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Book Review

·June 7, 2026·3 min read

I.O Echeruoʼs Debut Novel Is a Dazzling Blend of Science and Spirituality – Sima Essien

But The Comfort of Distant Stars is not exclusively a novel of lofty ideas and grave philosophy. Running beneath the intellectual current is the quiet drama of Ezeani's troubled life and its constant entanglement with Anyanwu's contested existence, driving a turbulent dynamic that keeps the novel emotionally tethered. And at the heart of it all lies the state of Ezeaniʼs mind, and Echeruo allows us to sit with the sobering possibility of mental debilitation, of genius misunderstood, dismissed, and finally consumed by its own weight.

Book Review

·May 24, 2026·3 min read

A Woman’s Life: A Review of ‘Still Waters’ by Adam Nyang – Akumbu Uche

In each of these slice-of-life stories, Nyang pays equal attention to her protagonists’ emotional lives and the decisions they make in the light of their social pressures and economic realities. In doing so, she also challenges patriarchal norms, however her critiques are measured. Take for instance, the matter of laabaan, a Wolof marital rite where proof of a bride’s virginity is presented post-consummation. While some like the scholar Marame Gueye frame the practice in sex positive terms, Nyang believes otherwise and uses her protagonist Sainabou, who questions the ceremony’s necessity, as a vehicle to remonstrate it.

Book Review

·May 3, 2026·4 min read

Between Agency and External Pressure: A Review of Jude Dibia’s The Quiet That Remains- Olukorede S Yishau

The motif of silence runs through the novel, shaping its emotional landscape and deepening its tensions. Characters retreat into silence as a shield against pain. In this novel, silence becomes a language of its own. It speaks in pauses, in averted gazes, in unfinished sentences. Relationships are defined as much by what is withheld as by what is expressed, and the gaps in communication often widen into emotional chasms.

Book Review

·April 19, 2026·2 min read

The Inner Lives of Men: A review of ‘Where Women Meet Boys’ by Patrick Shyaka – Akumbu Uche

Interestingly, the strongest story in the collection - the titular Where Women Meet Boys - is one of two narratives written from the female perspective and showcases Shyaka’s skill with handling multiple perspectives. At its heart, it is about the domino effects of a man disappointing his family and so, still falls in line with the book’s overarching theme.

Book Review

·March 29, 2026·3 min read

Mothers who walk difficult paths: A review of Chika Unigwe’s ‘Grace’ – Olukorede S Yishau

Decorated novelist Chika Unigwe’s latest novel, Grace, raises several questions: Is survival ever morally neutral? When circumstances corner a young...

Book Review

·March 29, 2026·3 min read

Rekindled emotions and present realities in Ayo Deforge’s ‘Under The Rain’ – Michael Chiedoziem Chukwudera

In Ayo Deforge’s works, there is always an attempt to stab at the deeper intricacies of the human tendencies. Her...

Book Review

·May 31, 2026·3 min read

When Physics and Mathematics collide with Fiction – Olukorede S Yishau

At the centre of this strange and compelling universe stands Anyanwu, the sun god, a character rendered with both mythical grandeur and startling ordinariness. He is not confined to the heavens or trapped within ancient folklore. Instead, he walks among men. He goes to the cinema in Bodija, drinks palm wine and Fanta, laughs loudly while watching Chinese films, quarrels, fights physically with men and runs to fight another day. The blending of the divine with the mundane gives the novel its peculiar energy and originality. The supernatural is domesticated without losing its mystery, collapsing the boundaries between gods and humans, spirits and flesh.

Book Review

·May 3, 2026·2 min read

New Voices from the North in “Someone Should Hold Farida” edited by Abubakar Adam Ibrahim – Akumbu Uche

While a few of the stories either rely too heavily on melodrama for momentum, or race towards tidy, but highly improbable resolutions, the inherent talent of their authors cannot be denied and these missteps can be chalked up to the eagerness of inexperience, after all, this is the first literary outing for many of them.

Book Review

·April 26, 2026·6 min read

Saving a relationship through a divorce – Olukorede S Yishau

On the surface, the book appears to be Abdullahi's story, but in telling his story, it becomes other people’s stories as well. “Nobody’s story has been as intricately connected with mine in the 20 years that this book covers as Senator Bukola Saraki’s… For most of the journey, I walked under his shadow… Therefore, readers will find that, to a large extent, this book is his story as well,” Abdullahi writes. But in a lot of ways, the book is more Saraki’s story than the memoirist claims.

