‘I Know a Poem Is Complete When I Am Both Unsettled and at Peace’ Theresa Lola’s First Draft
Nigerian poet and author of In Search of Equilibrium, Theresa Lola, believes a poem is complete when she is both unsettled and at peace.
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Interviews
‘It Is Not Feminism If It Is Not Political’
The co-founder and executive director of feminist movement, Feminists in Kenya, discusses convening Kenya’s anti-femicide protests of January 2024 and what needs to happen next.
‘Poetry Is Political’ Safia Elhillo’s First Draft
Sudanese poet, Safia Elhillo, feels very differently now about the idea of belonging than she did at the time of writing her award-winning collection, The January Children. Looking back, she was ‘so concerned with a sort of diasporic longing that centered nationhood and nationality as the primary sites of belonging, and I just really don’t believe that anymore.’
‘I Am Drawn to Stories That Tackle Complicated Family Relationships’ Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond’s First Draft
Ghanaian writer and author of Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky, Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond, says her children’s book was inspired by a Bible passage about the furnishings in King Solomon’s temple.
‘Every Story Has Its Own Spirit and Demons’ Abubakar Adam Ibrahim’s First Draft
Award-winning writer and author of When We Were Fireflies, Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, says the writing process for his latest book was both impulsive and compulsive.
‘If There’s a Book You Want to Read and Cannot Find, Write It!’ Sarah Ladipo Manyika’s First Draft
Nigerian novelist and author of Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun, Sarah Ladipo Manyika, wants young authors in Africa and the African Diaspora to take inspiration from a wide array of art forms.
‘Writers Are Never Truly Satisfied With Their Work’ Tomi Obaro’s First Draft
Nigerian novelist and author of Dele Weds Destiny, Tomi Obaro, says her debut novel was loosely inspired by her mother’s relationship with her best friends.
‘I Want My Writing to Sound on Paper How It Sounds in My Head and Heart’ Oluwatomisin Olayinka Oredein’s First Draft
Academic and author, Oluwatomisin Olayinka Oredein, tends to pay less attention to books that fail to enhance her work.
‘I Had to Sink Into Various Forms of Culture for Inspiration’ Christian Adofo’s First Draft
Ghanaian writer, Christian Adofo, had to sink into various forms of culture to get inspiration and build context for his book.
‘I Love Books That Evoke an Emotional Reaction in Me’ Muthoni Muiruri’s First Draft
Kenyan publisher and co-founder of Soma Nami Books, Muthoni Muiruri, loves to read books that are intellectually stimulating and evoke an emotional reaction: ‘If a book makes me cry and teaches me empathy; if the characters stay with me long after reading, I consider that a forever book. I am also extremely grateful for books that teach me something, that challenge me and force me to reckon with my ignorance and biases and that compel me to want to research and learn.’