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Take a seat, you are now in the village square. Enjoy!
“Our hybridity is one of our biggest advantages.” Su’eddie Agema

  A book festival in Makurdi? In these days of Boko Haram and insecurity? Jeez! You’ve got guts. This is our first reaction, though it is almost immediately replaced by awe, when we see the Instagram post announcing the inaugural Benue Book and Arts Festival. However, like the toad that does not run in the daytime for nothing, we dare the odds and end up having a refreshing time, learning and unlearning from and with other literature and culture…

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Art by Ibe Ekuma

Photography by Ibe Ekuma Artsist Statement “Painting is like a journey – I think I know where I am going but usually, I end up someplace else. That ‘someplace’ is worth the journey for surprises can indeed be the spice of life!” It is my feeling that art is a journey of interest. A representation of boldness and the desire to breakout of the mundane world. That’s why my art does not have a sophisticated agenda. Inspired by God’s…

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Ancient Words By Jane Bauling
Photo Credit: Mariloup

  “What is story?” the child asks. She is attempting to walk in the prints the man’s bare feet have left in the rough damp sand. His stride is long, so she must stretch her legs to match it. Occasionally, she will venture a jump from one indentation to the next. If she misjudges, the edges of the sunken foot-shape crumble over her small feet. She likes the sensation of the sand scouring her skin. Their way lies just…

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The Rise of Brittle Paper: The Village Square of African Literature By Obinna Udenwe

When I was a child, up to my teenage years, growing up close to the state university, we used to gather at a junction connecting all the streets in our neighbourhood to play all sorts of games – it was there that we made our bones, learnt how to build cars using old tyres and Coca-cola corks and how to run after older, posh university girls to sing funny songs for them. We thought we were in heaven until…

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