New Novel, Under The Moonlight, Shares Enigmatic Mind Of A Child Growing Up In Lagos

On The Table Read, “the best book magazine in the UK“, Under The Moonlight by Harrison Okhueleigbe is part fiction, part memoir, following an imaginative young boy growing up in Nigeria in the 1990s.

Under The Moonlight

In Under The Moonlight, Harrison Okhueleigbe, a writer and artist, tells the story of Eghọnghọn. The young boy, a perpetual daydreamer, is fueled by his grandmother’s visit and the mythical tales she tells him. Under the Moonlight is a memoir of the author’s childhood in southern Nigeria in the 1990s, mixing reality and fiction, about life of the young Eghonghon and his vivid imagination.

Harrison Okhueleigbe beautifully captures the essence of childhood by sharing the realities of his protagonist’s life with his passion for daydreaming and imaginary adventures, while weaving in themes of perseverance in the face of adversity, envy, and the significance of the family unit.

The author “paints” a vivid and evocative picture of “his” Lagos, transporting the reader not only to his homeland but also back to that curious and excited mind that we all had as children but often find difficult to reconnect with. His writing is made more authentic by the inclusion of some Nigerian English songs and phrases, which are explained in the helpful endnotes.

Under the Moonlight is a debut novel that will touch the hearts of people who have a connection to Nigeria as well as people who just love stories about the human spirit.

Synopsis Of Under The Moonlight

Under the Moonlight captures the enigmatic mind of a child growing up in Lagos. His knack for wild imagination and daydreaming is rewarded by a long summer holiday with his grandmother’s visit. She fuels his desire for adventure with a riveting mythical tale.

Much of the story, including the folktale told by Nẹnẹ́, is a fictional account of the persona. However, the author creatively alludes to how he imagines or remembers the experiences of the average child in southern Nigeria in the 1990s.

Harrison Okhueleigbe

“The main character, the young Eghọnghọn, is nothing more than an alter ego of myself. The book was inspired by my natural desire and ambition to be involved in arts and culture, and I hope that readers will be fascinated by the words I have used to ‘paint’ the mind of a child.”

Harrison is an artist who has made a name for himself in IT and banking. He was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and now resides in the UK.

His writings reflect the profoundly adventurous nature of the human mind and the ways in which these shape who we are and become, as he is famously quoted as saying, “words become the paint and brush with which we capture our thoughts, memories, and wildest imagination.”

In addition to his inherent enthusiasm for the arts and culture, he holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Benin in English and literature. He worked as an actor for the department’s playhouse, which is known as Elsa Playhouse and is known for staging plays all over Benin City, Nigeria. Even though he is now in the United Kingdom and works as a communications officer at Sheffield Hallam University, he still serves as an alumni supporter of the theatre group and leads efforts to promote the arts and culture through stage and stage performances.

He made an appearance on the well-known Nigerian news station Arise News in May 2022 to talk about possible ways to revive the business in light of the declining interest in stage and theatre performances.
His first book, Under the Moonlight, has been published, and he plans to publish more books in the coming months.

Find Under The Moonlight now:

Independently published, Under the Moonlight is available in paperback (£3.53) and Kindle format (£2.00 or free via Kindle Unlimited) on Amazon at https://tinyurl.com/2z2u555h and https://tinyurl.com/4234mfbk

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