Selasie and Cole
Teju Cole (Author of Open City) and Taiye Selasi (Ghana Must Go)

I was looking through Taiye Selasi’s Twitter photos and found this one of her and Teju Cole. I couldn’t find out anything about where the picture was taken. The accompanying tweet simply says: “The incomparable Mister Cole.” It’s a lovely picture. Selasi’s smile has a touch of giddiness that a sister might have at meeting a brother. Cole has on his usual suave and collected demeanor, but you can tell he’s just as delighted to be by Selasi’s side.

The image got me thinking about African writers in each other’s company. Reading their work, it’s hard to tell if African writers ever take the load off and just relax. The image of the serious African writer is familiar. So I put together a collection of photos of African writers hanging out, acting silly, or having fun.

Thereis so much about writing that is about friendship and community, as you can see in these photos.

Shoneyin and Aidoo
Lola Shoneyin (Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives) and Ama Ata Aidoo (Our Sister Killjoy)
Selasie and Binyavanga
Wainaina Binyavanga (One Day I Will Write About This Place) and Taiye Selasi
Shoneyin and Mabanckou 2
Alain Mabanckou (Le Verre Casse) and Lola Shoneyin
Okparanta, Manyika, Bulawayo
Chinelo Okparanta (Happiness Like Water), Sarah Ladipo Manyika (In Dependence), and Noviolet Bulawayo (We Need New Names)
Farafina Workshop 2013 12
Wainaina Binyavanga and Chimamanda Adichie (Americanah)
Ngugi and son 2
Father and Son — Ngugi wa Thiong’o (Wizard of the Crow) and Mukoma wa Ngugi (Black Star Nairobi)
Chika and Adichie
Chika Unigwe (Night Dancer) and Chimamanda Adichie
Teju and Soyinka
Wole Soyinka, Siddhartha Mitter, and Teju Cole
ake festival victor ehikhamenor 16
Tope Folarin (“Miracle”) and Christie Watson (Tiny Sunbirds)
Chibundu and Mabanckou
Alain Mabanckou and Chibundu Onuzo (Spider King’s Daughter)
ake festival victor ehikhamenor 45
Victor Ehikhamenor (Excuse Me!) and Wana Udobang (Dirty Laundry)
Ikhide Soyinka
Ikhide Ikheloa and Wole Soyinka