Ray Anyasi Inspires Readers With Spellbinding Stories That Transcend Genres and Formats
Photo: Author Ray Anyasi, Africa’s literary powerhouse, crafting stories that resonate globally and reimagine humanity’s resilience and triumphs over adversity.
Exploring Life, Literature, And Resilience
Ray Anyasi shares his journey as one of Africa’s most published authors, his creative philosophies, his impactful mentorship, and how he transforms extraordinary struggles into timeless, genre-defying stories.
Ray Anyasi is a literary force whose works have deeply enriched Africa’s literary landscape, leaving an indelible mark on readers across the globe. As one of Africa’s most published authors, with over 25 titles spanning genres as diverse as fantasy, thrillers, poetry, and comics, Anyasi is a master storyteller who dares to traverse boundaries, creating unforgettable worlds that resonate universally. From the enthralling political crime thriller A Poll of Vampires, to the sweeping mythic realm of Sorrows of Udi, his ability to weave extraordinary tales of ordinary people confronting unimaginable challenges is both timely and timeless. Anyasi’s books, translated into languages like Spanish, Portuguese, and German, not only capture the essence of the human spirit but have also achieved multimedia acclaim, with adaptations into comics and award-winning animated web series earning international recognition.
At Mosaic Digest magazine, where celebrating innovative voices is part of our mission, we are thrilled to feature this interview with Ray Anyasi, a writer whose craft goes beyond storytelling to illuminate cultural truths, universal struggles, and the power of resilience. From his pivotal work nurturing the next generation of African writers through Bookhouse Nigeria, mentoring programs, and #theWriteClubwithRayAnyasi, to his dynamic roles as Editor-in-Chief of Geek Digest and Festival Director at Rayany Creators Film Festival, Anyasi exemplifies what it means to be a writer who uplifts others while shaping his own magnificent literary legacy.
Join us as we delve into the world of Ray Anyasi—his journey, creative philosophies, and the stories that continue to inspire millions. Through this engaging interview, discover why Mosaic Digest proudly celebrates him as one of the finest voices in literature today.
Ray Anyasi is a literary visionary whose phenomenal talent and cross-genre storytelling inspire readers worldwide, igniting imaginations with every word.
You debuted fresh out of university with the political crime thriller A Poll of Vampires, and today you’re celebrated for the epic fantasy series Sorrows of Udi. Can you walk us through the evolution of your storytelling—from your early foray into thrillers to the richly mythic worlds you now build in fantasy?
My storytelling journey has been quite interesting in that when I started out, I was something of an outsider in the world of writing. I didn’t know much rules or what is considered the norm. I did know writers were for some reason supposed to stick to a genre. Because all my life, I read across many genres, when I started writing, I just wrote in any genre I felt my story is best suited.
You’ve said your writing is influenced by “extraordinary stories of ordinary people who must confront monstrous challenges.” Could you share a specific real-life story—or memory—that first inspired you to write in this mode, and how it shaped your literary voice?
This largely comes from my early childhood and upbringing. My parents, intentionally or not, didn’t try to shield us from the realities of our circumstances such that from a young age, I had a front row sit to life more than one would expect. When I was six or seven, we woke up one morning to a letter from the landlord saying the house we lived in has been sold and the new owner wants all tenants out in two weeks or be forcefully evicted. So, there we were, facing a real possibility of homelessness. A year later or so, life was going smoothly for us, there’s a national election coming which gave Nigerian so much hope for the future. Then the election was annulled in the most dramatic fashion, protests erupted in the city we lived, my parents who were self-employed at that time couldn’t go to work and couldn’t earn. Suddenly, we’re living with penury. These thread of events that we didn’t cause, didn’t foresee but must confront to get through the day became part of the struggles of our existence. I wasn’t surprised when I started writing and noticed it was a common theme in my stories.
Sorrows of Udi has been translated into multiple languages and even adapted into an animated web series that earned selections at international film festivals. What was it like to see your story come alive in that medium—and how did it reshape your understanding of storytelling across formats?
It was a surreal experience to see Sorrows of Udi in that first animated short. It gave me a whole new view of what that fictional world could become. As I see more and more of my stories transcend formats, I realize that prose, comics, film and drama might be starkly distinct formats with their own unique rules, but storytelling whatever the genre or format has one simple rule. To make the reader or viewer see themselves in the experiences of your characters. No matter how bizarre and outrageous character’s experience is, if the reader can make a realistic connection of how a regular person’s life can go that way, then the story slaps.
As founder of Bookhouse Nigeria, director at Naphtali Publishers, and creator of initiatives like #theWriteClubwithRayAnyasi and your mentoring programs, you’re deeply committed to literacy and nurturing writing talent. What’s been the most memorable moment—from a workshop or from a mentee—that reaffirmed your belief in investing in the next generation of African writers?
Back in 2018 when I was MD of Naphtali Books, I discovered a brilliant writer in Albrin Junior when we picked up his debut novel, Naked Coin. The amazing progress he’s made in his journey as a storyteller today gives me so much joy and makes me want to keep doing what I do.
Broken Cloud: The First Sunrise is one of your most popular works. It’s a fantasy world steeped in darkness and secret romance. What emotional or thematic core were you hoping to explore through Prince Ikan’s struggle and Sarie’s fate in a kingdom without sunlight?
My hometown has a saying that translates into, “The governor of a prison is also in prison.” In Broken Cloud, the Ottas may have may have established a slavery system the benefits them but to keep the Otts enslaved, the slave masters must commit to activities that enforces and sustains slavery, thereby making the slave master a slave to the system of slavery.
You’ve written across genres—from political thrillers like Ujasiri and How to Terrorize Terrorism to poetry collections such as Lines of Thoughts and epic fantasies. How do you decide which medium or form best suits what you want to say—and how do faith and social commentary weave through these genres for you?
For me, it’s all about which style, medium or genre does deserved justice to the characters whose stories I’m telling. I find that I tell a story in comics format when I’m keener about getting it done fast so it can be out of my head. I write poetry when a story carries too much emotional weight than prose can help. I write prose when a character’s journey isn’t straightforward and demands a rich emphasis of the plot to make it make sense to the reader.
