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Take a seat, you are now in the village square. Enjoy!
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Tag: village square journal

Thawing Colonial Blocs – Reminiscing PaGya 2019
November 5, 2019
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| TIDBIT

Lately, numerous festivals have been held across the African continent. With this increase in the number of literary festivals, authors, readers, and other members of the literary community are more curious about and interested in such gatherings.  Are you planning or considering attending a literary festival in Africa? One of our editors, Amara Chimeka, attended the recently-concluded PaGya Literary Festival in Accra, hosted by the Writers’ Project of Ghana, and sampled opinions from your favourite African literati. They all aver…

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The Use of Voice in Storytelling Part II
May 25, 2018
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| ESSAYS

  In collaboration with Trish Nicholson, the New Zealander author of A Biography of Story, A Brief History of Humanity, we are publishing a three-part coaching series on “the use of voice in storytelling” – which is intended to help writers of fiction navigate and master how voice and dialogue are used to capture the attention of readers. As a prelude to this coaching series we had published a flash story, Runnin’ the River referenced in this series. We…

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In The Kernel of Service
April 4, 2018
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| POETRY

    In this poem, Richard Inya bemoans the piteous fate of pensioners – men and women who spend their years working to better the society only to be treated like worthless beings at old age.   An armed revolution Rages against quietness In the belly of starving retirees   Their intestines are trapped snakes Struggling to break loose Ever seen they that chew silence And swallow air?   Pity is a bucketful of a minute silence Harvested from…

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In November by Dermot O’Sullivan
March 16, 2018
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| FICTION

  Eyes shut tight against the water; Andy MacAuliffe fumbled for the shower tap, found it, and twisted it shut. He opened his eyes and stood motionless as the water drained off his body in a shining tangle of shallow rivulets. When the din of tinkling had died down to a steady drip-drop-drip, he stepped out of the shower. He towelled himself dry and took a piss, savouring the long, satisfying gush and the frenetic bubbling as his jet…

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When a Book Recommends a People: On Ayobami Adebayo’s ‘Stay With Me’
March 5, 2018
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| OPINIONS

          Monique Kwachou, a Cameroonian Writer, Youth Worker & Development Scholar shares her thoughts on what it means to come from a country where a poignant story exposing family love and secrets, cultural and traditional riches, political revolution and societal evolution is set.   It is often said that a book can recommend a person. This typically suggests that one reader may earn the respect and admiration of another based on their tastes in literature….

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Three Elegies by Helon Habila
February 23, 2018
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| POETRY

  In  three elegies as daring as they are poignant, winner of the Windhamn-Campbell Prize, Helon Habila pokes at loss and hope….   1.ELEGY FOR A CHILD   This is how the world ends: First, all beauty will die – All that is green and pure, all That inspires, elevates; all talent, for beauty, Like yours, child, is a great talent.   Then all courage will die – all hope, All that keep the fires burning, All that won’t…

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A killing in Belo – the Bloody Price for Cameroon’s Freedom?
February 21, 2018
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| OPINIONS

  In this opinion-editorial, Washington D.C based Cameroonian writer, Kangsen Wakai writes about the alleged killing of a young man in the small town of Belo, Cameroon by the security forces and how a quest for self-determination is resulting to loss of freedom, rights, lives and property in Cameroon.   Three weeks ago, Sam Soya still ran a small kiosk on Belo’s main junction where he sold bread, sardines, cigarettes and candy to the townspeople. Customers like my source,…

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Summons to the Village Square No. 001
February 15, 2018
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| SUMMONS

          A conversation between Obinna Udenwe & Jayne Bauling on her story, Ancient Words   Every time I visit my village of Ogada Edda – a rice-rich settlement – in the State of Ebonyi, Nigeria, I would be woken most morning by the thundering sound of the village gong, only that it is not a gong but an old vehicle rim hanging on a tree branch at the centre of the village. Most times, I…

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