Remember Anita Hogan Mak? The ebony black Nollywood actress who married a Dutchman and was involved several years back in a “nude picture scandal?” Well, Anita who relocated abroad- to the Netherlands, with her husband Mak, who is now late, is planning a big return to the Nigerian space.
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No, not as an actress even though the theatre arts graduate still has her acting chops intact, but the book, which she promised to write to encourage people who must cope with all of life’s hard realities is ready, has been presented in the Netherlands and will be distributed more in Nigeria and other parts of the world.

A mother of two, the suspense-filled book is titled Day Dream or Be Left Behind. “The book is ready. I was privileged to have Bros Alibaba (Atunyota Akpobome) write the foreword. It is the story of a true Nigerian living in Nigeria; battling with all that comes from living in Nigeria, and surviving it all via different coping mechanisms,” hinted Anita who is the current President of the Netherland Chapter of Nigerians in the Diaspora (NIDO-NL).

Moviedom got in touch with the mother of two who holds a Master’s degree in International Law and Diplomacy, and she hinted that the book would be formally presented in Lagos, and at the Freedom Park, on July 29.

I have been out of the scene and busy 
It is true that I have been out of the entertainment scene for a while now, but I have been very busy with family management. The fact that I am no longer physically based in Nigeria naturally affected my presence in Nollywood.

I know that fans expected me to continue to feature in movies after relocation. But my dear brother, life in the Diaspora is not easy ooo. Once you travel out to Europe or even America, survival becomes of the essence. For me helping to hold the home front together was necessary.

As you know, I live in The Netherlands, so Dutch is their official language. So, language was already a handicap for me. Do you know against my husband’s advice I still attended a very prestigious film Academy here in the Netherlands? But it did not yield any results. I just respected myself and changed lanes as far as my career is concerned. But I don’t think that I am the only Diasporan artist guilty of this career change.
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Inspiration for my book
Well Day Dream or Be Left Behind is the story of a true Nigerian living in Nigeria, battling with all that comes from living in Nigeria, and surviving it all via any coping mechanism, good or bad. The story features the protagonist, an undisclosed young lady who is the product of a failed marriage, a failed system, and a failed childhood.

Life hits her from left and right and she struggles to stay sane through it all. Her mother, a divorcee becomes gravely ill and the illness tumbles the protagonist’s entire world. With no job, no money, no friends, family, and no relationship, the protagonist must cope with all of life’s hard realities via a coping mechanism that may or may not be healthy- daydreaming.

I have always been a fascinating storyteller. I guess it is a story that has just been waiting for the right time to be written and shared with enthusiastic readers. The book is ready. I already introduced it here in the Netherlands. I wish to formally launch it first. Then I will push it to the marketplace

My best and worst moments as an actress and my late husband
“Well, I would say that all my acting moments were good moments and full of mixed experiences. You are right about missing my husband terribly. He was indeed a wonderful father and a caring husband. I can only say that God who says he is the husband of the widow has indeed been my strongest pillar in this difficult moment.

Plus, family members have been wonderful in rendering their support. I have also been filling up my time with positive activities such as volunteering in various organisations, especially Nigerian organisations. I am the current chairperson of Nigerians in the Diaspora Organisation (NIDOE_ NL) Netherlands Chapter.

I am a volunteer in the Nigerian community because they rallied around me and provided strong support for me when my husband passed away.

I will write more
“OF course, I will write more. But my brother make we launch this one first (laughter).  You know say Nigeria movie wey no get part two mean say part one no sweet. So make we see readers’ reactions first. Then we go launch a sequel. But I will write more. I have always wanted to express myself, and acting was just one way I could do that at the time and based on my training. Lets see how it goes after the book presentation in Lagos on July 29.”
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