As part of our ongoing commitment to discovering and supporting outstanding literary work, Masobe is pleased to formally announce the acquisition of the following extraordinary manuscripts from three uniquely talented writers. These are storytellers that are contributing to the shaping of the African literary space, using their gifts to tell our stories against all odds.
Chika Unigwe
This contemporary reimagining of the myth of Hades and Persephone told in a polyphony of voices examines the struggles of being a woman in a patriarchal society, explores issues of feminism and gender, and the dynamics of family relationships.
When seventeen-year-old Nani loses her older sister and then her father in quick succession, her world spins off its axis. Isolated and misunderstood by her grieving mother and sister, she’s drawn to an itinerant preacher, a handsome self-proclaimed man of God who offers her a new place to belong. All too soon, Nani finds herself estranged from her family, tethered to her abusive husband by children she loves but cannot fully comprehend. She must find the courage to break free and wrestle her life back—without losing what she loves most.
The Middle Daughter has been critically appraised as:
A finely-drawn portrait of a young woman’s resilience in the face of violence and grief.
~Paula Hawkins
A memorable read.
~Ayobami Adebayo
Enchanting. . . [Unigwe’s] tender explorations of family blessings and woes is magical.
~Uwem Akpan
About the Author
Chika Unigwe is professor of Creative Writing at Georgia College and the author of several celebrated works of fiction, including On Black Sister’s Street which won the NLNG fourth book and second novel; coming almost seven years after his NLNG prize for Literature and most recently the short story collection, Better Never Than Late.
Moses Ose Utomi
Moses Ose Utomi’s debut novella, The Lies of the Ajungo, follows one boy’s epic quest to bring water back to his city and save his mother’s life. The Lies of the Ajungo opens the curtains on a tremendous world, and begins the epic fable of the Forever Desert. With every word, Moses Ose Utomi weaves magic.
They say there is no water in the City of Lies. They say there are no heroes in the City of Lies. They say there are no friends beyond the City of Lies. But would you believe what they say in the City of Lies?
In the City of Lies, they cut out your tongue when you turn thirteen, to appease the terrifying Ajungo Empire and make sure it continues sending water. Tutu will be thirteen in three days, but his parched mother won’t last that long. So Tutu goes to his oba and makes a deal: she provides water for his mother, and in exchange he will travel out into the desert and bring back water for the city. Thus begins Tutu’s quest for the salvation of his mother, his city, and himself.
The Lies of The Ajungo has been critically appraised as:
A captivating and violent fable. The Lies of the Ajungo plumbs the depth of deception yet bursts with hope. Taut and unexpected. I devoured it.
~Fonda Lee
Exquisitely crafted and original.
~T. L. Huchu
A searing and mythical tale of manipulation, kindness and sacrifice.
~Marie Brennan
About the Author
Moses Ose Utomi (he/him) is a Nigerian-American fantasy writer and nomad currently based out of Honolulu, Hawaii. He has an MFA in fiction from Sarah Lawrence College and short fiction publications in Fireside Fiction and Purple Wall Stories. When he’s not writing, he’s traveling, training martial arts, or doing karaoke—with or without a backing track.
Timendu Aghahowa
The Bishop’s Prodigal Daughter is a warm, engaging, and inspiring story about second chances at love, faith and with family. Timendu Aghahowa is an effortlessly good writer, a storyteller whose passion for her lively, dynamic and relatable characters, from the culture in which they were born and raised as well as the faith that sustains them through the vicissitudes of life, comes through as clearly as a soprano in extraordinary rendition.
Eloviano ‘Elo’ Obruthe has always been headstrong. The sort to forge her own path—even if it would eventually take her away from home—instead of a tried and tested route. One July, Elo finally comes home. But it is only supposed to be for one weekend, a fulfilment of bridesmaid’s duty for her best friend’s wedding. How was she to know that she would run into Datonye ‘Didi’ Kiah, her childhood friend and the son of her mother’s rivals, Rev. and Rev. Mrs. Kiah? Who could have predicted that he would grow up to be the sexiest man she had laid eyes on in a long time? Nothing about her supposed whirlwind trip could have prepared Elo for her mother’s sudden heart attack, nor the impossible-to-resist offer she makes in exchange for Elo helping to run the family church with her more faithful and dutiful sister, Efezino ‘Zino’ Obruthe. How could Elo know that this offer would lead to seismic changes in her relationships with her overlooked sister Elo, with her potential soulmate Didi, and with her own fledgling faith?
The Bishop’s Prodigal Daughter has been critically appraised as:
A memorable debut, full of wit, passion and heart.
~Othuke Ominiabohs
About the Author
Timendu Aghahowa has been a voracious reader since she was four years old and started writing professionally after a very short stint in stockbroking. Her story ‘Three Birds and A Nest’ was one of the fifteen finalists in Farafina’s New African Writing Contest in 2012. She was also a participant of the 2013 Farafina Trust Creative Writing Workshop. Also a screenwriter, she has writing credits on several Africa Magic projects including Tinsel, Hush, and Jemeji (2017). She was part of the writing team for MTV’s Shuga Season 6 and was the Script Editor for the first two seasons of Africa Magic’s legal show E.V.E. and the 260-episode Africa Magic telenovela ‘Enakhe’.
Timendu loves cake, brightly coloured hair, listening to music and constantly courts financial ruin with her book buying habit. She lives in Lagos with her husband and two children. The Bishop’s Prodigal Daughter is her first novel.
The books are scheduled for release in the second and third quarters of 2023. Specific publication dates and cover reveals will be announced in the coming weeks. For more information, please contact: Theresa Ominiabohs at 07018383286, email: info@masobebooks.com, follow us @Masobebooks on Instagram and Twitter, or visit the Masobe Books website at www.masobebooks.com