Culture & Society
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...
‘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...
