iReadDADAbooks

 

Established in Nigeria in 2008, DADA books is the publishing arm of Design And Dream Arts Enterprises. Buoyed by the success of our first five titles -The Abyssinian Boy (novel) by Onyeka Nwelue, I am memory (poetry) by Jumoke Verissimo, A Fistful of Tales (short stories) by Ayodele Arigbabu, The Land of Kalamandahoo (childrens' adventure story) by Ruby Igwe and The Funeral Did Not End (short stories) by Sylva Nze Ifedigbo, we are constantly driven by our passion for breaking fresh talent on the scene and developing titles that derive from popular culture and will appeal to a mass audience.

LAGOS_2060 is out! And we are proud to launch the anthology with a campaign that has been a long time coming. As part of an ongoing collaboration with Afrelib, a social enterprise working to make reading material widely available to young people in Africa (www.afrelib.com), we are proud to announce our unglue.it campaign for LAGOS_2060. The Afrelib vision is to make it as easy and fun for the child in the rural area as one in the urban setting to read fantastic stories, write intelligently and learn about their world ? regardless of circumstance. The Afrelib approach is in order to collate the best educational content, curate relevant programs and facilitate easy access to all.

Follow this link for more on what we are doing with Afrelib:

The campaign seeks to raise sufficient funds to keep producing more books like LAGOS_2060 and in return for this support from the reading public, we will release a digital edition of LAGOS_2060 under creative commons (on a date determined by how soon our target is reached), making it accessible to all and free to share.  The campaign is made possible by the amazing people at www.unglueit.com and can be accessed through this link:  

Also available in print and digital versions via Amazon and other major international online retail channels.

WHY UNGLUE.IT

We want our stories to travel far...to villages hidden away in yet to be 'discovered' parts of Nigeria, to habitation pods orbiting Mars, to remote space stations and yes, to numerous earth bound digital devices, hungry for content. When that is done, we want to start another project just like LAGOS_2060, and do it all over again.

WHAT'S UNGLUE.IT?

What if you could give a book to everyone on earth? Get an ebook and read it on any device, in any format, forever? Give an ebook to your library, for them to share? Own DRM-free ebooks, legally? Read free ebooks, and know their creators had been fairly paid?

At Unglue.it, you can pledge toward creating ebooks that will be legally free, worldwide. These books have already been traditionally published, but they're stuck: legal restrictions keep you from being able to enjoy and share them.

Unglue.it gets them unstuck. Authors and publishers decide what amount lets them freely share their books with the world while still making a living. We raise that fee here through crowdfunding: people like you chipping in. When campaigns succeed, authors and publishers get paid, and they issue a free electronic edition under a Creative Commons license.

What if you could give your favorite book to the world?

What if you could unglue it?

HOW TO UNGLUE.IT?

Visit: http://cinemaandfictionarticles.blogspot.com/2010/04/lagos-2060.html for background gist on this ground breaking project brought to you by DADA books

Ifedigbo, Olisakwe, Fasua For ALS October BookJam

The Abuja Literary Society features three fast-growing and debut authors in its monthly book feast, known as BookJam. The October edition of the popular and innovative BookJam will headline new authors Sylva Ife Nzedigbo, a vetinary Doctor-turned-writer; mother of three Ukamaka Olisakwe; and, hard-hitting columnist, Tope Fasua, on the 26th at the Lifestyle Bookstore of Silverbird Abuja. Joining them will be Abuja Slam Champion and dancehall poet, MacFather G, who recently released a musical album. MacFather G will be performing some of his most popular slam poems and new songs from his debut musical album.

Nzedigbo, known for his love of social commentary, following his Sunday columns in Daily Times, blog sites and Twitter, recently channeled his passion to the creation of a full-length short story collection,The Funeral Did Not End, a collection of 20 captivating short stories ranging from current and persisting issues of politics, religion, social injustice, culture and tradition. Aba-based Ukamaka Olisakwe is the author of Eyes of a Goddess, her debut novel which throws light on the imperfections of a democratic system that emasculates the people. Tope Fasua is a well-known newspaper columnist, who has put his creativity to the production of the non-fiction, Crushed, an introspective book on the issues debilitating economic and social development, with Nigeria as a case study.

The BookJam@Silverbird Abuja is a collaboration of the Abuja Literary Society and Silverbird Lifestyle. It holds every last Friday of the month and is anchored by co-host of the Abuja Poetry Slam, Jide Attah. The BookJam consists of book readings, book signings, musical presentations, raffle draw and a discussion by the guest writers. In addition, there is usually a special Slam poetry performance by some of Abuja's finest Slam champions.

