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Mar 22, 2026
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Literary journal of the Northern Writers Forum.
© 2026 NWF Journal · Northern Writers Forum
Literary journal of the Northern Writers Forum.
Can you tell us a little about yourself? Where did you grow up, and what was
your childhood like?
My name is Sumaiyah Muhammad Salisu. Iâm a spoken word artist, poetry
enthusiast, and story writer. Iâm currently studying Law at Philomath University. I love
reading, writing, and making creative content. Iâm also an award-winning author of
prose works like Murder at School and Unbroken, A Healing Odyssey, which clinched
the first runner-up position at the Nigerian Prize for Teen Authors Prose category in
2023 and 2024, respectively. I was also the winner of the 2024 African Teen Writers
Awards. I was born in Abuja, but I grew up in Kano before my family finally moved
back to Abuja. I had a really beautiful childhood, with loving and supportive parents,
cute siblings, and great uncles.
What first sparked your interest in writing? Was there a particular book,
author, or experience that made you want to tell stories?
I grew up in a household where everyone was either reading or writing. When I was
little, my dad would buy me storybooks, and I would read themâbooks like The Diary
of a Wimpy Kid and mostly Disney and other animated books. Afterward, we moved
to a larger house, and Dad got us a huge shelf where he bought so many books and kept
them in. We were literally having a mini library at home. We still do. He bought me
cute little journals and asked me to document anything I wanted in them.
By the way, reading was already helping with my vocabulary, so that was how I started
writing when I was little. I proceeded to read more booksânon-fiction books like
Think Big by Ben Carsonâand it opened my eyes to the possibilities of myself
becoming a writer. That was how my dream of becoming a writer evolved. From then, I
knew I would become a writer, but then how? When? I imagined I could only become
a writer when I am an adult, like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
Anyways, I wrote my first mini storybook when I was 12. At the end of the day, I canât
really point out one author who inspired me because every single book I read molded
me into who I am today in a different way. My parentsâ hard work and support as well
have been very helpful. These are the collective experiences that ignited my passion for
writing. Thank you.
Youâve won multiple awards at such a young age. How do you balance writing
with school and other responsibilities?
Itâs not easy squeezing through my busy schedulesâhouse chores, assignments, my
mini business, my podcast, content creation, and writing. It is very challenging and
stressful because it ends up giving me sleepless nights and eye bags. Iâve not really
overcome the challenge, but I created a little solution myself, which is that I only read
and write during my holidays. It has been a bit helpful, even though I donât like the idea
of being far away from my creative world.
I also wish there would be more platforms for young writers like me to put out their
works out there, because thereâs a lot of talent around the world, but only informed
people get access to the platforms available.
What does your writing process look like? Are you someone who plans
everything in advance, or do you write as inspiration comes?
I do both, actually. Ideas come from everywhere. Sometimes I could be in school or at
an event, and a random idea will pop up, so all I do is type it down on the notes app on
my phone. Most times, inspiration pops up in places or situations I never expect, and I
might not have my phone or journal with me. Therefore, all I do is plan everything
properly in my head so that I write it down immediately when I get back home or get
access to my phone or a journal.
When I completed the manuscript for Murder at School, I was just a JSS3 student and
a dreamer girl who never thought she could become an author at such a young age. I
was inexperienced.
Your novellas, The Murder at School and Unbroken: A Healing Odyssey, both
clinched 1st runner-up for the Nigeria Prize for Teen Authors. How did your
approach to storytelling evolve between these two books?
When I completed the manuscript for Murder at School, I was just a JSS3 student and
a dreamer girl who never thought she could become an author at such a young age. I
was inexperienced. The story had inappropriate use of punctuation, misspelled words,
and errors here and there. My mom was the first person to read the manuscript, then
English teachers at school. After all the editing, the book clinched an award, and after
that, my eyes were opened to the literary world.
I read lots of books from diverse authors, and when I came to write my second novella,
Unbroken, I knew that, yes, my writing had improved drastically. I also knew for sure
that it was going to make it to the finals of the Nigerian Prize for Teen Authors.
Your debut novella, The Murder at School, gained recognition at HIASFEST.
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind it? Without giving too much
away, what is the core mystery or conflict in the story?
