Life in the Time of COVID-19 | What Some of Your Favorite Authors Have Been Up To: Nnedi Okorafor, Sulaiman Addonia, Inua Ellams, and More

How many weeks has it been since social distancing became the norm? We’ve lost count, but we’ve definitely been admiring over this past April the ways by which our favorite authors are filling up that lockdown time — ranging from baking to biking to picking up a guitar and more. Check them out below.

1. Sulaiman Addonia joins the legion of lockdown-banana bread bakers 

My lord.. my chocolate banana bread just came outta the oven pic.twitter.com/0Vgs0GJCl6

— Sulaiman Addonia (@sulaimanaddonia) April 14, 2020

2. Inua Ellams makes good use of relatively deserted parks

 

View this post on Instagram

 

I’d like to share my short film with you shot at Kennington Park Studios. Title: Neo Ain’t Got Shit On Me. Director @mrseloall. Camera woman @mrseloall. Written by @InuaEllams. Starring @inuaellams. D.O.P @mike_town. Stunt Coordinator @mike_town. Editor @mrseloall. Part 2 dropping next week: Title: Legolas Ain’t Got Shit On me.

A post shared by Inua Ellams FRSL (@inuaellams) on Apr 20, 2020 at 7:46am PDT

3. Leye Adenle comes across a new species of dog

I think this lockdown is getting to me. I opened my door to see what’s up on the corridor and a strange dog I’ve never seen in the building was outside my door. It looked up at me and barked, ‘Padà wọlé.’ Go back inside. I mean, since when did English dogs start speaking Yoruba?

— Leye Adenle (@LeyeAdenle) April 19, 2020

4. Wayetu Moore rediscovers a past love

 

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The inevitable result of my being holed up in an apartment for 3 1/2 weeks. Dusted off my guitar and attempted a return to my first love. The only thing that’s resolved my anxiety this week. Sending you light ✨

A post shared by Wayétu Moore (@wayetu) on Apr 8, 2020 at 3:00pm PDT

5. Nnedi Okorafor finds a new way to get fresh air

Many of you know the story of how I went from star athlete to paralyzed athlete to writer.

I wrote about it all here, if you’re curious: pic.twitter.com/fHc7lVyaKL

— Nnedi Okorafor, PhD (@Nnedi) April 10, 2020

For this reason, I haven’t ridden a bike since I was 20 (before it all happened). Also, I’m afraid of what a fall could do to my strange cyborg body (I’ve got a stainless steel rod lashed to my spine). I used to bike ride all the time.

— Nnedi Okorafor, PhD (@Nnedi) April 10, 2020

My daughter is a huge bike rider. We went to the empty parking lot of my local church.

What happened next was crazy because the roles were reversed. This time, I wasn’t the one teaching my child to ride; *she* was teaching *me*.

— Nnedi Okorafor, PhD (@Nnedi) April 10, 2020

After over two decades of being afraid to try, I-rode-a-bike! 🚴🏾‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/rTDLI9ITXy

— Nnedi Okorafor, PhD (@Nnedi) April 10, 2020

Update: Just rode all over my neighborhood on New Fish (my brand new bike…name is a #Binti reference). My daughter rode with me. 😊

Wonderful wonderful wonderful. Never thought I’d ever do this again.
Score 1 for Joy, 0 for Fear. pic.twitter.com/p2f0NP06HN

— Nnedi Okorafor, PhD (@Nnedi) April 18, 2020