A Letter Away From Asaba: A Novella

Product Information

Nevertheless, I cannot deny that the general neglect of African history during my first two years has only made me hungrier for history pertaining to Nigeria.

Learning about the Nigerian Civil War and Asaba in particular through these two women was enlightening and truly educational. This is far from easy, and they await a series of hurdles in ways they least expect that, in contrast, try to ensure that the victims of the massacre die in vain. I’ve included a quote at the beginning of this post that I wrote in the article, which really encapsulates my motivation for writing this book. I think that this is the perfect book for educating people on Asaba as well as the other important topics covered in this book such as covering up from the British Government and Onome’s experiences as one of few black students at the university. A Letter Away From Asaba is a thought-provoking narrative centred on the Asaba Massacre, which occurred in 1967 during the Nigerian Civil War.We spoke with Claudia about publishing, the history behind the story, and the importance of learning about colonialism and its ongoing effects. There is an instance where Onome gives way too much credit to the British by writing to Chioma that she must be mistaken about her account of the massacre, or the British are censoring the news (come on now). This story was so carefully crafted and I was so emotionally invested in the wellbeing and relationships of these characters.

As a second-year History and Politics student at the University of Edinburgh I am currently in the midst of editing my debut novel A Letter Away From Asaba, set to be published in spring 2023.

I came across a book entitled The Asaba Massacre: Trauma, Memory, and the Nigerian Civil War by historians Elizabeth S. So thrilled to have had my official book launch celebrating the release of my debut novel ‘A Letter Away From Asaba’.