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. Illustration, Typography and Design – Stephen Embleton (2026) 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)...

I am so glad, and proud, to have The James Currey Anthology, which I edited, included in the Brittle Paper 100 Notable African Books of 2022 🔥❤️ Congratulations to the 12 contributors whose works made this book what it is. C. S. Hadebe (South Africa)  Bontsi Z. Kennedy, nee Morewane (Botswana) Ifunanya Madufor (Nigeria) Gothataone Moeng (Botswana) Majini Ya Mombasa (Kenya)  Nzube Nlebedim (Nigeria)  Mbaeze Nnedimma (Nigeria)  Cheryl S. Ntumy (Ghana)  N. A. Ntumy (Botswana)  Lynn Nyaera Onywere (Kenya) Maxine Sibihwana (Uganda) Uchechukwu Peter Umezurike (Nigeria)  #africanliterature

Aké Review 2022 On their 2022 Festival theme of "Homecoming", my Ten Questions and Answers were published in the Aké Review Volume 9. Read the 10 Questions/Answers here.

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...