A lean, searing celebration of a place rooted in hunger, violence, and intrigue…
In this first-rate short collection of poetry and prose, Aloba recalls growing up in Lagos, capturing the essence of a vibrant, heaving city where people meander, both physically and mentally. In “Scenes from a Saturday in Lawanson,” she anatomizes a typical Saturday morning in Lagos and its inhabitants, from the village headmaster and teacher to a group of Danfo bus conductors in a motor park. Aloba delves deeper into the issues of ethnic disparity and superstitions in ““Fire!” is the preferred chant of my stepmother” and “99 Mami Watas in the Boys Quarters.” The unerringly sketched and paced “Lagbaja’s Eye-Service,” a short piece of prose examines the prevalent corruption and poverty. Aloba’s depiction of Lagos as a tumultuous place where scandal, corruption, and intrigue abound is often unromantic but a true celebration of a city that thrums with chaos of everyday life. Aloba is a writer to watch for.
Note: This title is free on Kindle Unlimited.
Surulere, Lagos
By Taiwo Aloba
Pub date September 3, 2020
ISBN 979-8682281725
Price $10.00 (USD) Paperback, $7. 51 Kindle edition
