Presented by Lagos-based collective wuruwuru, the newly launched Nigerian anthology of short stories titled Feel Good celebrates queer joy in all its forms.
wuruwuru is an independent maker collective from Lagos. Started in 2020 by Opemipo Aikomo, the studio funds, designs, and produces spirited works of art to sustain creative talent in Nigeria. In three years, wuruwuru has produced an online comic, an animated short film, the pilot to an animated series, a locally-made board game, a digital archive, and Feel Good. The studio has since worked with over 45 creators and paid out close to $100k in commissions.
Produced by Daniel Orubo and Opemipo Aikomo, and designed by Studio Null, Feel Good was born out of a desire to see more joyful representations of the queer experience in media. This project concluded its month-long rollout in November and includes stories where queer protagonists find love, community and healing.
Feel Good is an anthology of short stories written by eight of Nigeria’s most gifted queer storytellers: Edwin Okolo, Innocent Ilo, Ani Kayode, OluTimehin Kukoyi, Adeniyi Ademoroti, Olakunle Ologunro, Mariam Sule-Izuagbe, and Fareeda Abdulkareem.
Opemipo Aikomo, the founder of wuruwuru and co-producer of Feel Good, remarked that the project was a long time coming: “Daniel [Orubo] did a great job directing Hanky Panky, our first animated short, and when we were done, I wanted to help bring one of his ideas to life as well. We agreed to make a book together, and Feel Good was born.”
Daniel Orubo, the producer and editor-in-chief of Feel Good, added that this was the specific story he wanted to tell:
I consume a lot of queer content across various mediums, and what I realised is that queer characters rarely get their happily ever after. I wanted to do my own small part to offset all that sadness and trauma.
The reactions to the project have been unanimously positive, with literary enthusiasts taking to Twitter to express their love for Feel Good as a whole, as well as the individual stories that have resonated with them. Olakunle Ologunro’s “The Mathematics of Hooking Up”, in particular, has quickly become a fan favorite.
Read Feel Good for free here.
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