Interviews

Andréa Ngombet

‘The Republic of the Congo Is Not French, It Is Congolese’ Andréa Ngombet’s First Draft

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Congolese writer, Andréa Ngombet, founded the Sassoufit Collective to document human rights violations in the Republic of the Congo: ‘It started as a mobilization against President Sassou Nguesso’s 2015 constitutional change and then evolved into a support structure for local voices. This vocation also aligns with my historian training: to produce, document and archive so that future generations know we resisted and that another Congo was possible.’ Read More...
Congo-BrazzavilleFirst DraftInterviewsJune/July 2025
Ama Diaka

‘Read With Curiosity, Not Conclusion’ Ama Asantewa Diaka’s First Draft

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With her latest short story collection, Ghanaian poet and author of Someone Birthed Them Broken, Ama Asantewa Diaka, set out to document the lives of contemporary youth in Ghana: ‘I wanted to create something that future youths could look back on—something they could hold up against their own lives and say, “This is where we came from. This is what it was like.”’ Read More...
First DraftGhanaInterviewsJune/July 2025
Hamza Koudri

‘Writers Understand the World in a Transcendent Way’ Hamza Koudri’s First Draft

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Algerian writer and author of Sand Rose, Hamza Koudri, wants readers to understand that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to culture: ‘Communities are diverse and what you learn about a specific place does not entirely apply to the whole community… Culture varies with every step you take across time and space, and while it is important to familiarize yourself with the dynamic parts of the country and its past, you shouldn’t take anything for granted.’ Read More...
AlgeriaFirst DraftInterviewsJune/July 2025

‘We Must Market Our Stories on Our Own Terms’ Nana Sule’s First Draft

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Nigerian writer and author of Not So Terrible People, Nana Sule, says it takes a special kind of grace to find and write about joy as a writer from Africa: ‘I believe writers are very much shaped by the times they live in. Part of our role is to document the world around us, and for many African writers, that means confronting trauma and hardship. It takes a special grace to find and write about joy, honestly.’ Read More...
First DraftInterviewsJune/July 2025Nigeria
Chitra Nagarajan

‘The Boko Haram Conflict is Still Ongoing!’ Chitra Nagarajan’s First Draft

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Author of The World Was In Our Hands: Voices from the Boko Haram Conflict, Chitra Nagarajan, decided to write a book on the conflict to shift narratives that tended to focus on particular stories—such as the abduction of the Chibok girls: ‘I set out to write a non-fiction book about the Boko Haram conflict but decided put together this collection of narratives instead. I felt these stories would reveal the truth of what is happening in a different (perhaps more compelling!) way.’ Read More...
First DraftInterviewsJune/July 2025