“The untapped knowledge on his doorstep in southern Africa was a continual source for honing his skills, and no amount of online reading and searching could replace face-to-face experiences with the people out in the dry Kalahari or the slippery… Read More ›
crime fiction
2013 Africa Writes #P&P – Q&A: Novelist, poet and literary scholar Mukoma wa Ngugi
AiW Note: As part of our Africa Writes #PastAndPresent weekend, in the absence of the in-person festival in 2020, this Q&A is the first in our cast back over our coverage of Africa Writes over the years, and is republished… Read More ›
‘Strange and unsettling’: Review of ‘Lagos Noir’
Chris Abani‘s introduction to this strange and unsettling collection of noir shorts reveals the essence of the collection’s geographical inspiration: “the unsettled darkness that continues to lurk in the city’s streets, alleys, and waterways.” Lagos is the first African city… Read More ›
Longform Q&A: Margie Orford, ‘Queen of South African crime fiction’
Margie Orford – ‘the Queen of South African crime fiction’ – is also an award-winning journalist, photographer, film director, and children’s author. Her internationally acclaimed literary crime fiction novels, featuring her journalist lead Clare Hart who assists the police investigating… Read More ›
What Are Publishers Looking For in Fiction?: Report from Ake Festival, November 2014
AiW Guest Emma Shercliff The theme of the second Ake Festival, which took place from 18-22 November 2014 in Abeokuta, Nigeria, was ‘Bridges and Pathways’. Festival Director Lola Shoneyin had emphasized that the focus this year would be ‘on building… Read More ›
Q&A: Novelist, poet and literary scholar Mukoma wa Ngugi
Mukoma wa Ngugi, son of world renowned African writer Ngugi wa Thiong’o, is currently in London with his father for a public conversation at the Africa Writes festival, and the launch of his new crime fiction novel Black Star Nairobi…. Read More ›