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Statement: African Authors Sans Frontieres in Solidarity with African-Americans

As African writers without borders who are connected beyond geography with those who live in the United States of America and other parts of the African diaspora, we state that we condemn the acts of violence on Black people in the United States of America. We note in dismay that what Malcolm X said in […]

Dawn of Darkness | by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o | Poetry

Knowing we are currently in a pandemic, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o graciously wrote this poem and would like it to be shared widely. We hope it brings you comfort. The poem was written on March 23, 2020. Read it and share! *** I know, I know, It threatens the common gestures of human bonding The handshake, […]

Celebrating Mariama Bâ | “The Flavor of Life is Love”

Bâ would’ve been the grand old age of 91 today. She is best known for her epistolary novel SO LONG A LETTER (UNE SI LONGUE LETTRE), published in 1979. The novel, which critiques polygamous practices, won the first Noma Award for Publishing in Africa. However, less than a year after accepting the prize and giving […]

COVID-19: How Some African Authors Are Reacting to the Pandemic

Like everyone else across the world, our favorite authors are confronted with the threat of COVID-19. Here, we document some of their reactions on social media to the pandemic. These range from providing uplifting advice and offering practical measures to tackling the crisis with a touch of humor. We take all of them as ways […]

Kwame Dawes’s “Yard Boy”: A Powerful Poem for Our Moment

Kwame Dawes recently wrote a poem titled “Yard Boy” that speaks to the recent events surrounding the death of George Floyd. The poem was published “in the spirit of protest and concern” on the website of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Department of English, where Dawes holds the position of Chancellor’s Professor of English and is […]

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Features, Lit Scene June 4, 2020

Teju Cole’s Spotify Playlists Offer Musical Solace for These Times

Among Teju Cole’s many talents is his ability to curate music that captures a mood or even the feel of a place. Since mid-March, when the lockdown began, Cole has been putting together playlists on Spotify that, as he explains on his Facebook page, are in line with the “gesture of sharing music in a […]

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Features, Lit Scene, News June 3, 2020

Petina Gappah to Write Play About the Censorship History of Dambudzo Marechera’s Novel Black Sunlight

Petina Gappah recently announced that she was writing a play that focuses on “the 1982 banning and unbanning” of Dambudzo Marechera’s novel, Black Sunlight. The play, also titled Black Sunlight, will explore the themes of “censorship, writing, and the nature of creativity” and will be framed through “a Mozart/Salieri style rivalry.” My play examines censorship, writing […]

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Features, Stories and Poems June 3, 2020

Oh, Blessed Bri’Land | Jedah Mayberry | Fiction

Bri’Land glistened at me, her brilliant display of pink sand shimmering in delight. It would seem that I had finally, on our last day, come around to granting her name the proper pronunciation. We had landed on Harbour Island, but we would depart from Bri’Land. I shade my eyes, stretch my gaze over the expanse […]

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Features June 3, 2020

Books That Go with Wine and Books That Don’t

The beverages most associated with reading are tea and coffee. But many readers love to cozy up in bed with a book and a glass of wine. Great weekend pastime. Our resident librarian, who is, of course imaginary, happens to be a part-time sommelier. So we asked her for recommendations on what books are best […]

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Features June 3, 2020

In This House | Inok Rosemary | Poetry

In this house, we sift our words, Never letting the walls hear what they shouldn’t. The fear of their eavesdropping Is the beginning of wisdom. In this house, we say “she is fine, thank you” When the neighbors ask, the principal, Our church pastor, mummy’s book club friends The market women. In this house, […]

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Features, Lit Scene June 2, 2020

Statement: African Authors Sans Frontieres in Solidarity with African-Americans

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Features June 2, 2020

#SaveLambdaLiterary | Leading LGBTQ Literary Organization Needs Your Help

Lambda Literary is struggling under the devastating financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic. On April 17, the organization launched a campaign tagged #SaveLambdaLiterary to help raise funds. The appeals was made in a letter signed by Amy Scholder, President, Board of Trustees and Sue Landers, Executive Director of Lambda Literary. A portion of the appeal […]

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