Culture & Society
The Persistent Voice in Taiwo Egunjobi’s Films
As he speaks, the commanding ease in Taiwo Egunjobi’s words and manner pitches him as an important custodian of knowledge and insight about Nigerian and world cinema. Egunjobi’s films always cast a permanent residence on viewers’ minds. Read More...
The Photography of J. A. Green
Depicting power and its associative emotions, J. A. Green’s catalogue speaks to the function of history. Read More...
‘Africans Do Read’ Tobi Eyinade’s First Draft
Co-founder of Rovingheights Bookstore, Tobi Eyinade, disagrees with the belief that Africans do not read: ‘Rovingheights would not be here after nine years if that sentiment holds true. People often say Africans don’t read, yet we have managed to build a thriving book business despite the daunting challenges. Africans do read. While the numbers may not match those of other continents, we have come a long way.’ Read More...
Not Just Another Woman’s Story
In her film, With Difficulty Comes Ease, Korede Azeez captures, with illuminating patience, the story of Nigerian women. She tells the story of women living under constant scrutiny, where their every action or inaction is subject to critical and often unjust judgment. Read More...
Chidimma Adetshina and the Danger of Xenophobia
The rejection of Chidimma Adetshina by the South African public perhaps reflects a complex post-apartheid conception of Blackness—and more specifically, Black womanhood—that is rigid and unaccommodating to those who differ, whether by ethnicity or nationality. Read More...
Are Indie Creators the Future of Talk Shows in Nigeria?
Talk shows in Nigeria have undergone a revolution with the rise of indie creators who have adopted confessional-style videos and personality interviews. Read More...
The Political Dilemmas of Tanzania’s Music Artists
Owing to stifled freedom of speech coupled with minimal structural support, Tanzanian music artists are finding themselves without any political space beyond praising the ruling government. Read More...
7 Books That Bring Elderly Characters to Life
In our latest book recommendation, we have compiled a list of seven books that bring elderly characters to life. Whether featuring a closeted grandpa in the UK or a sexually liberated seventy-five-year-old Nigerian woman in San Francisco, the books on this list prove that great fiction can centre around elderly characters too! Read More...
Writers and the Contemporary Books They Believe Will Become Future Classics
In our past First Draft interviews, we asked leading African writers about the contemporary books they believe will become classics in the future. Here’s what they told us. Read More...
The True Cost of Female Agency
In her debut collection, Ghostroots, ’Pemi Aguda challenges our assumptions about the complexities of female relationships, heightening the outcomes by casting them in, and sometimes against, a city that is both magnificent and macabre. Read More...