Sylva Ife Nzedigbo:

Apart from being a regular blogist and columnist, Nzedigbo has been writing creative non-fiction for several years, gradually honing his craft and building a loyal fan base. His first published work a novella, Whispering Aloud was published in 2008. Several of his works are published in local and international Literary Journals including MTLS, StoryLine, Swale Life, Life As a Human and Sentinel, Nigeria.

He has won several awards as a writer and an essayist. The most recent, 2012 Grand Prize winner, National Youth Essay Contest. He won the second prize at the Ken Saro Wiwa, Candle Light Vigil Poetry and Writing Competition 2010, an Honorable mention, 2010 UNESCO/GIO Peace Foundation Essay Contest for Young People, by Microsoft Internet Safety, Security and Privacy Initiative for Nigeria (MISSPIN) and YGC, Africa, National Essay Competition on Cybercrime Competition and the Abuja Writers Forum, Short Stories Contest.

Several reviewers and commentators have described his stories as ?well delivered with an understanding of where the ordinary blends with the profound.? Perhaps, a better description is Australian writer and literary critic?s insightful view, ?The stories in The Funeral Did Not End are varied in scope and theme, but all show the restless energy of a young author struggling and succeeding at encapsulating the tumultuous awakening of a nation convinced it is mighty and willing to show the world exactly what it can achieve.?

Nzedigbo wields successfully, the narrative voice, symbolism, simple diction, Irony, Imagery and allusions in telling reality with a dollop of the hyperbolic to deliver in a fresh light the mundane and an open-end technique bound to excite or irritate readers.

Born in November, 11, 1984, Nzedigbo attended the School for the Gifted, Gwagwalada, and obtained a degree in Veterinary Medicine, in 2007, at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Nzedigbo hails from Agulu, Anambra State, the south eastern part of the country which its landscape richly featured in the stories. He also employs a thin line between fiction and realism in his characterization of places, people and scenery. Nzedigbo works in the corporate communications industry; is single, and likes tweeting with like minds, when he is not writing or reading.  

Ukamaka Olisakwe:

For Olisakwe, creative writing began after much encouragement from her friends and while trying to find an escapist means to create, and direct the world to the benefit and empowerment of females and the voiceless in society. She started out with flash fictions published in NaijaStories, an online based blog site for budding writers. Girl to Woman ignited the interest of Sentinel Nigeria, which later published her short story, Running. It was re-published by a South African Magazine, Short Story Day Africa.

Olisakwe has come some ways and waxing stronger. She is the moderator, AfricaReadsWritesTheVision, an online book club initiated by Dr. Claudette Carr of the Jethro Institute, London. The Book Club aims to encourage reading and thinking in Africans and successfully runs monthly book reading for its writers and readers the world over.

Her debut prose fiction, Eyes of a Goddess, is the story of a fifteen year old girl, Njideka, whose family gets mired in political intrigue when her father, broken and disillusioned after a peaceful protest, underwent drastic changes. It is the story of hardship, abuse and most importantly the resilient spirit of those gasping for freedom.

Olisakwe was born and raised in Kano State where she had her primary and secondary education. She moved to the south east for higher education and currently resides in Aba, Abia State, where she works in a bank. After a hard day's work at the bank, Ukamaka spends time with her family and relaxes with a book or pen and paper.

Tope Fasua:

Fasua has been writing for the past six years in the Sunday Trust, newspaper where he has a weekly column. He is also published by other weeklies across the continent like Modern Times, Ghanaian Magazine, Africa Development Magazine, Inside Watch, This Day, Champion , The Sun Newspaper among others.

In writing his book, CRUSHED, Fasua seeks to examine the peculiar issues militating against economic and social development in Africa, using Nigeria as a case study. It is a hard-hitting book, which emphasises the need for self introspection, pragmatism, selflessness, a knowledge of history, as well as a vision for the future, on the part of Africans themselves, as well as evidence-based appeals to the more advanced countries, for them to see that a better Africa is ultimately necessary for the good of all. The book has been acclaimed by pundits to be one of the best to have come out of Africa, in the non-fiction genre.

A graduate of Economics from the University of Ondo State, now Ekiti State University, in the year 1991, he became a member of the prestigious Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) in 1996. After a-thirteen-years experience in the banking sector, in 2005, he gained a Masters Degree in Financial Markets and Derivatives at London Metropolitan University. He has also attended executive programmes on Leadership and Strategy at the prestigious London Business School, and Harvard Business School.

