Estranged twins reunite in their mother’s Nigerian home in Butter Honey Pig Bread, the debut novel from Francesca Ekwuyasi ’11. The book, shortlisted for the 2021 Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Fiction, unfolds three women’s complex histories as they face their past and navigate forgiveness. Named one of six Black Canadian writers to watch by the CBC, Ekwuyasi, a resident of Halifax, discusses her work and influences as a writer.  

Q: The novel takes place in a variety of locations, Lagos, London, Halifax – even UAlbany gets a shout-out! How did your time here shape your journey to becoming a writer and artist?

A: During my undergraduate experience at UAlbany, I felt free to explore, so I ended up with two minors! Alongside the courses required for a major in Political Science, I took classes in visual art, women's studies, creative writing, philosophy, French, and mathematics – pretty much whatever interested me and fit into my schedule. And because I was initially quite lonely as an international student, I signed up for many extracurricular activities. All this and the semester I spent in Montpellier, France, to fulfill a credit toward my French minor opened my world further and fed my imagination. Learning is central to my art practice, so my time at UAlbany was akin to a spark, some permission to pursue my creative desires. 

Q: Food plays a central role in the book. One of the twins is a culinary student and you write long, sumptuous descriptions of food and cooking. Can you explain its significance in your storytelling?

A: I was interested in having food (and its preparation) work as a character and a literary device to move the plot along and immerse readers sensuously in the scenes. So, there are scenes/passages in the novel where details about the characters are revealed through the descriptions of food and the characters' experience of food. I enjoy learning about different kinds of cuisine. I enjoy watching food TV, reading food magazines, and when food plays a central theme in fiction, so using food like I did in Butter Honey Pig Bread was an indulgence that has proven fruitful.  

Q: Your characters take on a lot of heavy topics related to sexuality, race, grief, and trauma to name a few. What do you hope people come away with after reading your book?

A: I hope people enjoy reading my work. As with all of my writing, this novel explores themes I care about, that interest me, and I don't expect them to resonate with all readers. But I hope readers come away moved, touched, challenged and perhaps even inspired to write their own stories.  

Q: You’re also a visual artist and filmmaker. How do your other endeavors influence your writing?

A: I'm keen on storytelling across various mediums. Or telling whatever story needs to be told with whatever tool I have at my disposal; sometimes it's words, other times video, film, or visual art. There is a way that movies, videos, films, and images convey meaning and imbue emotion without words — I like to borrow this visual quality in my writing. Ultimately, it's all practice, writing and art-making, with no clear delineations, so the lessons I learn from one practice bleed easily into the next. 

*Ekwuyasi’s latest work is Curious Sounds: A Dialogue in Three Movements, a collaborative, experimental non-fiction book, co-authored by Roger Mooking.

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