159 Quotes by Ben Okri

We have fallen into this very mean description of humanity. Naturalism in fiction is too reductive in its definition of human beings.

I'm conscious of a series of circles working its way through my life. And at this particular moment I have come round to the beginning of my writing cycle. It begins with poetry. There's hardly a day that goes past on which I don't write poetry.

I am one year older than Nigeria at 51. In a human life, 51 might be old. But it is very young for a nation. By that, I mean a Nigeria conscious of itself as a nation.

I believe in leavening. You can't have words sticking out too much, like promontories. They disturb the density. You have to flatten them, or raise the surrounding terrain.

I am not fighting for success, just to get more beauty out of myself and share it with more people.

The best writing is not about the writer, the best writing is absolutely not about the writer, it's about us, it's about the reader.

Some of my reactions are very Nigerian. I still believe that words are things.

The greatest religions convert the world through stories.

Fire is one of my temperaments. It is behind all my work... Fire is a chemical presence.