Fiction

It was all about the biggest solar eclipse in a decade.  Grandpa invited the family to his backyard to see how the moon shadowed the sun, in his words. He sat on his favourite armchair, his walking stick with its gold-plaited handle on his side. He was wearing his medicated dark eyeglasses that he claimed […]

I know this city. I own this city. I know enough to teach you how to survive here. First: you should know this city will rip your legs apart and do you until you scream; I want to be anywhere else but here. The thing is, you’ll never leave, and you’ll never feel fine anywhere […]

Kamo held a braai at his house on Saturday. Tumi decided to go there dressed as Slick Rick, sporting an eye patch, thick dangling medallions and necklaces, trinkets, and all. It wasn’t a dress-up party or anything like that, he just felt like dressing up. And, because he had The Art of Storytelling playing on a loop […]

We have published a lot of incredible stories this year spanning different tastes and genres in African literature. As we approach the year’s end, we have compiled a list of our top stories for 2022 strictly for your leisure reading this holiday. At the top of our list is this piece by Mọlárá Wood which […]

Three years after my divorce, on the very eve of my divorce anniversary, my sister Oge texted. At first, it was a call. I was in the kitchen staring at the fine china my last mother-in-law gave me on my wedding day. It was my ex-husband’s favorite—a set of sixteen plates and bowls and saucers […]

Her mpande glows deep blue against her chest, but all he sees is a creamy colored shell dangling from a thin rope around her neck. How was it possible that in this place he was considered Mwami when he had to depend on others to discern the realm beyond that which was visible to the […]

Láti Ọwọ́ Haruki Murakami (New Yorker (© June 2020) Tí Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún túmọ̀ Mo pàdé alàgbà ìnàkí yìí nílé ìtura Japaní kan nínú ilé-ìwẹ̀ onísun-gbígbóná kan ní Ìjọba Ìbílẹ̀ Gunmà, ní bíi ọdún márùún sẹ́yìn. Ilé ìtura náà ti gbó, tàbí ká ní ó ti ń d’àlàpà. Kò fẹ́ẹ̀ lè dá dúró, mo kàn ní […]

Ìyá Àgbà Every ẹsẹ of Odù, every word of ìwúre, every atom of àfọ̀ṣẹ that would make this day had been wept for, sweated over and bled on by Ìyá Àgbà. Patience had never been her thing, she wanted all her things done now! However, each time she found herself growing impatient, and remembered the […]