When authors set out to write on any subject, the motive is usually to satisfy a personal craving. But, in Seun Onanuga’s case, the reader’s pleasure is the ultimate goal.
“I think of my audience first before writing a book. It means that whenever I write, I have to make sure the reader’s interest comes first,” he says.
Although he studied Systems Engineering at the University of Lagos, he has published a total of 14 books. His latest book, titled Beauty, Poise and Perfection of Form, derives from a personal desire to inform his audience and to feed them ‘food for thought’.
Each of the books written by Onanuga treats various subject-matters, ranging from positive thinking to fiction. Some of the titles include Fields of Fortunes, 51 Parables about Money and The Foundation of Success. It is difficult to pin his writing to a particular genre.
“I have decided not to limit my writing to a specific subject because I don’t want to be seen as predictable. Besides, I don’t want my audience to be bored. This is why I write on different subjects,” Onanuga says.
But, of all subjects, why did he have to focus on beauty, which is sometimes regarded as effeminate? The young author says it was borne out of the need to explore the ‘mysteries’ associated with the word and to break certain myths surrounding it.
“When people say that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, they mean that it is relative. But they fail to define the beholder’s perspective. So, I always wonder if the beholder’s judgement derives from a moral, cultural, artistic, intellectual or scientific point of view. Apart from this, there is the fundamental question of whether beauty is a gift of nature or a product of nurture. I have tried to establish that while beauty may be enhanced through the arts, it is only by having a perfect knowledge of the science of beauty that its symbolism can be understood,” he says.
Onanuga notes that beyond attempting a practical definition of beauty, he was compelled to pay close attention to the concept of inner beauty and to deal with it in the contexts of self-esteem, poise, purpose and wealth creation, as well as to show how they influence contemporary perceptions of beauty.
“Beauty is a pervasive subject. It is one of the reasons why there are changes in the world today,” he says.