Where Stephen writes about his writing and other writing things, and some other things as well.
Aké Festival 2022 – Lagos
-
Stephen Discussing the Sauúti Collective
What an absolute adventure attending Aké Arts & Book Festival 2022 in Lagos, Nigeria!
The Aké event was held at the Strong Tower Events Centre – down the gauntlet of car hooters, traffic and vibrant and excited chatter in the bus. This was part of the atmosphere which carried through into the hall decked out with round tables and chairs – encouraging people to mingle and share ideas... and BOOKS!
The writing on the wall prompt: I LOVE BOOKS BECAUSE…
“…they build worlds in the minds of the readers that goes beyond what the writer wrote.”
Aké Review 2022
WEDNESDAY, 23th NOV 2022:
Arrived! At Ake Arts & Book Festival in kind of one piece. 😁❤️Meeting the 2021 Nobel Prize winner, Abdulrazak Gurnah and his lovely wife Denise DeCaires Narain, and so many people I’ve met virtually.
Abdulkareem Baba Aminu
Abdulrazak Gurnah and Denise DeCaires Narain
Wole Talabi
James Murua
Toni Kan
Me!
THURSDAY, 24th NOV 2022:
Day One 🔥❤️
The writing on the wall prompt: I LOVE BOOKS BECAUSE…
“…they build worlds in the minds of the readers that goes beyond what the writer wrote.”
FRIDAY, 25th NOV 2022:
What an awesome panel event at Aké Festival and what a day it was, sharing The Sauúti Collective with everyone and the buzz afterwards 🔥⭐️🔥⭐️
I’m really proud of what our ten-person The Sauúti Collective has achieved so far, and to be representing them at Aké Arts & Book Festival and supported by Syllble is an experience on another level. The feedback continues to inspire us onward and upward. We cannot wait to share it with those of us who were unable to attend but were here in Spirit. 🔥❤️💫
Watch the teaser to the The Sauúti Collective Creation Myth, which we kicked off with for our panel at Ake Arts & Book Festival.
Check out the full panel session on The Sauúti Collective from yesterday at Ake Arts & Book Festival A great experience all around and lovely support from everyone. ❤️💫
In the group (top left) with Professors Abdulrazak Gurnah and Wole Soyinka
In the group (middle left) with Professors Abdulrazak Gurnah and Wole Soyinka
Flora Nwapa and "The Lake Goddess":
So many exciting things happening in Lagos. I met with Ejine Nzeribe, eldest daughter of Flora Nwapa, for exciting literary developments for 2023 ❤️ and Flora Nwapa’s legacy – publishing Flora Nwapa's posthumous novel "The Lake Goddess". 🔥
Stephen & Ejine Nzeribe
Bones & Runes:
For sale
On the shelves
Somto!
Ifeoma
The James Currey Anthology:
Giving writers their physical contributor copies in person is great! So glad for them to feel their words in their hands and the fruits of their labours seeing the world. Nzube Nlebedim it was great to finally meet and get a chance to chat! ❤️🔥
2015-2023 Fiction: 'Land of Light' : 'Imagine Africa 500' speculative fiction anthology (2015/2016) (Speculative Fiction). 8,000 words. Read more... (Malawi) 'Veiled ': 2016 'Beneath This Skin' Edition of Aké Review (2016) (Fiction). 1,450 words. Read here... (Nigeria) 'Water' : 'The Short Story is Dead, Long Live the Short Story! Vol.2' anthology (2017) (Fiction). 3,100 words. Available on Amazon (South Africa) 'Sub Migratio' : the debut edition of Enkare Review (2017) (Speculative Fiction). 3,500 words. Read here... (Kenya) 'Inktober' : 2018 edition of 'The Bloody Parchment' (2018) (SF/Horror). 1,250 words. Available on Amazon . (South Africa) 'The Girl with Two Bodies' : The Kalahari Review (Nov 2018) (Fantasy). 7,050 words. Read here... (South Africa) 'Journal of a DNA Pirate' : Volume 3 of 'AfroSF' (Dec 2018) (SF). 8,150 words. Available on Amazon etc. 'Wh
In conjunction with isibheqe.org.za this is a visual representation of various African writing systems Pule kaJanolinji and I have been working on for the past few months. A continuous work in progress. Visit their site for more information and links to the respective syllabary projects. The map depicts the array of ancient and modern writing forms found all over the continent, and some show the branches of origins. 📜 👀 ❤️ It is included in Pule’s August 2023 presentation: UBUCIKO BOKULOBA: African Writing Systems as Creative Cultural Technologies Included here are: 1. Arabiese-Afrikaans 2. isiBheqe soHlamvu / Ditema tsa Dinoko 3. chiMbire 4. Mwangwego 5. Lusona 6. Mandombe 7. Ńdébé 8. Luo 9. Bamum 10. Adinkra 11. Vai 12. Osmanya 13. Wakandan 14. Nsibidi 15. Old Nubian 16. Ge’ez 17. Zaghawa 18. Adlam 19. N’ko 20. Proto-Sinaitic Script 21. Meroitic (derivative of Mdw Ntr) 22. Wadi el-Hol 23. Coptic* 24. *from Demotic 25. *from Hieratic 26. *from Mdw Ntr (Egyptian name for Hieroglyp
In 1905, the Colony of Natal was witness to an extraordinary storm during the usually calm winter months of May and June. Through a culmination of events, a calamity would befall and take the lives of the mostly Indian market farmers along the Umbilo/uMbilo River valley from Pinetown to the harbour of the burgeoning town of Durban. INTRODUCTION: All key individuals featured are historical figures, apart from Jodha Singh’s sister Kruti and her son Gulshan who were added for the market farmer perspective (no records or statements were taken, or are no longer available, of those farmers who survived). While all dialogue and domestic life, though historically accurate, is fiction, all key moments and data are based on eyewitness accounts and readings by those featured, and who survived the disaster. While I have endeavoured to focus on the disaster specifically caused by the Pinetown/Umbilo Waterworks collapse, for storytelling purposes, many in the Durban areas – along the Umgeni and Umhl
