Culture & Society
The Nigerian Heart of Joop Berkhout
Joop Berkhout, an icon of Nigeria’s publishing industry for almost six decades, died in February 2025 in Ibadan. He nurtured generations of writers and built Spectrum Books into a publishing powerhouse, yet also embraced the ‘big man’ culture of his adopted country with remarkable ease. Read More...
10 African Writers on How They Actually Wrote Their Books
In our latest First Draft interview, we ask leading African writers, including Laila Lalami and Mũkoma wa Ngũgĩ, about their writing processes. Here's what the told us. Read More...
Diaspora’s Struggle to Belong Home and Away
If the media plays an important role in the extreme portrayal of the West as a haven in the mind of the African, we might also assume that the same media largely has a role to play in the making of the self-perception of Africans. Read More...
Rema Wants a Seat at the ‘Big Three’ Table—Has He Earned It?
With sonic versatility and global reach, Rema is rewriting the rules of Afrobeats. But does that earn him a place alongside Burna Boy, Davido and Wizkid? Read More...
‘Write for Love Before You Consider Writing for Money’ Sue Nyathi’s First Draft
Zimbabwean writer and author of 'The Polygamist', Sue Nyathi, was motivated to write her latest novel, 'An Angel’s Demise', by the lack of knowledge about African history: ‘I realized that I didn’t know the entire history of my country. It made me realize that, for a great part of my life, my existence was whitewashed. I knew a lot about European history, but I couldn’t tell you anything substantial about African history.’ Read More...
6 Books That Will Convince You That Good Men Do Exist
In our latest book recommendation, we have compiled a list of books that will convince you that good men exist. From the former colonial officer who turns against the empire to care for a tortured native woman to the loving father whose unwavering support encourages his daughter’s intellectual curiosity, the men in the books on this list challenge the prevailing stereotypes about men. Read More...
How Nora Awolowo Made Nollywood History
With a surname etched in Nigeria’s national history, Nora Awolowo strategically charts her own path to continue a legacy of excellence, becoming the youngest person to gross over ₦100 million in Nollywood with ‘Red Circle’. Read More...
The Dark Side of Charity
Kanyin Ajayi’s English adaptation of French author Marie NDiaye’s Rien d’humain reveals the dark side of charity while also asking audiences to consider how gender violence affects women of various classes. Read More...
7 Books That Explain Why Your Parents Are the Way They Are
In our latest book recommendation, we have compiled a list of books to that will explain why your parents are the way they are. From an extended letter that details a mother’s decision to stay in her marriage after her husband takes a second wife to a novel about a renowned chef who chooses her career over her daughter, the books on this list will help you see your parents in a new light and begin to understand them. Read More...
To-Do List
‘I woke up one day and I realized that I simply despised the smallness that life here hoists on everyone. Small loves, big needs met by small resources, small hopes quashed by gigantic misdeeds, small joys flickering off with each new leaving.’ Read More...
