The Revolution Generation #EndSARS and the Fight for Nigeria’s Heart
The hope of the #EndSARS generation does not rely on 'God will do it', but looks towards the beginnings of a new Nigeria. Read more.
Culture & Society
‘I Edit as I Write, Unfortunately.’ Sa’eed Husaini’s First Draft.
Politics scholar and author of How to Write about Boko Haram, Sa’eed Husaini, thinks it’s important to know how to write a ‘shit draft’. ‘Finish the full writing task first,’ he says, ‘no matter how unpleasant the initial output may seem, and then return to tidy up the mess.’
‘How Do You Distinguish between History and Memory?’ Emmanuel Iduma’s First Draft
Author of A Stranger’s Pose, Emmanuel Iduma, is ‘often working towards a first, near-final draft… I want any piece of my writing to be written with the intensity and personableness of addressing an imagined reader.’
‘Music Has Always Been a Part of My Process.’ Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀’s First Draft
The last book author of Stay with Me, Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀, disagreed with is, ‘one I am working on now. Ah, why? A scene I was precious about had to be discarded but it would not leave without a fight.’
‘The Impetus of My Life and Work is Love.’ OluTimehin Adegbeye's First Draft
Writer and social justice advocate, OluTimehin Adegbeye, says her biggest motivation is love. Love, she explains, 'is exponentially more demanding and more transformative than what it has been reduced to in the popular imagination. It sits at the centre of what I consider the greatest intellectual and literary enquiries.'
The Measure of Our Lives Gender and the English Language
Gender is a complex system that has more to do with society, culture and time periods than it has to do with biology. Read more.
‘No One Sees the World the Way You Do.’ Kemi Falodun’s First Draft
Writer, journalist and author of ‘Soundbender: The Many Lives of Beautiful Nubia’, Kemi Falodun, believes good writing requires practice. ‘One must make an effort to improve. Although there are factors—social, financial, environmental—that may facilitate or impede one’s capacity to develop the skill.’
Booked and Busy The Politics of Literary Prizes
Opinion is the basis of all literary prizes. Writing is rewarded by systems and institutions of opinion. Read more.
‘I Don’t Believe in Canons.’ Ibrahim Anifowoshe’s First Draft
Author of ‘We Need New Names’, Ibrahim Anifowoshe, is currently interested in Islamic representation in Nigerian fiction. ‘I am fascinated by Jinn stories and Muslims know many of it. It’s like The Conjuring but with a Qur’an and prayer mat.’ Read our interview.
Anti-Racism Beyond the West Africa’s place in the Global Anti-Racist Discourse
As we continue to live in a moment where #EndSARS protesters have made explicit the issue of police brutality in Nigeria, connections drawn between other movements outside and within the continent provide a framework to think about liberation as a global struggle. Read more.