination to promote and teach Hausa, coupled with very eager students, and of course the institutions themselves who were keen to offer excellent services to their clientele, the students. And above all, I give God the glory for everything.
Bookshelf: What is the state of these departments at the moment?
Ward: So far, the departments are doing well. They are regularly updated wherever possible with new learning materials. We, the teaching personnel regularly attend language conferences and symposiums in order to keep up to date with new or updated Hausa books and other learning materials introduced in the market; learners and teachers are always keen to take advantage of these materials, thereby enhancing Hausa learning. And of course, my book ‘Magana Sai Mai Ji,’ takes pride of place at these departments.
Bookshelf: How do you view the development of Hausa literature in Nigeria?
Ward: The story of Hausa literature is a long drawn one and it can be said to have come a long way from the days of Jihadi leaders who used the medium of poetry to educate, mobilise and encourage their followers. Creative writing, particularly prose and plays were virtually non-existent before the arrival of the British colonialists in the early 20th century. I suppose this may be attributed to the Islamic views which did not actively encourage fictional stories because of the fear that people would believe them to be real. The introduction of Roman scripts saw the emergence of the new Hausa prose-fiction and plays. Thus, Abubakar Imam and his ilk, under the guidance of Dr. Rupert East, pioneered what may now be considered as Modern Hausa Literature. Thus from 1933 when the first set of Hausa novels were published, we have witnessed how the emergence of some Hausa novelists and writers or the fourth generation writers gained momentum in the mid- 1980s. It is however, a shame that Hausa plays and poetry have declined. Although novel writing is on the rise, even the short story genre has virtually declined as well.
Although the fourth generation Hausa or ‘Soyayya’ writers – largely dominated by the youth – have not really endeared themselves to the reading Hausa public because of the type of novels they wrote which were thought to be sub-standard and anti-cultural with sexual undertones, I think they have helped in keeping the spirit of Hausa literary writing alive. It’s a shame that until 1996, Hausa writers were not recognised as serious writers in Nigerian literary circles. But this problem has largely been solved by the formation of associations, such as the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) in Kano in 1992. The Kano ANA has since published an anthology of Hausa short stories for the first time in the history of Hausa literature in Nigeria.
Bookshelf: What do you think can be done to positively influence its present state?
Ward: There are steps that can be taken to positively influence the present state of Hausa literary development in Nigeria. Firstly, pupils and students should be actively encouraged to read and write in Hausa. Old Hausa books should be updated and new ones made readily available in all schools, colleges and universities. There should also be more trained Hausa teachers who should try to not only teach the language, but also inculcate into these impressionable young minds that there is no shame in learning, reading and writing Hausa, as some of the youths of today believe it is better to speak in English rather than their mother tongue. Secondly, the government should help to set up Hausa literary clubs within schools and local communities where people can meet and exchange ideas, swap or borrow Hausa books or other learning materials. Libraries should be stocked with good Hausa books that are available and the reading public, especially students and learners should be encouraged to take advantage of these materials. Also, literary competitions where writers receive awards should be promoted and encouraged.
Bookshelf: How do you conduct your research being that you are presently in the United Kingdom?
Ward: I conduct most of my research through regular visits to Nigeria, to places like Kaduna, Abuja, Kano, Zaria and Yola. These are the places I visited while writing ‘Magana Sai Mai Ji.’ Because I wanted to place some of the stories in the later parts of the 19th and early 20th centuries, I felt I ought to visit strategic places in these towns to have a feel, see and ask questions about royalty – kings and their subjects in the North, especially during those periods and how life was generally at those times and how I could marry them with the present. I visited museums, archives and libraries, interviewed close friends who have real insights into princely and honorary titles. One of these friends is Chief Sam Nda Isaiah, Kakakin Nupe and Chairman of Leadership Newspapers, Abuja. His title, KakakinNupe is very similar to the title of one of my characters – Galadiman Sarkin Zazzau (top spokesman or representative of the king of Zaria). ‘Kakaki’ means top chief government spokesman while ‘Galadima’ is top government official.