Playing for laughs: Bindi (Rina Fatania) and Mansoor (Nicholas Khan). Photo: Robert Day Theatre: Theatre Royal Stratford East Play: Love N Stuff Playwright: Tanika Gupta Director: Kerry Michael Review by Arani Yogadeva Tanika Gupta’s musical Wah! Wah! Girls was a big hit with audiences in 2012, especially the characters Bindi and Mansoor, a middle aged… Continue reading Love N Stuff

Book: Safe House: Explorations in Creative Nonfiction Editor: Ellah Wakatama Allfrey Publisher: Cassava Republic Press Price: £12.99 (paperback) Review by Angela Howell Safe House is a must read of creative non-fiction. This anthology of 14 real stories by talented authors from the African continent, including Mark Gevisser (Thabo Mbeki: The Dream Deferred) and Elnathan John… Continue reading Safe House

Book: The Nearness of You Author: Sareeta Domingo Publisher: Piatkus Books Price: £8.99 Review by Reshma Ruia Sareeta Domingo’s debut novel, The Nearness of You, can be read at two levels. It can be enjoyed as a refreshing urban take on a conventional Mills and Boon type of romance: girl meets boy who loves her,… Continue reading The Nearness of You

Book: Season of Crimson Blossoms Author: Abubakar Adam Ibrahim Publisher: Cassava Republic Press Price: £9.99 Review by Ronke Lawal Season of Crimson Blossoms is a vibrant love story set in the midst of political change and violence. It’s a Nigerian coming of age story which tackles religion, sex, wealth and power in a refreshingly poignant… Continue reading Season of Crimson Blossoms

Sunny Singh is an academic, novelist and activist with a prolific presence online. Born in Varanasi, India, she graduated from Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts, in 1990 with a degree in English and American Literature. She has a Masters degree in Spanish Language, Literature and Culture from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and a PhD… Continue reading Interview with Sunny Singh

Patrice Lawrence has always wanted to be a writer. Alongside having a successful career in the charity sector, writing was something she always did – and supported and encouraged others to do. Born in Brighton to Caribbean parents, the self-confessed feminist and gardener lives in east London and has published work on equality and rights,… Continue reading Interview with Patrice Lawrence

Peepal Tree Press presents Peepal Tree Salon, featuring Yvonne Weekes (reading from Volcano), Desiree Reynolds (reading from Seduce) and Maya Chowdhry (reading from Fossil). Yvonne Weekes believes that if you touch one soul, you change the world. If this is true, her impact has already been as forceful as the volcano she fled. As writer,… Continue reading Peepal Tree Salon

The language of money: Daniel Lapaine (Nick) and Parth Thakerar (Bashir). Photo: Mark Douet Theatre: Tricycle Theatre Play: The Invisible Hand Playwright: Ayad Akhtar Director: Indhu Rubasingham Review by Arani Yogadeva The dog eat dog environment of a Wall Street trading floor is transplanted to a rural Pakistani prison cell in Tricycle Theatre’s production of… Continue reading The Invisible Hand

Image credit: Mido Diez Ebook: Starstruck Author: Rajeev Balasubramanyam Publisher: The Pigeonhole Price: £2.99 Review by Catrina Walters The aptly titled Starstruck leaves you reflective of celebrity culture, fame and fandom, and how ordinary people interact with these stars. In our celebrity-mad, social media driven society, Starstruck deliciously interweaves stories connecting key characters through 10… Continue reading Starstruck

In the third and final part of our African sci-fi series, Tosin Coker offers seven tips on writing in the genre and takes no prisoners with her advice, from making characters of colour reflect their cultural heritage to doing your research or risk alienating your readers.