Emaduku’s “Colours of My Mind” is a product of experience and expression, which bestride different facets of the Nigerian society. The different sections of the book weave together relatable sociopolitical and cultural episodes in Nigeria. The author’s social and socialist vision reflects patriotic and transformative commitment in the Niger Delta and Nigeria. With the urgency to communicate realities, Emaduku deploys simple and rhythmic language, which occasionally infuses literary flavour. The mosaic of literary tools adds a striking sophistication to the book.
The ideas that drive and rejuvenate human communities are products of the mind, conveyed through language. In the biblical account of creation, God’s declaration, “Let’s there be light,” evidently carries a thought-process that privileges creativity and innovation. It is apt to draw a connection between this background and the assortment of ideas in Austin Emaduku’s anthology, Colours of My Mind. Spanning 2016 and 2022, the essays and commentary featured in the book reflect contemporary realities in Nigeria, underscoring the author’s vision of an improved social order.
Published by Premium Times Books, Abuja, in 2025, Emaduku’s Colours of My Mind is a 275-page volume of essays and poems on homeland and national realities. The book is logically structured into six parts captioned as chapters, which bear distinct but related thoughts about human and societal development. The systematic structuring of the book into different sections makes it easy to locate the issues that trouble our humanity and the regenerative thoughts of the author, as he desperately craves a healthy society that eschews any manifestations of abnormalities. It is, therefore, easy to trace the colours of the author’s mind as the reader follows his thoughts from page to page, chapter to chapter!
