The knots in his stomach tightened again. Ehimen wished he were invisible so teachers would stop asking him to read or answer questions, sparing him from the derision of his classmates, who seized every opportunity to mock his American accent, his responses, or both. It was why he dithered before answering ‘papaya’.
Read MoreThe first crack in their relationship emerged after Ugola abruptly remarked on her close-shaven hair and its potential conspicuity amid a sea of wigs and weaves. She expected her bridesmaids to adhere to a strict uniformity.
Read MoreLife is going according to plan for Efuru until an accident leaves her hospitalised days before her fiftieth birthday. But just as she prepares to submit to fate, Efuru gets a sweet surprise.
Read MoreElnathan John’s debut novel is a coming-of-age story set in northern Nigeria. Its simple, unembellished prose is narrated by Dantala, the smart, inquisitive street kid and Islamic scholar, and presents a convincing picture of how poverty, corruption and brutality perpetrated by security forces have bred disaffection and insurgency groups in the country.
Read MoreI hate eulogies. Like political campaign speeches, they’re fancy, empty words seldom reflecting the true feelings of the speaker for the deceased. Why speak this flowery language to the dust if it was unspoken between breaths? Why compose beautiful odes to yesterdays that can’t be appreciated by the muse? We rely on the living for that.
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