April/May 2024

Small Country Gaël Faye

A Séance for a Past Self

In Small Country, Gaël Faye captures the loss of innocence through the eyes of an eleven-year-old boy as a dark chapter engulfs Burundi and Rwanda. The tremor within the novel however is that we discover the past to be not just a memory, but a living breathing thing we carry throughout our lives.
Jamila Pereira

‘I Want the Chapters of My Life to Be Written by Brilliant Black Women’ Jamila Pereira’s First Draft

Author of ‘Resisting Linguistic Genocide’, Jamila Pereira, believes in striking a delicate balance between storytelling and presenting factual events: ‘While weaving a compelling narrative is essential for engaging readers, it was equally vital to remain faithful to historical truths and realities.’
Alté to Alté-fuji

From Alté to Alté-fuji: The Making of a New Genre

The exploration of fuji music by the likes of Asake, Seyi Vibez, Mohbad, Zinolesky and Barry Jhay has given rise to the subgenre of neo-fuji. Now, Odunsi The Engine, Cruel Santino, Lady Donli, Temmie Ovwasa, and a new crop of ‘Alté’ artistes, who are subverting and bypassing the neo-fuji template, promise to transform the future of fuji music.
Pemi Aguda Ghostroots

Birdwoman

‘Why are they screaming? Felicity raises an arm to clear the smoke in front of her face. But her arm doesn’t rise. Instead, feathers flap.’ An excerpt from ’Pemi Aguda’s short story collection, Ghostroots.