Akụkọ anyị | Our Stories
The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma is set in the 1990s in Akure, a small town in Nigeria; and centers around four brothers who commit to fishing at the forbidden (and cursed) Omi-Ala River. Their father, Mr. Agwu, wants his sons to be juggernauts—children who will “dip their hands into rivers, seas, …
In Speak No Evil, Uzodinma Iweala highlights some of the realities of growing up in a Nigerian immigrant household in the U.S. Things get real for the Ikemadu family when Niru’s dad, Obi, discovers Niru is queer; “It is an abomination!” The novel tells the heartbreaking story that unfolds. Uzodinma does a …
In her debut novel, Under the Udala Trees, Chinelo Okparanta explores sexuality in a war-torn Nigeria. Two girls, Ijeoma and Amina, must reconcile their feelings for each other within a culture that only values heterosexual relationships. Although the Biafran War does not take center stage in the novel, the war’s background presence …
Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions contains powerful, simple, and witty gems for moving towards gender equality. This manifesto is essential reading for mothers and fathers who are raising young children, and others who envision raising children in a gender-equal world. The fierce and powerful truth is this: …
Bukuru, the “madman,” and Femi, the journalist, are both memorable characters in Arrows of Rain by Okey Ndibe. Who is the bearer of history and who gets to tell the story? In this novel, a prostitute has washed ashore, and the only person who can provide information about what happened …
The Thing Around Your Neck centers on Nigerians, the Nigerian diaspora, and the performance of living between two cultures. These short stories explore what connects us to each other and our country of origin. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is adept at telling stories about the Nigerian immigrant experience in the U.S. and …
A collection of short stories by Chinua Achebe. My favorite story, “Girls at War,” is a tragic love story set against the backdrop of the Biafran War. A quick evening read. Read more selections by the author. You may enjoy these other short stories.
A brilliant and original collection of stories by Lesley Nneka Arimah, set in Nigeria, the U.S., and in many cases, on another planet. Or so it seems. The stories that take place in Nigeria provide a glimpse into the country’s past, present, and future. There is a post-apocalyptic, sci-fi, magical …