Welcome to The Author As A Reader where your favourite authors reveal the books that shaped them. In this series, we dive into their reading lives, from the stories that bring them comfort to the books they can’t stop recommending. They’ll share the novels they’d love to see on screen, the covers they can’t resist, and even the book that made them believe in the power of words. It’s a cozy, behind-the-scenes look at the books that have left a mark and who knows, you might just find your next memorable read.

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Chimeka Garricks  is a Nigerian author, editor, and lawyer whose debut novel, Tomorrow Died Yesterday, explores the tangled complexities of the Niger Delta with compassion and nuance. His follow-up,  A Broken People’s Playlist, is a brilliantly interwoven collection of music‑inspired short stories, each built around a soundtrack that evokes brokenness, redemption, and the quiet beauty hidden in everyday lives.

In this Author as a Reader edition, Chimeka invites us into his literary ecosystem, telling us which texts shaped his worldview, inspired his prose, and still resonate with him today.  It’s the kind of reflection that feels like a late-night playlist session with a wise friend.

The Author As A Reader | Chimeka Garricks

My earliest reading memory: I have vague memories of learning to read with a Queen Primer. Discounting comics, the first proper storybook I remember reading was an abridged children’s version of ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’ by Mark Twain.

A book I’d like to see adapted to the screen is: Leye Adenle’s Easy Motion Tourist (ideally directed by Quentin Tarantino or Guy Ritchie). Bonus shout out to The Passport of Mallam Ilia by Cyprian Ekwensi.

A book I return to for comfort is: The Bible.

The most recent book I’ve seen with the most gorgeous cover: It’s a fight between the covers of The Scent of Burnt Flowers by Blitz Bazawule and The Mystic of Small Dreams by Romeo Oriogun. Both covers are by Masobe Books.

The book I think is most underrated: ‘Most underrated’ is subjective. I wish A Walk in the Night and Other Stories by Alex la Guma would get a lot more love.

If my book had a soundtrack, the first song would be…(most recent book) ‘Trying People’ by De La Soul.

The last book I purchased: Ghostrooots by Pemi Aguda.

A book that made me recognize the power of words: I had no business doing so, but I read Cyprian Ekwensi’s Burning Grass in primary school and something about the story has never left me. Also, for a time in my childhood, the story made me want to be a cattle herder.

A book whose author I’d like to go to lunch with: Chuma Nwokolo for Diaries of a Dead African.

A book with the best opening line: ‘Best opening line’ is subjective, so I’ll go with three of my favorites (because they’re many). “The full, final and completely complete title of my bullshit story is: Allah is not obliged to be fair about all the things he does here on earth.” — Allah is Not Obliged by Ahmadou Kourouma.   “We are on our way to Budapest: Bastard and Chipo and Godknows and Sbho and Stina and me.” — We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo. “The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed.” — The Gunslinger by Stephen King.

The book I’m most ashamed not to have read: None. I’m too old for peer pressure. I’d love to read lots of books, but life’s short: I can’t read every one.

If I could recommend one book to my younger self, what it would be: I’ve interpreted this question to mean a book I’d loved to have read earlier in my life, preferably in my early teens. Again, this is a toss-up between two books: Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

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Something Bookish Curators are always on the lookout for the next great read to add to your #TBR. Whether it’s a backlist gem, a breakout debut, the book everyone will be talking about next, or a beloved classic, we’ve got recommendations you won’t want to miss. Join the conversation and read along with us on social!