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:

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. The Company of Birds – Cover Design/Illustration (2024) Waypoint Seven (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 Denja Abdullahi (Play) (2023) Cover Design for Ikenna Okeh's 2023 (Crime Novel) "The Good Nigerian" by David Dison (2023) FULL COVER: "The Good Nigerian" by David Dison (2023) "Madness" by Esomnofu Ebelenna (2023) Full cover: "Madness" by Esomnofu E...