The Comedian’s Diary

A Novel

10,000.00

This book will become available from September 4, 2025.
Paperback
10,000.00
In Stock
Total

“It begins on a blistering afternoon, the air thick with heat. A man in a white cotton shirt halts in front of my shelf. His eyes gleam, bright as a searchlight, a sharp contrast to the shadowy depths of his skin…”

So begins this gripping and emotionally charged tale of redemption, addiction, and the delicate ties that bind us. Through the eyes of a notebook—a silent witness to the unravelling of Oga Simon’s life—this novel unveils the quiet battles fought within the soul, where the struggle to rebuild is just as painful as the fall itself.

Once a man of ambition and promise, Oga Simon’s life has unravelled under the weight of alcohol, regret, and lost opportunities. The familiar hum of Lagos pulses around him, but it offers no comfort, no escape from the spiral he finds himself in. Until a fleeting encounter with family; old wounds are reopened, and the possibility of change becomes painfully clear. But can a man trapped in his own vices truly find the strength to start over?

The Comedian's Diary is a heartfelt exploration of struggle, survival, and the enduring power of human connection. This story will resonate long after the final page is turned.

Obase-sam Ikoi

Obase-sam Ikoi is a Journalist and Visual Artist. He is passionate about stories and creative endeavours that permeate African lifestyle, heritage, and culture. He has written several essays, documentaries, and short stories including Orji, a short story recently featured in a literary anthology published by Gearshift Africa. The Comedian’s Diary is his first novel.

"A creative, riveting, and compulsively readable story...I was locked in from start to finish."

—Michael Afenfia, author of The Mechanics of Yenagoa

“A daring and observant storyteller.”

—Ukamaka Olisakwe, author of Ogadinma

“The Comedian’s Diary is audaciously innovative and boldly imaginative. Herein, Obase-Sam Ikoi has joined the ranks of egalitarian universalists like Orhan Pamuk who tell stories from the perspectives of trees, dogs, books, and the colour red to challenge and puncture the arrogant notion ‘Humans are the centre of the Universe.’ This novel will convince you to re-calibrate your engagement with the inanimate, it will make you ponder that—perhaps, the neglected and unimportant things are the most reliable witnesses to the drama of existence. It will force you to re-evaluate your relationship with your wristwatch, your mug, and even your reading glasses. Shockingly and interestingly, this truth is made apparent to you by an ordinary diary sitting forlornly on a comedian’s bookshelf. In the African literary armada of tired dinghies whose hawsers are woven and parcelled with similar threads, The Comedian’s Diary stands dignified as a Tall Ship whose sails are made of butterflies and a spool of blue silk. Obase Sam-Ikoi heralds the new wave of refreshing talents surging to steer the course of the African novel towards a promising harbour."

—Umar Abubakar Sidi, author of The Incredible Dreams of Garba Dakaskus

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Book Trim130 x 198mm
Number of Pages240
ISBN (Paperback)978-978-61100-1-1
Release DateSeptember 4, 2025
GenreLiterary Fiction

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