Culture & Society
‘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...
‘Read With Curiosity, Not Conclusion’ Ama Asantewa Diaka’s First Draft
With her latest short story collection, Ghanaian poet and author of Someone Birthed Them Broken, Ama Asantewa Diaka, set out to document the lives of contemporary youth in Ghana: ‘I wanted to create something that future youths could look back on—something they could hold up against their own lives and say, “This is where we came from. This is what it was like.”’ Read More...
5 Books That Read Like Tales by Moonlight
From the story of a troubled treasure hunter to that of a spirit child who chooses to remain in a crumbling world rather than escape to bliss of eternity, the books in this collection will cast a spell on you just like any tale by moonlight. Read More...
On Meeting Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o
Sarah Ladipo Manyika reflects on her relationship with Kenyan literary giant, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, and coming to terms with the complexities of his life. Read More...
Black Scholarship in Africanfuturism
Nnedi Okorafor's 'Death of the Author' is significant in imparting agency to its Black readers who want to explore africanfuturism, redefining Black scholarship through science fiction and proving that scientific development does not exclusively lie outside literature or within Western countries. Read More...
‘Writers Understand the World in a Transcendent Way’ Hamza Koudri’s First Draft
Algerian writer and author of Sand Rose, Hamza Koudri, wants readers to understand that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to culture: ‘Communities are diverse and what you learn about a specific place does not entirely apply to the whole community… Culture varies with every step you take across time and space, and while it is important to familiarize yourself with the dynamic parts of the country and its past, you shouldn’t take anything for granted.’ Read More...
7 Books That Prove That Nigerians Are Having Sex
In our latest book recommendation, we have compiled a list of seven books that prove that Nigerians are having sex. From the published accounts of African women on their sex lives to a story with a nuanced portrayal of teenage sexual attraction, the books on this list are all the proof you need that contrary to what many Nigerians would have us believe, they do enjoy a good rumble in the sheets! Read More...
Watching ‘My Father’s Shadow’ in Cannes
My Father’s Shadow, Nigeria’s first-ever official selection at the Cannes Film Festival, takes us on a cinematic journey through Lagos with a father and his two sons—blending nostalgia, political tension and dreamlike storytelling. Read More...
