Diekara Oloruntoba-Oju

‘Fiction Always Affords a Space for Fun’ Diekara Oloruntoba-Oju’s First Draft

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Doctoral researcher and author of When Lemon Grows on Orange Trees, Diekara Oloruntoba-Oju, believes that urban youth cultures in Nigeria emerge from the margins to shape mainstream culture: ‘Whether it is Afrobeats, shadow boxing or thrift market fashion, urban youth cultures in Nigeria generally start from a marginalized place and then go on to define the culture (national or global) for everyone else.’ Read More...
August/September 2025First DraftInterviewsNigeria
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
Books

5 Books That Explain Why Lagos Drives People Crazy

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In our latest book recommendation, we have compiled a list of books to read to understand why Lagos drives people crazy. From a book that exposes the racial privilege that marks the city to one that explores its dangerous underground and criminal networks run by the very people who should be protecting the city, these books will make you livid about just how anything is permissible in Lagos! Read More...
June/July 2025Read Something AfricanReading