18th August, 2017
A veteran journalist, Orji Ogbonnaya has urged youths to learn to think outside the box and be creative in order to become assets to the country and their parents.
Ogbonnaya made the call at the launching of a book “Birthmarked” written by Miss Marvellous Michael on Thursday in Abuja.
The author is a graduate of Covenant University.
“The youths in this country should thinks positively and outside the box in order to create works that will make the country and their parents proud of them.
“I know that writing a book is not easy, especially fiction books. You may have the interest, passion and time, but putting everything together is not easy.
“The book “Birthmarked” that we are celebrating here today is fiction. However, writing fiction is creating something from nothing. Marvellous has done so well,” Ogbonnaya said.
The author of “What they don’t teach you in broadcasting” commended efforts of the parents of the author in supporting the author, adding that they should also be celebrated.
He said youths should also see the author as their role model and begin to think positively in all they do to contribute in moving the country forward.
The author, Michael said the book “is a story of a couple from different backgrounds who struggled to balance to ensure the marriage worked in spite of ther differences.”
She said she started writing the book at the age of 15.
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“My grand mother inspired the writing of the book, she did most of the encouragement and editing works in the book.
“My dad and mum supported me all the way. I want to say thank you to my family and friends who contributed in one way or the other to making it possible,” Michael said.
Mr Lawrence Socha, the Cultural Affairs Officer at the American Embassy congratulated the author for writing the 325 page fiction.
“The book was set in two countries which I love most, that is America and Nigeria.
“It is a wonderful work, and I wish the author the very best,” Socha said.
The author’s grand mother, Mrs Ayodele Adewole said it was not easy working with her grand daughter in writing the book because of the generational gap.
“Handling this ‘computer age children’ could be challenging sometimes. They always want to have it their way.
“We argued and disagreed a lot, but at the end we achieve the common goal of making the book a reality.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the high point of the occasion was the unveiling of the book and drama performance by a theater group, “Playback Nigeria”.