Ex-PUNCH news editor unveils debut book

Award-winning journalist and former PUNCH news editor, Oladimeji Ramon, has said his childhood memories and early exposure to Yoruba traditional beliefs inspired his debut fiction work, Beautiful Nothing.

The collection of short stories, which explores the line between the physical and spiritual worlds, is scheduled for release in October.

Published by TBLNG Press under its Vepo imprint, the book features stories that Ramon said were influenced by his childhood experiences and the tension between traditional beliefs and Western or scientific worldviews.

In a statement on Friday, Ramon said, “While some of these beliefs are difficult to prove or impossible to verify empirically, neither can they be dismissed as unreal.

“This is the sort of concept that continues to agitate my mind and has become the background for a lot of my fictional works.”

He added that several of the stories were also shaped by his journalistic instinct to investigate and establish the truth.

According to him, fiction was his first love before he ventured into journalism, describing the book as an expression of his enduring passion for creative writing.

“I knew creative writing long before I knew journalism,” Ramon said. “Journalism attracted me because it is a tool for combating social malaise, and I see a gentle activist in me. Ultimately, what I have always been is a creative writer.”

Ramon, quoting the late American writer Maya Angelou, noted that publishing the book had helped him unburden himself of stories he had carried for years.

Originally trained as a veterinary doctor, Ramon switched to journalism in 2014, building on his experience as a campus journalist and his longstanding passion for writing.

He spent over a decade with The PUNCH, where he rose through the ranks to become the News Editor, before joining The Africa Report, headquartered in Paris, France.

His journalistic work has earned him recognition both nationally and internationally, including a nomination for the 2023 True Story Award in Bern, Switzerland.