February/March 2025

Musih Tedji Xaviere

‘Love, in All Its Forms, Is Resilience’ Musih Tedji Xaviere’s First Draft

Cameroonian novelist, Musih Tedji Xaviere, says her debut novel, These Letters End in Tears, was inspired by the resilience of queer love: ‘The treatment of queer people in Cameroon is appalling, but what I find inspiring is that people still find love even in the hardest circumstances. They refuse to be stripped of their ability to love, no matter the challenges.’
Books

7 Books to Escape with on Your Weekend Getaway

In our latest book recommendation, we have compiled a list of seven books to escape with on your weekend getaway. From a moving African saga to the fictional autobiography of the first African to explore America, the books on this list will shoot you right out of your present reality into intriguing new worlds, making your weekend getaway as exciting and full of adventures as possible!
self-care

Feminist Self-Care Beyond Capitalism

From feminism to body positivity to mental health, self-care has become yet another concept commodified by capitalism. In a world that constantly thrives on profiting from women’s exhaustion, self-care must become a radical act of reclaiming control over one’s body, mind and soul.
Karen Chalamilla

‘We Pacify Atrocities With Inaccurate Language’ Karen Chalamilla’s First Draft

Tanzanian researcher and author of ‘The Political Dilemmas of Tanzania’s Music Artists’, Karen Chalamilla, believes we have a duty to name acts of violence when we witness them: ‘Recently, I have become hypervigilant of the way we pacify atrocities with inaccurate language. The most common—and unfortunately relevant—examples being the use of “conflict” in place of “genocide”, “ethnic cleansing”, “pillaging”, or “murder”.’