Uganda literary magazine Ibua Journal just came out with a dazzling anthology of short stories and poems on climate change. Titled Raging Waters, this anthology includes all longlisted submissions from Ibua’s recent Bold 2023 Continental Call on the theme of climate change.

Founded in 2018, Ibua Publishing is a Ugandan digital platform established for the purpose of showcasing literature from African writers and making these stories digital accessible. In addition to running Ibua Journal, they publish poetry collections, novels, children’s books, and other works.

Released on October 18, the anthology is a compelling and thought-provoking collection showcasing the present and potential effects of climate change on the continent. It includes the works of poetry winner Chioniso Tsikisayi and short story winner Hussani Abdulrahim as well.

The writers included in the anthology hail from across Africa including from Nigeria, Uganda, South Africa, Kenya, Cameroon, and Zimbabwe.

The short stories and poems in this issue explore the ecological, social, and emotional dimensions of climate change on African lives, portraying stark reminders that as a continent we are particularly vulnerable to and bear the brunt of the adverse effects of climate change and are in desperate need of tangible resolutions to mitigate it.

From the Editor’s Note:

With compromised food security, and heightened community tensions as these violently compete for greatly reduced natural resources, climate migration is no longer a new phenomenon. These are but a few glimpses into the “new normal” for over 3 billion people in developing countries who face the brunt of the climate crisis. Stark reminders of the urgent need for decisive and comprehensive global climate action and the need for increased meaningful inclusion of African voices in the global discussions to address climate change. For these reasons and more, we felt it pertinent to have Climate Change as the central theme for the BOLD 2023 Continental Call. We are aware that the voices of those most profoundly affected by climate change have historically been unrepresented in global discussions on climate action and firmly believe that storytelling possesses the power to connect us in a continental and global resolve to address this global human challenge. The submissions we received demonstrate this. While most centred on current events some used these to project futures that were at times hopeful but mostly dire for the continent.

While the Climate Change conversation now permeates our collective consciousness, resonating in the halls of schools, corridors of power, conversations in our homes and workplaces, and among the passionate voices advocating for change, it still remains an abstract concept often shrouded in the mystical, mythical or conspiratorial. Nonetheless, this talking point has evolved into an undeniable and formidable reality for those in the Southern Hemisphere, who are particularly vulnerable to its effects. The lack of immediate seismic change in global and government climate policies, coupled with the insufficient government-backed initiatives to protect and support the most vulnerable, paints a grim outlook for the everyday African. Exacerbated by their exclusion from meaningful dialogue on climate change responses and interventions for those most affected.

Read Ibua’s Raging Waters anthology here.