Reviews

In the private space of family and the public space of Biafra, a significant new memoir asks questions of loss and longing. But will the answers be enough?

There is a sharp memory laced with humor here, and an in-depth understanding of the issues at play.

“Without these men standing in for his father, he would have continued feeling ‘like I missed something only he could give me.’ This is a rich tapestry of the power of relationships in molding a precocious, restless kid who is black.”

“This book is lush with evocative passages. So real are the characters, you could almost reach out and touch them.”

In Cole’s second essay collection and eighth book, there is his trademark assortment of angles to complex views. His subjects are immersed autobiographically, and he bears witness.

The Nigerian poet shows perplexities with measured control and composure—a detached storyteller with the simple yet daring assignment of pointing “humanity to the loss of itself.”

A mixed-race woman’s search for her father in a fictional country.

Even with its serious subject, the novel finds balance through sustained humor and is enhanced by Mahjoub’s ear for dialogue.

The Cameroonian’s second novel incorporates storytelling elements from the Old Testament, where the destinies of marginalized peoples are entrenched in the communal and the spiritual.

In his debut collection, the well-read Zambian poet samples artists and fuses forms, resulting in a remarkable conversation of influences, a homage.

In his debut collection, the Nigerian poet exults in the beauty of queer bodies even in pain. His voice is prophetic and tourist, filled with experience and wonder.

In his third chapbook, the Nigerian poet returns to grief. And he’s telling stories.

These poems hold some of the most visceral and philosophical stanzas you’ll read in any anthology, in any country.

The Nigerian poet takes readers on a spiraling, sobering journey, full of humility and restrained passion.

BBC Radio 4 audio documentary explores the impact of place on writers out of Nsukka, from the Civil War generation to the present-day.

Inventing his own poetic device, the Gimbal, Parkes amplifies his strong imagery and perfect blend of humour and solemnity.