He is naturally a cool-looking young man, soft-spoken and also on the quiet side. Beneath all these qualities, lie an intellectual, a script writer and poet, ever thirsty for knowledge. Little wonder, Mathew Simpa, a script writer and poet became one of those who started the reversal film stocks which has simply turned out to become the bedrock of today's Nollywood, a veritable source of livelihood for many over years which everybody is talking about. When our Contributing Editor, IFECHI OKOH, heard of this, he closed up on him for an in-depth interview, starting from his background, dove-tailing to his romance with reversal film stocks that eventually turned out to be the Nollywood of today, his controversial book on film making which the National Film Institute embraced as a text for their students, despite the unexplained cold reception of some persons towards it. Enjoy the revealing presentation!

Can we have a peep into your background as it concerns your education?

I have a Diploma in Cinematography and have also taken some online courses. I started an online course with New York University which I haven't completed. My childhood fantasy? First, I wanted to be a Millionaire at 30. Then I wanted to be a successful Author.

Who is your mentor and why?

Mentor? I have just one Mentor. His name is Femi Akintunde-Johnson (FAJ). I chose him first for his tenacity and ability to weather all storms. Then, for his philanthropy. He once related a story about how he and his wife had to help arrange for a child to have a heart transplant in India at a time he and his wife were going through hardship. Such a thing moves me. I have been trying to emulate him. And thankfully, I have a wife who is very supportive in this regard.

Are there strong indications that writers in Nigeria can survive solely on their art? If not, how do you hope to survive?

I know one Friday Nwosu who claimed he made a lot of money from writing. This will suggest he's surviving on writing. But I doubt if a Writer can survive solely on writing in Nigeria. I belong to a Writers' group. None of the Writers there, to the best of my knowledge, survives solely on writing. For me, writing is a passion. The written word mesmerizes me. So, I write first for the passion. I'm also a Filmmaker. I intend to combine my writing with movie making. I also plan to go into animal husbandry in the near future.

You wrote a book on Nollywood's history and now you've just completed a novel. What was your inspiration for these books?

For “The Reversal Filmmakers: Unsung Heroes of the Nollywood Revolution,” my inspiration was an article written by Steve Ayorinde, a former Commissioner in Lagos. In the article which he wrote on Nollywood's 20th anniversary, he stated clearly that I, the late Yemi Meshioye and others who made movies on reversal film stocks really should have the credit for what became Nollywood. It was after reading the article that I realized we had actually done something outstanding. Later, the same Steve Ayorinde created a WhatsApp group which has many filmmakers on it. He added me. One day, people were discussing reversal film making of the 1980s and they were seeking information about it. I told them I was one of the people involved in that process of filmmaking. I wrote a brief account of what we did, how we did it and the results we got. Those who commented on my posts agreed that what I wrote was verified. Someone then suggested I write a book on our exploits. As at that time, no one had chronicled that aspect of the history of the Nigerian film industry.

As for the novel I have just finished, the inspiration came from a suggestion made by Awele Ilusanmi, the President of an Authors' Cooperative Society I joined sometime this year. She said publishing on Wattpad could lead to acquisition for movies or TV series. I had this serial that I had commissioned someone to write for me some years back. I decided it would be a good idea to adapt it into a novel. That's how I began to adapt it into a novel. I hope that by so doing, it will eventually end up on the screen.

What's the reception of your book on Nollywood's history like?

Jahman Anikulapo of CORA said that the book is an important book on Nollywood's history. People like Mahmood Alli-Balogun, Fidelis Duker, Madu Chikwendu and Shaibu Hussein have high praises for the book. They believe it bridges an important gap in the history of the Nigerian film industry. The National Film Institute uses it as one of the texts for its students. Even some people from the University of Ibadan bought copies for their bookshop. However, not everyone in Nollywood is happy about the book. It punctured some previously held notion about the catalysation of the film industry. Prof. Hyginus Ekwuazi, for example, seems not to even want to touch the book. He wrote a book on Nollywood but left out what we contributed. I have made several attempts to get the book to him but he hasn't shown interest. I sent a copy to Pan African University. Up till now, I haven't received any acknowledgement. Even when I was invited to talk about the book at the Lagos Book Fair in 2021, Francis Onwochei was asked to moderate. He agreed initially and I personally delivered a copy to him. On the day of the event, he didn't show up. Till tomorrow, he has not even chatted with me to explain why he didn't show up. For me, it boils down to the politics of the industry. People from a particular section of the country don't seem to agree that some important milestones were achieved before their incursion into the industry.

What's your novel about?

The main theme is pedophilia. But it's also about politics -high wire politics - in the country, love and parenthood. It tells the story of a Politician's search for a long lost daughter.

Your first book is non-fiction. Your new offering is fiction. Are any elements of the new book autobiographical (i.e., settings, experiences)? If so, can you share more about those connections with us?

My new book – my first work of fiction – is strictly a work of fiction. But as we all know, works of fiction oftentimes are based on real life incidents. So, while the book is non-fiction, much of the story is based on real life incidents. For example, the main theme of the story is based loosely on the story of one of the Landlords and another couple in the area where the book is set. The landlord was a Pedophile while the couple treated their house girl (who by the way fits the description of Juliet, the main character in the novel) the same way I described it in the book. The political story is actually based on political incidents around the area. For example, a local government Chairman dies during election period. That incident actually happened in Kosofe Local Government some years ago.

Are any of the characters in your book based on people in your real life? If so, can you tell us more about that process and how it influenced your writing?

Certainly. The main protagonist is a Journalist. He is a cross between me and a particular Journalist I knew while living in Irawo. The man who abuses his supposed daughter is a cross between the landlord and the couple I mentioned earlier. The Local Government Chairman is actually a cross between the man that died in office and another local government Chairman I used to know in Ijede area of Ikorodu.

Do you have any personal connection to the story or characters?

In a way, yes. What Cletus, the Journalist in the story, does are the kind of thing I love doing. As at the time I came up with the story, I was a crusader for human rights. Cletus actually behaves the way I sometimes behave.

Are there any themes in the book that you particularly enjoy exploring?

The theme of child's right. I have written at least two screenplays on this and also have an outline of a screenplay on the same. I'm married to a social worker who also heads the Children Department in a Ministry of Women Affairs. Through her, I have been able to appreciate the importance of child's rights and the role social workers play in safeguarding child's rights.

Does this incursion into the literary field mean you're saying bye-bye to film making?

Not at all. Though I have always loved writing (I actually wanted to be a Writer in my youth), I'm very passionate about film making. It's just that it's become very difficult for me to put up a production. Somehow, I find what the people in Nollywood do very distasteful. Most of those I know would rather do their own thing than work for the development of the industry. I have been canvassing for co-productions and collaborations for a while but no one seems to be keen on that. I have been working with an association now for about two years. It's just been flipping and flopping. The association isn't really doing much for its members.

Where do you see your literary career heading?

Well, I'm really very ambitious. I intend churning out as many books as possible within the next few years. I have written quite a lot of stuffs: poems, Christian books, short stories. I plan to convert some of my screenplays into novels.

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