Choosing a holiday destination in Africa may not be as simple as it seems, even when your flight is covered. You receive a message from Monique Yemeli of Fabafriq magazine that you write for, that you have won the Ethiopian…
Online Content
Imbolo Mbue: Cameroon’s literary gem and Africa’s first million-dollar novelist
Who is Imbolo Mbue? What does it mean to write a million-dollar novel? Nkiacha Atemkeng explores these questions and reviews “Emke“, Imbolo Mbue’s first published story. When I first heard that a US-based writer from Cameroon, Imbolo Mbue, had…
Q & A with Monique Kwachou on her writing process
Samyra Manka’a discusses with Monique Kwachou, highlighting displacement, the Caine Prize Workshop & other projects. Your first book is a collection of poems titled Writing Therapy. Why the move to prose? Well, there wasn’t an official ‘move’. Poetry still comes easier…
Modern Juju Music
Dami Ajayi From I.K. Dairo’s refreshing contribution, to King Sunny Ade and Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey, the legendary ying-yang of Juju music, Dami Ajayi traces the evolution of a genre which spanned the oil boom of the 70s as well…
Q & A With Mwalimu Johnnie MacViban on Political Fiction
Mwalimu Johnnie MacViban is a household name in Cameroonian journalism and was featured in Index on Censorship in 1986 for an article titled ‘The Enemies of Democracy’. In 2011 he was shortlisted for the EduART Jane and Rufus Blanshard award…
Akua Naru’s Poetic Discourse on Love and Black Suffering
Why does Akua Naru accept Africa’s music and spirituality, and neglect its people’s voice in her poems? The 1997 film Love Jones features a scene in a dark jazz club at an open mic night where a young black man,…
An Overview of Cameroon Prison Literature From Albert Mukong to Titus Edzoa
Unlike prison literature in the United States, South Africa, or Kenya, Cameroon prison literature is yet to be treated as a distinct literary genre. In fact, it is not far-fetched to state that in Cameroonian academic and literary circles, books…
Mboko Leak and a New Era of Online Piracy in Cameroon
Music piracy has acquired an almost legal status in Cameroon, with burnt copies of albums on display in various markets countrywide. This has been going on for so long, such that many of those who buy aren’t aware that they…
The Politics of Exile in Inongo-vi-Makomè’s Natives
The last few years have been exciting for Cameroonian writers. At the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2014, Random House signed a seven-figure deal for the North American rights to The Longings of Jende Jonga, a novel by Cameroonian writer Imbolo…
The Uncrowned Queen of Neo Soul in Cameroon
Christening hereself “Makedah” shortly before the release of her Peace, Love and Light LP in 2013, Cameroon’s neo soul queen seeks to walk on the steps of the Queen of Sheba, “…a strong feminine icon, who represents wisdom and the vision of a proud Africa which is independent and royal.”
