In a new essay for Crime Reads, the Ghanaian novelist Kwei Quartey argues for the vitality of the spiritual in crime fiction from the continent, on the basis that “the importance of curses, the ancestors, and the gods in African daily life cannot be overstated.” He uses instances—the trokosi tradition in Ghana’s Volta region, a […]
Tag Archives: african crime fiction
Deji Olukotun’s Novels, Nigerians In Space and After The Flare, Optioned by Major Film Company
Deji Olukotun’s novels Nigerians in Space and After the Flare have been optioned by major film company. The crime novelist shared this on his Website. “I’m thrilled to announce that my novels After the Flare and Nigerians in Space were optioned by a major film company!” he wrote. “This milestone is a huge vote of confidence in my writing, along with my […]
Leye Adenle’s Second Crime Novel, When Trouble Sleeps, Serves Up Thrilling Political Intrigue Ahead of Nigeria’s 2019 Elections
In 2016, Cassava Republic Press published Nigerian writer Leye Adenle’s crime novel Easy Motion Tourist, a thriller that serves up Lagos in its heat and that became the perfect introduction to the world of Naija Noir. The book, which has since been translated into French and Spanish and won Le Prix Marianne at the Salon du […]
“Where A Ghost Has Rights” — Review of Chris Abani’s Secret History of Las Vegas
Pub. Date: Jan 7, 2014. Penguin. 319 pp. Download HERE. In a 1986 interview, the Zimbabwean novelist, Dambudzo Marachera, speaks of a strange artistic sensibility. He speaks of how the will to write often takes him to “a region where a ghost has rights.” In the same interview, he confesses to having a bizarre fascination […]
August Edition of “African Literary Scene in a Nutshell”—Scoop on Adichie, Teju Cole, Chinelo Okparanta, Cassava Republic, Binyavanga, African Crime Fiction, Bulawayo and More
What happened in the African literary scene all last month? Here are a few highlights. Enjoy reading and happy new month to you! 1. All Money No Hype: When the long list of the NLNG Prize for Poetry came out, it didn’t seem like the African literary scene cared. Those of us who […]
Crime Fiction and the African Zeitgeist—A Brittle Paper Interview with Helon Habila on His Crime Writing Project
For all those who have dreamed of reading or writing African crime and spy fiction, your day has finally come with the recent launch of Cordite Books. You’ll enjoy this must-read interview of Helon Habila. He talks about his work as the editor of the Cordite Books crime imprint. He also makes some of the […]
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