Reading Gabriel García Márquez in Nairobi
With the recent Netflix adaptation of Gabriel García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude, I recount what it meant to read his work as a young writer living in Nairobi. Read More...
Month: April 2025
Writers and the Fictional Women Characters They Love
In our First Draft interviews, we asked prominent women authors about the fictional women characters that they love. Here’s what they told us. Read More...
7 Books Perfect for a Nollywood Film Adaptation
In our latest book recommendation, we have compiled a list of seven books that are perfect for Nollywood film adaptations. From the story of a man who mysteriously transforms into a white person, constituting a biting satire about a race relations in Nigeria, to a brilliant woman’s account of her experiences in the male-dominated scene of Nigerian politics, the books on this list will certainly make blockbuster films! Read More...
The Charged Politics of an African Passport
Africans remain constrained within and outside the continent due to their passports, which have hindered the exploration of global opportunities. Read More...
The Beauty Tax on Nigeria’s Poorest Women
When it comes to beauty standards and how women defy or succumb to them, the discourse takes on a new meaning for Nigerian women on the lowest rung of the economic ladder. For them, attaining the ‘ideal’ appearance is a measure of beauty and class. Read More...
The Tragedy of an Evil Genius
Babangida’s attempt to tell his own story or shape his own legacy through his memoir, A Journey in Service, falls short of expectations raising questions about whether the book should have been written at all. Read More...
Rediscovering Nigeria’s Radio Heritage
Nigerian radio dramas, like Abule Oloke Merin, were once powerful mediums for storytelling and cultural memory, yet many of these programmes have been lost due to poor archival practices. By drawing lessons from other African nations on preserving ephemeral media, Nigeria will be well equipped to preserve its auditory heritage. Read More...
‘I Wanted to Explore the Thrill That Comes with First Loves’ Fatima Bala’s First Draft
Nigerian writer and author of Broken, Fatima Bala, says that with her new novel, Hafsatu Bebi, she wanted to explore the realities of being a northern Nigerian girl: ‘I have always wanted to see different authentic depictions of northern Nigerian girls. And so, in the characterization, I was itching to write a northern Muslim who happens to be very different from Fa’iza from Broken.’ Read More...
7 Books That Will Make You See Historical Figures Differently
In our latest book recommendation, we have compiled a list of seven books that will make you see historical figures differently. From the fictional biography of the first African man to explore America to a nuanced portrait that asks us to contextualize the life of one of South Africa’s most controversial women, the books on this list will make you think again about the historical figures you thought you knew. Read More...
Resisting the War on Muslim Women
As a Muslim woman, I have faced excommunication and backlash for challenging patriarchal interpretations of Islam. I will not apologize for my refusal to submit to a male-centred Islam that seeks to erase mine and other women’s existence. Read More...
