Brittle Paper is deeply saddened to announce the passing of Kenyan writer and poet Alison Ojany Primrose née Owuor, who died in Scotland after a long battle with cancer. She was 41.
Alison was a singular voice in African speculative fiction, using horror as a lens to examine human contradictions, wounds, and the absurdities that haunt our existence. Drawing on her plural Kenyan roots, she engaged fearlessly with urgent themes including racial injustice and climate change, crafting stories that were both unsettling and necessary.
Her published work spanned nearly two decades, from “Confessions” in the 2004 anthology Through Different Windows to her 2022 publications “The Extraterrestrial” in Evergreen Review and “Fortfarande har liv betydelse.” Her story “Multiplication of Votes,” published in Kwani’s “After the Vote” issue in 2008, was widely acclaimed, appearing in Wajibu magazine and Farafina magazine, and was translated for radio broadcast in Germany. She was a regular contributor to Kwani, with work appearing in issues 4 and 5, and her fiction found homes in publications including Jalada Africa and Lolwe.
Beyond her individual literary achievements, Alison was a committed advocate for the arts as a force for social transformation. In 2020, she co-founded 5 Jordan, an arts for social change collective in Abuja, Nigeria, alongside writers Richard Ali and Rafaeet Aliyu. Brittle Paper covered the collective’s launch, which celebrated community, creativity, and the power of literature to spark dialogue and change.
Alison held a B.A. in Psychology. Her voice, which explored the dark corners of human experience with unflinching honesty and imaginative power, will be profoundly missed. We extend our deepest condolences to her family, friends, and the literary community that she enriched with her presence and her words.
Rest easy, Alison Ojany.
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