MacFather G:

Born George Obinna Ononiwu, MacFather G is a dance hall poet and singer. A former seminarian and graduate of the Delta State University Abraka, MacFather G is the founder of Love Motion, a youth-focused NGO that seeks to develop the talents of young people for national and global advancement. His creativity has led him into slam and spoken word poetry, radio presentation, facial art, and now, music with the release of his album, Came to Do. In 2011, he won the famous Abuja poetry slam competition.

iRead: Writing in a socially challenged society: Social commentary

In a nation where many have come to view works of art, be they visual, auditory or the written word, as an escape from harsh reality, some have argued that making these problems the main thrust of works or art constitute a form of double torture. They argue that the man on the street would rather read about happy people, rich people, people in love and people having fun, rather than the problems that stare them in the face every day. They don?t want to read about poverty, sickness, corruption and the like, because they know all about it, these ills stare at them from their mirror, and from the eyes of every stranger they meet on the street.

No matter how plausible these arguments sound, the truth is that they are a very false premise with which to judge what one should write or should not write about. That people want an escape is something that everyone can readily agree with, but that they still have to come back to the same reality is another that should not be ignored. It is therefore of great import to record the society as it is, not to mock, but to show. And by showing, attention can be brought to these ills and perhaps a redress began. Perhaps it is with this need to show and become a catalyst for the much needed societal change that a crop of new age Nigerian writers are shunning the urge to pander to the wishes of those who advocate for writers to provide escape for the average man on the street, by making social commentary an integral part of their work.

With the support of Coca-Cola?s ?1 Billion Reasons to Believe in  Africa? campaign,  iRead will be hosting some of these young people whose writing have given ample voice to a new generation seeking to change their society for good. Four writers, drawn from across Nigeria, all with strong elements of social commentary in their works published this year will be reading from their work and interacting with the audience about the Nigeria they see now and the one they hope to usher in through their writing.

1: Ukamaka Olisakwe:

Ukamaka Olisakwe is a new generation Nigerian novelist with amazing talents. Her debut novel Eyes of a Goddess will draw tears out of her readers. She is a banker in Nigeria with a degree in Computer Science. Ukamaka is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Communication and Linguistic Studies at the University of Port Harcourt. She is a young mother of two daughters and one son, and lives with her husband in Eastern Nigeria.

 2: Richard Ali: 

Richard Ali is a lawyer who hails from Idah, Nigeria. He was born in Kano, lives in Jos, Nigeria, and is presently Publicity Secretary [North] of the Association of Nigerian Authors. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the Sentinel Nigeria Magazine. His novel ?City of Memories? was published this year.

3: Emmanuel Iduma:

Emmanuel Iduma was born in Akure, Nigeria. He obtained a degree in Law from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. His interests range widely, including web technology, digital art, visual art, and creative writing. Emmanuel works mainly as a writer of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, and has won awards and received recognition in each genre.Emmanuel is the co-founder of Iroko Publishing, which has published Saraba as an electronic magazine since February 2009. His work in Saraba has been acclaimed globally, including in The Guardian (UK). He is currently the editor of 3bute.com an online mashable anthology of African modernity. He is the author of the novel ?Farad?.

4: Sylva Nze Ifedigbo:

Sylva Ifedigbo is a Doctor of Veterinary medicine, a writer and a Corporate Communications professional.  He is an award winning essayist and author of the novella, ?Whispering Aloud? and collection of short stories ?The Funeral Did Not End?.Sylva?s Essays have appeared in The Punch, The Nation, 234Next, Nigeria Village Square, Nigeria Dialogue, amongst others. He manages a weekly column on Daily TimesNG.  He is also the features & Reviews Editor of Sentinel Nigeria and an Ambassador for the Coca-Cola A Billion Reasons To Believe in Africa Campaign.

Venue: CORA House, 1st Floor, 95 Bode Thomas Street, Surulere,Lagos.

Date: Saturday 13th October 2012

Time: 3-6PM

iRead 7: Writing in a socially challenged society

In a nation where many have come to view works of art, be they visual, auditory or the written word, as an escape from harsh reality, some have argued that making these problems the main thrust of works or art constitute a form of double torture. They argue that the man on the street would rather read about happy people, rich people, people in love and people having fun, rather than the problems that stare them in the face every day. They don?t want to read about poverty, sickness, corruption and the like, because they know all about it, these ills stare at them from their mirror, and from the eyes of every stranger they meet on the street. No matter how plausible these arguments sound, the truth is that they are a very false premise with which to judge what one should write or should not write about. That people want an escape is something that everyone can readily agree with, but that they still have to come back to the same reality is another that should not be ignored. It is therefore of great import to record the society as it is, not to mock, but to show. And by showing, attention can be brought to these ills and perhaps a redress began. Perhaps it is with this need to show and become a catalyst for the much needed societal change that a crop of new age Nigerian writers are shunning the urge to pander to the wishes of those who advocate for writers to provide escape for the average man on the street, by making social commentary an integral part of their work.   With the support of Coca-Cola?s ?1 Billion Reasons to Believe in  Africa? campaign,  iRead will be hosting some of these young people whose writing have given ample voice to a new generation seeking to change their society for good. Four writers, drawn from across Nigeria, all with strong elements of social commentary in their works published this year will be reading from their work and interacting with the audience about the Nigeria they see now and the one they hope to usher in through their writing.

