Rongo Art Residency: A Conversation with Juliana Nwazodoni
- How did you feel when you got accepted for the Rongo Art Residency?
I felt very elated. This was the first time I got accepted for a residency, so it was truly a delight for me. I know they must have received hundreds of applications, and getting picked meant the world to me.
- What’s your favorite moment at the residency?
I cannot single out one favourite moment, but my favourite ‘moments’ are definitely the ones we spent learning from our facilitator. Those were special moments of learning and sharing diverse perspectives.
- What is the most important thing you learned from your facilitator during the residency?
The most important thing I learnt from my facilitator is to be patient with myself and to honour my craft. Writing is a process that takes time, dedication, and resilience, and it is important to enjoy the process. He also taught me that writing is not about proving a point to anybody. The writer should be more concerned with internal (what is inside of them), with the external (the world around them), and making their writing work.
- After this residency, what next?
Writing, writing, writing.
- How has the residency impacted you as a writer?
This residency has given me new eyes to see writing. I understand certain writing techniques better, and I have learnt to look at my work more critically. It has also rekindled my commitment to the craft. Like our facilitator said, you write by writing. And that is exactly what I will do.
BIO:
Juliana Nwazodoni is a writer, poet, and lecturer of Literature. Her writing has appeared in The Mexodus, Voyage of Discovery, Enibokun Journal, EJOLLS, Kokonut Head Media, Literary Denizens, and Ayánfé, with more publications forthcoming. Her body of work includes the poetry collection A Girl’s Body is a Story (2022) and the poetry exhibition Fragments of Us (2024).
Alongside her writing, she is a spoken word poet who has graced both literary and non-literary stages, including TEDx AAU Ekpoma. She has contributed to several collaborative poetry projects and is committed to building a thriving literary community in Ekpoma, Edo State.
