All Shades of Iberibe is a collection of short stories by Nigerian writer Kasimma. The book is forthcoming from Sandorf Passage and set for publication in November. We are delighted to share the stunning book cover!

The cover art was designed by Nigerian artist Karo Akpokiere, whose work has been featured at the Venice Biennale. The earth tone colors channel the intensity of the stories in the collection while the images of fantastical figures are captivating and reminiscent of Bruce Onobrakpeya’s illustrations for Amos Tutuola’s The Palmwine Drinkard. With its bold color and arresting figures, the cover is ready to be splashed all over Instagram!

The collection of dark and alluring stories comes highly recommended by Chika Unigwe. She is quoted in the publisher’s statement as saying: “All Shades of Iberibe pulses with wit and wisdom. In stories that often surprise, that often blur the line between the living and the dead, Kasimma presents a Nigeria that is peopled with characters struggling as much to understand as to be understood.”

The collection of stories “explore sexuality, the influence of both Christianity and Igbo rituals, the bonds of family, and the stains of certain longstanding traditions, making for a singular and, at times, shocking book.” As the publisher notes:

In the Nigerian language Igbo “iberibe” means “messed up.” This stunning short story collection by Kasimma grabs readers and pulls them into the cities and villages of today’s Nigeria. Against the glare of smartphones, spirits of the dead flicker, elders admonish their grown children, rituals are done in secret, and the scars of war are just below the surface in the lives of astonishingly vivid characters. Kasimma’s stories effortlessly inhabit the dark, alluring, and beautiful spaces between mystical Nigerian traditions and our strange contemporary condition.

“Kasimma is an alumni of Chimamanda Adichie’s Creative Writing Workshop, SSDA workshop, IWP, and others. She’s been a writer-in-residence across Africa, Asia, and Europe. Her works appear or are forthcoming in The Book Smuggler’s Den, Jellyfish Review, Kiwetu Journal, Orbis Journal, The Puritan, and Afreecan Read.”

Kasimma’s book kicks off the global expansion of the press’s new publishing program. Sandorf Passage is a nonprofit publisher initially set up to publish books by authors from the former Yugoslavia. But with All Shades of Iberibe, they are taking the first step to include books by authors from other parts of the world in their catalogue.

Pre-order All Shades of Iberibe: Amazon