Book Review

·April 12, 2026·3 min read

Heinneken University is a satirical lament for Nigerian education – Sima Essien

eading Heinneken University, one quickly realizes that plot is not quite the novel’s primary engine. Instead, the narrative is sustained by the actions, thoughts, and voices of a wide array of characters who feel strikingly real and far from exaggerated which is a triumph in satire.

Book Review

·March 29, 2026·4 min read

The colour of grief in Angel Patricks Amegbe’s ‘No Pink In A Rainbow’ – Kehinde Folorunsho

There is no denying the fact that childlessness is perhaps the most devastating predicament for the African woman. This is...

Book Review

·March 22, 2026·5 min read

When poetry screams at power and displacement – Olukorede S Yishau

Akinremi reminds us of the great poet Gabriel Okara, of ‘The Call of River Nun’ fame, with his poem ‘The Call of River Congo’. In this piece, his concern is plastic pollution and neglect. We see how bottles, cans and paper scraps have taken over the great body of water. It is a blow delivered on the authorities who neglected their responsibilities to this natural resource and watch with reckless abandon as it becomes a dumping ground.

With ‘M$NEY’ Asake focuses on legacy and supremacy – Agwuma Kingsley

Jeriq returns to his origins in ‘Hoodboy Dreams 2’ – Michael Chiedoziem Chukwudera

Shaitan: Telekinesis and Arodan Review – Michael Kolawole

I.O Echeruoʼs Debut Novel Is a Dazzling Blend of Science and Spirituality – Sima Essien

When Physics and Mathematics collide with Fiction – Olukorede S Yishau

A Woman’s Life: A Review of ‘Still Waters’ by Adam Nyang – Akumbu Uche

“The Boy Who Gave” by Allison Precious Emmanuel Understands Sacrifice But Not the System That Demands It – Joseph Jonathan

Dammy Twitch’s “Call Of My Life” Is A Nigerian Rom com Cut From a Different Cloth – Joseph Jonathan

A review of Funke Akindele’s “Behind The Scenes” – Michael Kolawole

Unpacking “Once Upon an Elephant”: A Stage Experience by Peaklane Drama Troupe – Peju Akande

“Dear Kaffy” is a riot of laughter and a river of tears – Peju Akande

LAMDA’s production of James Baldwin’s “The Amen Corner” interrogates Christian charity – Toni Kan

Femi Osofisan: The storyteller who refuses to look away – Sola Adeyemi

CALL FOR ESSAY SUBMISSIONS: WRITING LOSS & GRIEF

Pius Adesanmi (1972–2019): Seven years on…An in memoriam and a meditation on an unfinished life – Sola Adeyemi

Pius Adesanmi – 7 years on, we remember!

To write about love is to write about vulnerability and sacrifice – Rosemary Okafor

Elsie Is Bringing Music Conversations to Our Doorsteps From Lagos to Toronto to the World – Onyema Dike

Adrien Brody’s “Red Chip” revolution beyond the box office

Poetic Wednesdays marks 10 years, announces ‘Reclaiming Languages’ theme for KAPFEST 3.0

David Hockney, celebrated British artist, dies aged 88

Frieze London & Frieze Masters line up 300 galleries for October fairs

Book Review

I.O Echeruoʼs Debut Novel Is a Dazzling Blend of Science and Spirituality – Sima Essien

A Woman’s Life: A Review of ‘Still Waters’ by Adam Nyang – Akumbu Uche

Between Agency and External Pressure: A Review of Jude Dibia’s The Quiet That Remains- Olukorede S Yishau

The Inner Lives of Men: A review of ‘Where Women Meet Boys’ by Patrick Shyaka – Akumbu Uche

Mothers who walk difficult paths: A review of Chika Unigwe’s ‘Grace’ – Olukorede S Yishau

Rekindled emotions and present realities in Ayo Deforge’s ‘Under The Rain’ – Michael Chiedoziem Chukwudera

When Physics and Mathematics collide with Fiction – Olukorede S Yishau

New Voices from the North in “Someone Should Hold Farida” edited by Abubakar Adam Ibrahim – Akumbu Uche

Saving a relationship through a divorce – Olukorede S Yishau

Heinneken University is a satirical lament for Nigerian education – Sima Essien

The colour of grief in Angel Patricks Amegbe’s ‘No Pink In A Rainbow’ – Kehinde Folorunsho

When poetry screams at power and displacement – Olukorede S Yishau

Poetic Wednesdays marks 10 years, announces ‘Reclaiming Languages’ theme for KAPFEST 3.0

Femi Osofisan: The storyteller who refuses to look away – Sola Adeyemi

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