Haitian Literature in English
From Tande – Haitian fiction translated into English I’d been thinking about doing this post for a while, but there was always another priority on my to-do list. A couple of days ago I finished reading Americanah. I really enjoyed…
Iduma finally on his way
I first met Emmanuel Iduma in October of 2009 at an art criticism workshop in Lagos. We had different experiences – I as facilitator and he as participant. Not a reflection on others in the group but Iduma was eager…
A Night of Fairytales’: An Audience With Diriye Osman
‘A Night of Fairytales’: An Audience With Diriye Osman – If you are in or around London you need to attend this event at the Poetry Cafe….. Diriye Osman is a Somali-born, British short story writer whose debut collection of…
Finding my voice – the center can and will hold
I wrote my first book, Fairytales For Lost Children, a collection of short stories about the Somali gay and lesbian experience, in order to find my voice—literally. In 2002 I was diagnosed with psychosis and institutionalised in a mental hospital…
A History of Haiti and the Legacy of Violence in Jamaica
From Left of Black: A History of Haiti and the Legacy of Violence in Jamaica with Laurent Dubois and Deborah Thomas Host and Duke University Professor Mark Anthony Neal is joined in-studio by Laurent Dubois, the Marcello Lotti Professor of…
Narratives from Queer Africa
Narratives From Queer Africa The dominant U.S. media narrative of queer identified Africans is one of victimization. We’ve heard the many stories of criminalized sexuality in various African nations (and sometimes we hear about the Western Evangelicals who have worked…
“Tales of Tenderness and Power”
No, I don’t mean to ignore Bessie’s struggles, her anguish or her pain. But it gets to a point where one needs to know: was she happy somewhere, sometime? Did she laugh out loud, often? There is a picture of Bessie Head with her arms outstretched and she appears to be laughing with abandon. Where these moments of openness frequent?
I think I found the answers in Tales of Tenderness and Power. Quite presumptuous of me, but what is an adoring reader to do?
“Hope in my Heart” – Documentary on Afro-German poet, May Ayim
From Afro-Europe, a documentary “Hope in my Heart“, on the late Afro-German poet, May Ayim [in German and English] in which she speaks of her life, her poetry and racism in Germany. May Ayim’s father was Ghanian at the time…
Sexuality and Social Justice in Africa: Rethinking Homophobia and Forging Resistance
Sexuality and Social Justice in Africa: Rethinking Homophobia and Forging Resistance by Marc Epprecht The persecution of people in Africa on the basis of their assumed or perceived homosexual orientation has received considerable coverage in the popular media in recent years….
A poem on the joys & freedom of getting old
What Do I Get For Getting Old? [A beautiful poem by Alice Walker on the joys and freedom of getting old – I followed instructions and supplied my own photo – see Alice Walker’s photo here] A Picture Story For…
Queer Africa – New and collected fiction
The cover for Queer Africa: New and Selected Fiction unveiled. This book has been a long time in the making and it is almost ready to come out into the world. Edited by Karen Martin and Makhosazana Xaba. Cover design by Carla Kreuser.
“what a friend we have in jesus” by Mark Jacobs
What a Friend we have in Jesus, by Mark Jacobs The only thing a lot of us know about Haiti is that in many instances, were it not for Haiti, Guyana would be the worst place in the Caribbean….
Counting the ways Achebe made us possible
From Gukira – a tribute to Chinua Achebe. Without sentiment, Keguro helps us understand why Achebe ‘made us possible and why his words will continue to ‘“dare” to “disturb the universe.” Perhaps the difficulty of Chinua Achebe’s simplicity lies…
Sheroes on the Edges of Consciousness (II)
Mother Story Not my father, but my mother, is a story teller. She is at the epicenter of my narrative inclination. Her masterful exaggeration taught me that the narrator must sell a story to an audience — that you have to do…
Children’s books from the Liberia Series
Two new children’s books from Liberian writers – From Stephanie Horton “What Happened To Red Rooster When a Visitor Came” Illustrated by: Chase Walker – Grade Level: PK-3 Red Rooster was the biggest, most beautiful chick on the farm. So what…
Nigerian folk stories in minority languages
From Saraba Magazine – The Ways of Nigerian Folk… Sometimes we forget we have 300 plus languages each with their own folklore, creation stores, myths and just wonderful evening stories. Too often, Nigeria is presented as a union of three…
Coming of age in London – British, Somali, writer, artist
I moved to London when I was seventeen and I love the city and all it’s beautiful complexities. I instantly felt more at home in London because it was the first time I had been to a gay bar, it was the first time I had experienced love in it’s purest form. London is also the place where I truly came of age. It was here that I discovered crucial facets of my identity, whether it was my sexuality or my relationship with the world outside of my own community, which is to say my family. So if anything I consider myself a Somali-born, British writer and artist. It took me a while to own this identity and I’m proud of it.
PERSONAL HARM
in these few words i bind a durable promise, one that will never be untied the way we have become for i must promise myself better. i hereby put the idea of you in quotations – “habibi” – to make…
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