You need connections, you need to have a certain kind of training, you need an agent, and if you send your work to an agent, it ends up in a slush pi… - Peace Adzo Medie

Before I begin writing a book, I spend months—and sometimes years—thinking about characters and plot. In fact, I like to think that a lot of my writing happens in my head and I spend a great deal of time with characters and their stories in my thoughts, before I write anything down. But because I also work on multiple research projects, on which I also publish—so far, a book and several academic journal articles—I tend to switch back and forth between thinking about fiction and nonfiction. Therefore, there are long periods when I don’t focus on fiction.

I use fiction to teach in my social science courses and I am always keen to explore the issues that I work on in my research.

I said to love with your head but I’m also the first person to tell you that it is hard to live like that. It is brutal and it eats at you every day and leaves you empty.