Published Works

-




2015-2024


Fiction:

  1. 'Land of Light': 'Imagine Africa 500' speculative fiction anthology (2015/2016) (Speculative Fiction). 8,000 words. Read more... (Malawi)/(UK reprint 2017)
  2. 'Veiled': 2016 'Beneath This Skin' Edition of Aké Review (2016) (Fiction). 1,450 words. Read here... (Nigeria)
  3. 'Water': 'The Short Story is Dead, Long Live the Short Story! Vol.2' anthology (2017) (Fiction). 3,100 words. Available on Amazon or Read Online (South Africa)
  4. 'Sub Migratio': the debut edition of Enkare Review (2017) (Speculative Fiction). 3,500 words. Read here... (Kenya)
  5. 'Inktober': 2018 edition of 'The Bloody Parchment' (2018) (SF/Horror). 1,250 words. Available on Amazon. (South Africa)
  6. 'The Girl with Two Bodies': The Kalahari Review (Nov 2018) (Fantasy). 7,050 words. Read here... (South Africa)
  7. 'Journal of a DNA Pirate': Volume 3 of 'AfroSF' (Dec 2018) (SF). 8,150 words.  Available on Amazon etc. (and reprint translated into Italian as "Diario di un pirata del DNA" in 2019 for "Futuri uniti d’Africa")
  8. 'Why Not Magoos':  The Kalahari Review (Oct 2019) (Fiction). 2,600 words. Read online here. (South Africa)
  9. 'Fear Thyself': Burning House Press (20 July 2020) (Flash Fiction). 180 words. Read online here. (South Africa)
  10. 'Soul Searching' (novel): Guardbridge Books (Aug 2020) (Speculative Fiction). UK/US (UK)
  11. 'Self-Destruct': Omenana Speculative Fiction Magazine #18 (22 July 2021) (Speculative Fiction). 2,115 words. Read online here. (Nigeria)
  12. 'Of Robots & War': The Shallow Tales Review #37 "PARANATURE" (31 January 2022) (Historical Creative Fiction). 3,800 words. Read online here. (Nigeria)
  13. 'Bones & Runes' (novel): Abibiman Publishing (14 February 2022) (YA Fantasy). Kindle, Paperback Amazon UK (UK)
  14. 'Our Mother Creator': Syllble (1 October 2022) (Fantasy/Mythology). 600 words. Read online here. (US)
  15. 'Soyinka's Memory': The Shallow Tales Review #40 "MEMORY" (31 January 2023) (Literary, Magical Realism, Fantasy). 3,100 words. Read online here. (Nigeria)
  16. 'Taking Turns': Languages of Water – a cross-lingual hybrid anthology (July 2023) (Speculative Fiction), 1,050 words. MV Media (USA) Available on Amazon.
  17. 'Undulation' (novella): Mothersound: The Sauútiverse Anthology' – Android Press (US) (Nov 2023) – 16,300 words (US & UK)
  18.  Essay: 'Cosmologies and Languages Building Africanfuturism'. Bloomsbury Academic: 'Afro-Centered Futurisms in Our Speculative Fiction' (Nov 2024). 5,200 words.
  19. 'The Legend of the Echo Well': Omenana Speculative Fiction Magazine 10th Anniversary Edition (24 December 2024) (Speculative Fiction). 2,900 words. Read online here. (Nigeria)


Non-Fiction/Essays:

'Cosmologies and Languages Building Africanfuturism' – 'Afro-Centered Futurisms in Our Speculative Fiction' – November 2024 with Bloomsbury Academic (Nov 2024). 5,200 words.

"There is Magic in African Literature" – essay (and cover feature), University of Oxford, African Studies Centre 2022 – full unabridged article here. Identifying the traditional beliefs, magic, magical realism and fantasy in the first 101 works of the original African writer Series from the 1950s to 1970s.



