Culture & Society
5 Books That Explain Why Lagos Drives People Crazy
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...
What Burns in Bafut Is More Than a Place
To Cameroonians, the Bafut Palace is more than a historical landmark; it is the heart of a living culture, where rituals bind the present to the past. Yet today, the palace stands under siege, its legacy threatened by the Anglophone crisis that has engulfed parts of Cameroon. Read More...
On Misogyny and Black Women’s Hair
For many Black women, the pressure to straighten their hair is not just an aesthetic choice, nor only a necessity for survival in professional spaces, but a burden imposed by colonial and patriarchal standards of beauty. Read More...
10 African Writers and the Books That Made Them Become Writers
In our latest First Draft interview, we asked ten African writers, including Fatima Bala and Mũkoma wa Ngũgĩ, about the books that inspired them to become writers. Here’s what they told us. Read More...
7 Books That Will Make You Drop Everything and Take That Trip
In our latest book recommendation, we have compiled a list of books that will make you finally take that trip. From the adventurous journeys of a Nigerian journalist who travelled the world on a motorcycle to a social activist’s daughter’s attempt to discover the country her father died fighting for, these books are just the push you need to pack your bags and explore the world. Read More...
The Un-Lonely Voice of A. Igoni Barrett
Nigerian writer, A. Igoni Barrett, points us towards an alternative vision for art. In his stories, there is an affinity for villainous arcs, embedded within colourful, everyday life. Read More...
The Problem With Age Gaps in Romantic Relationships
Age gaps in heterosexual relationships have survived the test of time. However, in the feminist pursuit of a gender-equal society, we must recognize how age disparity—though seemingly harmless—can play a significant role in reinforcing gender inequality. Read More...
‘Love is at the Centre of Everything I Write’ Onyi Nwabineli’s First Draft
Nigerian writer and author of Allow Me To Introduce Myself, Onyi Nwabineli, is against using children as social media content: ‘I wondered how I would feel if parts of my childhood were showcased online for the amusement of strangers. I started to feel uneasy about it. Kids can’t consent.’ Read More...
7 Short Story Collections to Read When You Can’t Commit to Novels
In our latest book recommendation, we have compiled a list of short story collections to read when you can’t commit to novels. From a book that depicts the complexities and loneliness of immigrant life to another that encapsulates the ‘Nigerian weird’, the collections on this list are perfect reads between novels. Read More...
Grief Is the Hiding Place of Love
With Grief’s First Kiss is an Avalanche, Wendy Okeke joins a solid line of Nigerian authors who have explored grief in their literature, examining the deep affinities between love and loss without putting one over the other. Read More...
