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.
Esther Ifesinachi Okonkwo is a writer that has been on our radar since 2023. Her debut novel, The Tiny Things Are Heavier, is already making waves. It’s a deeply felt story about grief, migration, and the quiet weight of trying to hold everything together. Uchenna has not stopped talking about it since he read it. Born in Lagos and now based in the U.S., Esther’s fiction moves with emotional precision, and her characters always feel like someone you know, or someone you once were.
She’s a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, a PhD student at Florida State, and has published work in Guernica, Catapult, Southeast Review, and Isele Magazine. Oh, and did we mention she won the Isele Short Story Prize and a Torch Literary Arts Fellowship? Here’s a prayer to all the gods that her pen don’t ever run out of ink..
The Author As A Reader | Esther Ifesinachi Okonkwo
My earliest reading memory: Chinua Achebe’s Chike and the River and L.M Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables. I read these books so many times!
A book I’d like to see adapted to the screen is: I’m always nervous about screen adaptations. Often, I prefer the book.
A book I return to for comfort is: Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. Okonkwo is tragic. He makes me feel better about myself.
The most recent book I’ve seen with the most gorgeous cover: Ruben Reyes’ Archives of the Unknown Universe.
The book I think is most underrated: Yewande Omotoso’s An Unusual Grief.
If my book had a soundtrack, the first song would be…(most recent book): The Poet Acts by Philip Glass, Michael Riesman & Lyric Quartet
The last book I purchased: Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar.
A book that made me recognize the power of words: Chinua Achebe’s Arrow of God.
A book whose author I’d like to go to lunch with: I always find that the books I love contain everything I need. I never leave with the urge to talk to the author.
A book with the best opening line: Toni Morrison’s Beloved.
The book I’m most ashamed not to have read: Oh I read the books I want to read, and I don’t read the books I don’t want to read. No shame here.
If I could recommend one book to my younger self, it would be: Edward Said’s Orientalism.
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!
