Stephen Embleton

My latest short story,  “Soyinka's Memory ” , published in The Shallow Tales Review “MEMORY” #40 January 2023." On 17 August 2022 I reached out to Professor Wole Soyinka (through Onyeka Nwelue) regarding the early draft of a short story I had written which featured a fictional Wole Soyinka. Within a few hours I received a direct response! I am pleased to share that the short story is now published in The Shallow Tales Review, along with Professor Soyinka’s acknowledgment of the work, below the title. Please note: an acknowledgment is not an endorsement. I also included the rather poignant and apt sentence he wrote in his email to me within the final draft of the short story itself:  “My ‘memory’ is under strain.” The rest of the short story is FICTION – in a small part autobiographical, but for the most part it is fiction. It is magical realism. It expands on an original Jorge Luis Borges short story from 1938, “Shakespeare's Memory” . “Embleton begins his riveting st...

It was a great surprise today to find out I made the cover of the 40th issue of The Shallow Tales Review (out on 31 Jan)! Along with the inclusion of my short story ( "Soyinka's Memory" ), I had enjoyed being interviewed for the publication by Nzube Nlebedim – talking about my work, South Africa (my childhood and now) and speculative fiction. "Speculative Fiction and the Magic of African Literature: A Conversation with Stephen Embleton"  – The Shallow Tales Review #40 , 31 January 2023  Read the full interview here. The Table of Contents for Issue #40: Cover for Issue #40:

Death Rattle detail – Stephen Embleton (2026) I have had the pleasure of designing a number of book covers over recent years (two of them my own, and two as editor). Below are examples of some of them. Death Rattle – Stephen Embleton (2026) Death Rattle detail: "Oya" – Stephen Embleton (2026) The Nga'phandileh Whisperer – Cover Illustration The Nga'phandileh Whisperer Detail  – Stephen Embleton 2025 The Company of Birds – Cover Design/Illustration (2024) Waypoint Seven – Cover Design/Illustration (2024) Design & Typography: Stephen Embleton , Illustration: Akintoba Kalejaye Fission #3 (2023) "Yamtarawala, the Warrior King" by Henry Akubuiro (2023) – watercolour "Yamtarawala, the Warrior King" by Henry Akubuirois a historical dramatic play. Full cover: "Yamtarawala, the Warrior King" by Henry Akubuiro (2023) The Lake Goddess by Flora Nwapa (2023 Edition) Paperback (Feb 2023) Paperback (Feb 2023) (2023) Death and the Kings Grey Hair by ...