Editor:

Editor of the 2023 edition of Flora Nwapa’s posthumous novel “The Lake Goddess”, launch at The FT Weekend Oxford Literary Festival 29 March 2023.

(2023) The Lake Goddess by Flora Nwapa (2023 Edition)

Paperback (Feb 2023)

Paperback (Feb 2023)


Editor of the 2022 James Currey Anthology of short fiction and essays (September 2022). Named in the Brittle Paper "100 Notable African Books of the Year List 2022"



"This book sings voices from the continent on matters of death, dirge, superstition, patriarchy, belonging, and more. Editor Stephen Embleton, himself award-winning as a writer, showcases the diversity of African fiction writing and the intensity of African critical thinking."
- Eugen Bacon, World Fantasy Finalist, and award-winning author of Danged Black Thing, Mage of Fools and Chasing Whispers. 


Creative Non-Fiction:

Mbilo: A Winter Storm – 2021 (Creative Historical Non-Fiction) – not externally published


Poetry:

The Cock & The Crow: an ode to the downtrodden – published in iJusi #6, 1997.


Stephen's Nominated Works:


Tendai Huchu on Bones & Runes:

"Highly original and compelling. Embleton's strange world is immersive and intriguing. This is a novel of adventure and ideas.”

– T.L. Huchu, author of 'The Library of the Dead’



Aurealis Magazine review Bones & Runes:

"Embleton’s portrayal overflows with imagination, filling it to the brim with all manner of beings and deities from Zulu tradition. Richly imagined and powerfully authentic.”

– Damien Lawardorn, AUREALIS #148, March 2022


Read Joanna Woods' Review of Soul Searching here: Africa in Words


Read the Aurealis Review for Soul Searching here: Aurealis #138 March 2021


Find out more on Guardbridge Books, the Guardbridge Store and GoodReads. Purchase Soul Searching here: 

Paperback Outlets:


READ 'LAND OF LIGHT' ONLINE: The project from Geoff Ryman via the Manchester Review produced a themed online edition on the Rise of African Science Fiction & Fantasy featuring a reprint of my first SF short story “Land of Light”. http://www.themanchesterreview.co.uk/?p=7680


 READ 'VEILED' ONLINE.



Popular posts from this blog

Cover Illustration & Design – The Company of Birds

-
Image
I've loved birds since I was a kid, and this cover was an absolute pleasure to indulge in. Mirari Press had a long deadline, which gave me the time (and creative freedom) to experiment and add the detail I wanted to, giving this piece the TLC it so deserved. Buy Nerine Dorman's  "The Company of Birds"  here (coming soon). As always, Mirari Press gave an excellent brief, and with much needed background to the main character of Maga Liese ten Haven (and the variety of key bird species) from Nerine, the creative direction was clear in my mind: use a pencil crayon/chalk on paper (digital) technique with metal foiling for the Moon and Title script. This piece really took me back to my illustrating training in the early 90s, when most of our live figure drawings were using coloured pencils or chalk on coloured (not white) paper. The paper texture is vital to capture, as well as the nuances of the chalk smudges and fine line work. Digital is all well and good, but for me it...
Read more

Royal Literary Fund Grant

-
Image
I am extremely grateful to say I have been awarded a grant by the Royal Literary Fund .  It’s not something I would have thought I would need, or even thought existed, if it weren’t for a Brittle Paper article in June . I am always grateful to Brittle Paper for everything they do for our literary community. The criteria for applying, the process and the care and sensitivity from the people involved is rather humbling as well as encouraging, given that the  literary merit of my body of work is thoroughly considered along with my financial circumstances. Financial circumstances being the main reason for the existence of the RLF since the 1700s.  Apart from having to be a British citizen, they had to read physical copies of two works published in the UK ( Soul Searching and Bones & Runes ). And it is encouraging to know that genre fiction is viewed as having literary merit. Also considered are any broader activities related to writing, from lecturing, public speak...
Read more