Lost your password?

Interviews

Otosirieze Obi-Young

‘A Writer Who Has Nothing to Say Has Nothing to Write’ Otosirieze Obi-Young’s First Draft

Founder and editor of Open Country Mag, Otosirieze Obi-Young, believes African writers are not credited enough as innovators for their adaptiveness to solving problems on the page: ‘When Damon Galgut flits between the first- and third-person in one sentence in his book, “In a Strange Room”, the acknowledgement never transcends book reviews into literary culture essays or lists.’
Best of 2024: First DraftFirst DraftInterviewsNigeriaOctober/November 2024
Osione Oseni-Elamah

‘Research Is My Favourite Part of Writing’ Osione Oseni-Elamah’s First Draft

Nigerian writer and Republic’s business and economics editor, Osione Oseni-Elamah, says it is disheartening that many people still refuse to listen to the communities most affected by climate change: ‘I came across an article about the Niger Delta floods in which residents attributed rising water levels to climate change and pollution. Disturbingly, several commenters dismissed these claims, questioning how villagers could understand climate change.’
First DraftInterviewsNigeriaOctober/November 2024
Carey Baraka

‘Gossip Is at the Heart of Any Good Story’ Carey Baraka’s First Draft

Author of ‘Remembering Kampala’, Carey Baraka, says the most common misconception about East African literature is that South Sudanese author and critic, Taban Lo Liyong, called the region a literary desert: ‘It is funny that East African writers continue to write against Lo Liyong, insisting that he is wrong, when what people are fighting doesn’t actually exist.’
August/September 2024First DraftInterviewsKenya
Cece Mlay

Filming the Prolonged Pain of Colonial Violence

For decades, families in Tanzania have been demanding the return of their ancestors’ human remains from Germany. These ancestors, executed leaders of resistance efforts against German colonial rule, were exhumed from their graves and taken to Germany. Cece Mlay discusses co-producing a new documentary on how their descendants are seeking justice and closure today.
August/September 2024Best of 2024: EssaysInterviewsTanzania
Olusegun Tosin Kalejaye

‘My Work as an Artist Transcends Mere Social Commentary’ Olusegun Tosin Kalejaye’s First Draft

Nigerian visual artist and book cover illustrator, Olusegun Tosin Kalejaye, says his work transcends mere social commentary: ‘Rooted in storytelling, representation, identity, and historical documentation, my work as an artist aims to evoke a profound emotional response in my audience, serving as a catalyst for change.’
August/September 2024First DraftInterviewsNigeria
Chukwuebuka Ibeh

‘My Early Reading Featured a Lot of Religious Texts’ Chukwuebuka Ibeh’s First Draft

Nigerian writer, Chukwuebuka Ibeh, says the reception in Nigeria for his debut novel, Blessings, has been delightfully surprising: ‘I was prepared for much more vitriol, but that hasn’t been the case. I’ve also been amused by the split responses to events in the book, with some people wanting much less of the same thing that others seem to want much more of.’
August/September 2024First DraftInterviewsNigeria