British-Nigerian author Tracey Chizoba Fletcher speaks with Ardain Isma

March 5, 2021

466

CSMS Magazine

This week in The Conversation, Ardain Isma speaks with Tracey Chizoba Fletcher, a writer based in Lagos, Nigeria. Ardain first saw Tracey in a You Tube video speaking about her literary work with Louisiana author Michelle Jackson. During that interview, the Nigerian writer spoke about her novel, Feminine Shades and the struggle for gender equality in male dominated societies—the main theme of her novel.

Since then, there has been an interest here at CSMS Magazine to know more about this young author who is determined to use her pen in the fight for women equality. Feminine Shades, a collection of seven stories, is indeed a testament to that determination. According to the author, Feminine Shades came to fruition when she began to research the unfair treatments against women, not just in Nigeria, but around the world.

During the interview, Tracey makes reference to Nigerian-born Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala who, last month, became the first woman to head the World Trade Organization (WTO,) replacing Robert Azevedo who resigned last year. According to Tracey, the news was celebrated throughout Nigeria, ushering a new vide in the struggle to break free from male domination.

Born in Lagos, Nigeria to a British father and a Nigerian mother, the author says she has always been “a staunch believer in the right representation of Nigeria’s rich culture and values,” something that is vividly expressed in her writings. A multi genre writer, she has recently published an action thriller titled The Chase in which money is at the center of it. The Chase was shortlisted for the Phoenix Quill Writing Contest.

Tracey speaks about the resentment she sometimes encounters in her native country for being biracial. She also expresses her disapproval of some women who have gone so far as to bleach the color of their skin in order to look “lighter, fairer because they think once they look a certain way, behave a certain way, society will open more doors for them.”

Tracey is also an award-winning writer, a columnist, a voice-over artist, and an editor. She won the Afritondo Alternative Ending Competition in 2019. The author has a short story titled Chudi’s Hustle which was published with Afritondo. Tracey has written The Wrong Turn, a fantasy fiction that is set to be published by Pen It! Publications. She is a monthly columnist for Rainbow Magazine.

The author tells Ardain that reading mystery and fantasy genres, as well as listening to soul music are some of her favorite hobbies. Watch the video below.