Culture & Society

‘Writers are Guardians of Truth.’ Tunrie Bisi-Afolabi’s First Draft.

Motunrola Bisi-AfolabiJanuary 22, 2021

Lawyer, editor at The Republic and author of ‘Fela’s Republic and the #EndSARS Protests’, Tunrie Bisi-Afolabi, believes we need writers now more than ever. ‘Writers are guardians of truth,’ she says, ‘and in this climate of erasure and obliteration by the powers that be, writers have never had a more important mandate.’

December 20/January 21First DraftInterviews

The Long Walk to Equality Historical Influences on Women in Igbo Society

Chinenye AnikwenzeJanuary 20, 2021

Many Nigerians grow up without a true appreciation of the roles women played in traditional Igbo society. Was British colonialism responsible for women's roles changing and did it cause the Aba Women's War of 1929? Read more.

Best of 2021: EssaysDecember 20/January 21International Women's Day - Historyvol5-no4

Politics of Happiness Nollywood in Nigeria’s Crisis of Happiness

Boluwatife AkinroJanuary 18, 2021

The culture of happiness is the most powerful and pervasive agent in Nigeria today, and Nollywood is one of its biggest curators. Read more.

Best of 2021: EssaysDecember 20/January 21Nigeria

The Revolution Generation #EndSARS and the Fight for Nigeria’s Heart

Abimbola AlabaDecember 23, 2020

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.

December 20/January 21vol4-no4

‘I Edit as I Write, Unfortunately.’ Sa’eed Husaini’s First Draft.

Sa'eed HusainiDecember 18, 2020

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.’

December 20/January 21First DraftInterviews

‘How Do You Distinguish between History and Memory?’ Emmanuel Iduma’s First Draft

Emmanuel IdumaDecember 11, 2020

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.’

December 20/January 21First DraftInterviews

‘Music Has Always Been a Part of My Process.’ Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀’s First Draft

Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀December 4, 2020

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.’

December 20/January 21First DraftInterviews

‘The Impetus of My Life and Work is Love.’ OluTimehin Adegbeye's First Draft

Olutimehin AdegbeyeNovember 27, 2020

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.'

First DraftInterviewsOctober/November 2020

The Measure of Our Lives Gender and the English Language

Grey AtandaNovember 25, 2020

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.

International Women's Day - EssaysOctober/November 2020

‘No One Sees the World the Way You Do.’ Kemi Falodun’s First Draft

Kemi FalodunNovember 13, 2020

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.’

First DraftInterviewsOctober/November 2020