Chukwuemeka Famous is a Nigerian writer and academic whose work spans fiction, essay writing, and literary criticism. A recipient of the Ebedi International Writers Residency, his writing has been shortlisted for several awards, including the 2025 Moon City Awards, Quramo Writers Prize (2020) and the Bold Call Writing Contest (2022). His new collection of short stories, ‘Many Ways to Die’, is being released soon. Ahead of the release, we caught up with Chukwuemeka about the new book, his writing process, and what readers can expect from the new title.
Q: What was the inspiration behind the book?
CF: Let me start by saying that art is supreme and every artist — writers, painters, poets, sculptors, photographers, musicians, name them — are its subjects. What Art does is to possess a person, transform them into an artist of some sort, and then through them, manifest itself via various expressions. So, when we speak of the inspiration for a work of art, it doesn’t come from the artist, but from Art. However, the artist's experiences are an important contributor to the expression of art. This is why I strongly believe that the experiences of artists are largely reflected in the works they produce. So, to answer your question, the inspiration behind this book came from Art’s decision to create, through me (the artist), characters that would reflect the many things I realised during the years I spent neck-deep in severe depression to the point of even attempting to exit from life. It was important to express the idea of losing oneself, one piece at a time. This is how the collection was born.
Q: ‘Many Ways to Die’ is such a striking title; can you tell readers more about its significance?
CF: I would start by saying that this title is not prescriptive, as many have thought. I am not prescribing ways for people to die. I am simply trying to explore the channels through which people are ferried into a space where they become closer to death than life. And these channels are too numerous to capture in a single collection, hence the title, Many Ways to Die.
Q: Did you have to do a lot of research to shape the collection?
CF: If you mean intensive research where one reads lots of books or articles or embarks on relevant trips, then no. But I asked relevant questions in areas that I needed absolute clarity. For example, I remember confirming with my sister, who is a nurse, about current hospital protocols following the death of a patient. I also confirmed some Igbo words and phrases from my parents. In summary, I did everything I could to make sure that the stories in the collection are realistic enough.
Q: What aspect of the book do you identify with the most and why?
CF: The story, Paradise, is quite personal to me. Nnamdi’s experience is one I can relate to. I have been in that space where I yearned for something, and then there comes a hint of hope and promises, and just when I think that my life is going to take on a desired shape, everything shatters, and I am hurled back into dejection. So, I identify with Nnamdi more because he reminds about my troubles with life.
Q: What do you like most about writing within the short story genre?
CF: To be honest, I am not really into the short story form, and this is why I do not publish a lot of short stories, although I love reading short stories a lot. But whenever I get to work on a short story, there are so many things it teaches, of which three are important to me: discipline, economy, and focus. Unlike the novel form, which allows my thoughts to flow recklessly, the short story does not provide me with that luxury. It places restraints on the flow of my ideas, and for me, that is a lesson in discipline. The short story also teaches me how to economise words and use a few sentences to say or imply a lot. It puts a check on verbosity. Lastly, it teaches me to focus on a subject or a character and effectively build the story around them. Whenever I write a short story, I do so mostly to teach myself these important aspects of the writing craft.
Q: What do you hope readers will take away from the book?
CF: To be honest, whenever I am asked this question, I rarely know what to say. One thing about art, in whatever form it manifests itself, is that it speaks to people differently. I am not art, as I am only its loyal servant and so, I think it is not in my place to say exactly what readers will take away from this work. I mean, they could pity Nnamdi in Paradise, or cry for Ozichi in Fly, or realise from This is Not a Way to Die that sometimes being too religious kills. It is up to Art to speak to the wonderful readers of this book, however it wants to. But of course, I’d be honoured to have people read this collection and engage with it in whatever way they can. That would be a lovely thing to witness, and one I am looking forward to.
Q: What was your writing process like?
CF: I didn’t have a structured writing process. I wrote when I could, especially when my mind was sound enough to focus on the writing.
Q: Can you tell us about your favourite quote from ‘Many Ways to Die’?
CF: That would be this sentence from the story, This Is Not a Way to Die: “But he did not come back, because when death takes a man, there is no giving him back.” It emphasizes the finality of death.
Q: Why should readers pick up your book as their next read?
CF: The world today is beleaguered by so many ills. We have insecurities, political instabilities, and tensions, economic meltdowns, religious divides, emotional and physical abuses of different sorts. So many to mention. What I have done with this work is to create an awareness about how these ills lead to the gradual demise of individuals and, subsequently, humanity. It is for this reason that I think readers should want to read this book.
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Many Ways to Die will be available for pre-order soon, with the virtual book launch set to take place on the 26th of June (6pm BST). Stay tuned for any updates and make sure to grab your tickets for the release when they come out! If you enjoyed this post, check out our interview with Joseph Nnamdi on his upcoming release ‘For the Condemned’—available to read here.