English Language Visa
by Keorapetse William Kgositsile Some years back, when writers like Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o and Wole Soyinka started arguing about the necessity of African writers writing in African languages, I was one of those who did not consider the issue serious enough to even be interested in participating in the debate as a practicing writer. I […]
An Essay on Uneven Ribs: a Prelude
by Taban Lo Liyong [from Frantz Fanon’s Uneven Ribs ] 1 Bill Shakespeare 2 Did create a character called Caliban, 3 The unwilling servant of Prospero, 4 And this Caliban would have had Miranda 5 —She who is a marvel to behold—a girl 6 So much in need of love and for whom 7 Ferdinand […]
The New Thing: Part II*
[hr] The pretence of cultural hubs in the “world class” metropolis of Johannesburg and its sibling Pretoria belies revolutionary models for live performance that are at a remove from the path of “gentrification’s death march” and benevolent corporate sponsorship. Kwanele Sosibo knows and goes where boundaries are broken and new tings flourish. [hr] One can […]
Shoki Master
[hr] By Oris Aigbokhaevbolo [hr] Like any story worth telling, this one involves several women. It starts with a woman I love talking to, in a place I don’t remember. She’s reporting her dad: “Your mother can dance,” he said to her. I never found out what came next, because she left his presence. She […]
A Brief History of Fufu Pounding
[hr] By Moses März [hr] In July 2016, the Kumasi Polytechnic presented the K-POLY FUFU MAMA, the latest machine promising to ease the labour-heavy preparation of Ghana’s national dish. The selected audience of fufu pounders, connoisseurs and chop bar owners present at the launch covered by TV3 is shown as enthusiastic recipients of this Ghanaian […]