This is a tricky one. I got inspired to write The Murder at School back then in
Islamiyya. We were playing a game, and I was asked a question by my friend: âImagine
all of a sudden you find out that a mathematics teacher has been murdered on the first
day of resumption. Who would you suspect? Cleaners, security men, or the English
language teacher?â
âEnglish language teacher,â I guessed, and it was correct. That was when it dawned on
me that I could actually write a murder mystery with that concept. So I forged my first
line immediately, along with the title of the book. And when I got back home, I started
writing:
âA teacher was murdered in cold blood. The school management is alarmed. Aisha and
her best friend are on a voluntary quest to uncover this mystery. With obstacles on their
way, the two girls are determined to find justice for their teacher.â
How did it feel to receive recognition for your work at such a young age? What
was your first reaction when you won?
Well, I would say that the feeling of being recognized for your achievements is amazing.
Itâs an incredible feeling . So, when I emerged as the first runner-up for Murder at
School, I never saw it coming because I never thought my book would clinch an award
all the way from Abuja to Minna. Really, I never saw that coming.
Even though I was absent and my parents received a call that I had emerged, I was very
excited, and I was even asking my mom âto help them ask and confirm if it was
actually my name that was announced. At the end of the day, my school and my family
members were all proud of me, so I feel like that is genuine happiness.
Do you have a favorite character from your stories? Why is it special to you?
My favorite character is Amal from Unbroken, A Healing Odyssey. Amal is a
determined young girl who is strong and patient even with lifeâs trials and tribulations.
I donât want to go too deep into it, but she is my favorite character because, like me, she
is strong. She refuses to give up on her dreams, despite being broken in ways beyond
imagination.
Amal is a character every girl should look up to because she has perseverance, courage,
and determination. And the fact that she was stigmatized for being raped by her
classmate did not stop her from chasing her dreams. She wrote a book about her
experiences as a victim of rape, and fought for her right and justice!
Winning awards is one thing, but sustaining a literary career is another. How
do you stay motivated to keep creating, to keep writing, especially as a law
student?
I stay motivated to keep writing and creating because it is my passion. It is something I
love to do, so I donât see myself stopping writing, reading, or doing creative things in
the nearest future. As long as I live, these are things I know I will die with. I will write
more books, I will grace more stages, I will make more content, and my work will be
recognized by people internationallyâbeyond Nigeria and Africa.
Whatâs the most difficult story youâve ever written, and why was it so
challenging?
Writing is not challenging for me. I donât know about other writers, but Iâve never
written something that put me through stress. On a general note, I know
writingâwhether poems, fiction, non-fiction, or playsâis not an easy thing to do. But
I donât find writing stories challenging because this is something that Iâve created. This
is something that comes out of my imagination, so I donât see how itâs going to be
challenging for me.
If you ask me what my challenge in writing is, that would have been a different thing.
But a difficult and challenging story Iâve written? Nah, I donât have any so far.
Many young writers struggle with self-doubt. Have you ever felt that way, and
if so, how do you push through?
I still struggle with self-doubt, but itâs all about building your confidence every day.
Now, what are the things that make writers doubt themselves? Probably lack of funds,
lack of bigger opportunities to put themselves out thereâbecause today, there are
people who have become very famous and recognized because their works are out there
online, on Instagram, in literary magazines, and other platforms.
There was a time I was dealing with imposter syndrome because I felt like my works
were not good enough. There are other people out there doing amazing things, but
then itâs all about trusting in your own art. Yeah, so at this point, Iâm all about
developing myself, building my writing career, and washing away every single feeling of
self-doubt, imposter syndrome, or low self-esteem.
Itâs all about building confidence, gracing more stages, doing more spoken word
performances, and putting ourselves out there more. I guess, at the end of the day, these
are the things that actually boost our confidence.
I see myself telling stories about northern women, striving to bring excellence to the
literary world.
Looking ahead, where do you see yourself as a writer in the next five years?
What stories do you still feel the need to tell?
I see myself as a best-selling author of lots of books and novels in the next five years. By
then, Iâm sure I would have been more recognized than I am now, I would have
clinched more awards, and a lot of people would have read my books. Itâs always been a
dream of mine to get a writer like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie to write a blurb for my
book. So yeah, in the next five years, I see myself achieving all that.
I see myself telling stories about northern women, striving to bring excellence to the
literary world. I see myself creating impact, tutoring young girls like me, and, of course,
building my career as a legal practitioner . I also want to publish more books, delve into
poetry writing and spoken word performances even more, and use my voice to inspire
and educate. I want to use my skills to inspire young writers and advocate for literacy in
my society, especially among young girls in the North.