1: Ukamaka Olisakwe:

Ukamaka Olisakwe is a new generation Nigerian novelist with amazing talents. Her debut novel Eyes of a Goddess will draw tears out of her readers. She is a banker in Nigeria with a degree in Computer Science. Ukamaka is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Communication and Linguistic Studies at the University of Port Harcourt. She is a young mother of two daughters and one son, and lives with her husband in Eastern Nigeria.

 2: Richard Ali: 

Richard Ali is a lawyer who hails from Idah, Nigeria. He was born in Kano, lives in Jos, Nigeria, and is presently Publicity Secretary [North] of the Association of Nigerian Authors. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the Sentinel Nigeria Magazine. His novel ?City of Memories? was published this year.

3: Emmanuel Iduma:

Emmanuel Iduma was born in Akure, Nigeria. He obtained a degree in Law from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. His interests range widely, including web technology, digital art, visual art, and creative writing. Emmanuel works mainly as a writer of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, and has won awards and received recognition in each genre.Emmanuel is the co-founder of Iroko Publishing, which has published Saraba as an electronic magazine since February 2009. His work in Saraba has been acclaimed globally, including in The Guardian (UK). He is currently the editor of 3bute.com an online mashable anthology of African modernity. He is the author of the novel ?Farad?.

4: Sylva Nze Ifedigbo:

Sylva Ifedigbo is a Doctor of Veterinary medicine, a writer and a Corporate Communications professional.  He is an award winning essayist and author of the novella, ?Whispering Aloud? and collection of short stories ?The Funeral Did Not End?.Sylva?s Essays have appeared in The Punch, The Nation, 234Next, Nigeria Village Square, Nigeria Dialogue, amongst others. He manages a weekly column on Daily TimesNG.  He is also the features & Reviews Editor of Sentinel Nigeria and an Ambassador for the Coca-Cola A Billion Reasons To Believe in Africa Campaign.

Venue: CORA House, 1st Floor, 95 Bode Thomas Street, Surulere,Lagos.

Date: Saturday 13th October 2012

Time: 3-6PM

Book N Gauge 16: Unending Conversations

Book N Gauge, the monthly Book Culture event, will feature Nze Sylva Ifedigbo author of the recently published collection of short stories, ?The Funeral Did Not End? and Atilola Moronfolu, author of Anatomy of Mirage. The event, in its sixteenth edition, will draw from the theme: ?Unending conversations?.  The event will explore how literature is fuelling never-ending conversations about issues that are dear to our hearts. In the boundless spirit of unending conversation, the 1t6th edition will also feature Nigeria?s premier spoken word Poet, Sage Hasson and Violin aficionado, Ernest Bisong. Book N Gauge is organised by the Pulpfaction Book Club, a group of literary-minded individuals driven by a passion to make reading hip again. The event is scheduled for the Saturday, 29th September 2012 at the Debonair Bookstore, Sabo, Yaba, Lagos.

Sylva Nze Ifedigbo

Nze Sylva Ifeigbo is an ?Out-of-Practice? Doctor of Veterinary medicine, a writer with ample experience in Project Management, Creative Writing, Public Relations and Corporate Communications.  He is an award winning essayist and author of the novella, ?Whispering Aloud? and collection of short stories ?The Funeral Did Not End?.

Sylva Nze Ifedigbo represents an image of a young man, equipped to inform and discuss the socio-political issues. He has proven his mettle as an essayist on several media platforms, such as The Punch, The Nation, 234Next, Nigeria Village Square, Nigeria Dialouge, amongst others. He manages a weekly column on Daily TimesNG where he dispenses the medicine of logic and deep thinking to a wide range of issues. His blog bagged the 2010 Best Personal Blog by the Nigeria Blogs Awards.

Nze, as he is fondly called by friends has contributed to different international literary Journals, amongst which are MTLS, StoryTime, Swale Life, Life As a Human, Sentinel Nigeria, and Saraba.

Atilola Moronfolu

Multi-faceted entrepreneur, writer and editor. She is the Publisher of Neighbourhood Magazine, a spoken word artist, and popular blogger on atilola.blogspot.com.

Atilola Moronfolu plays an editing and advisory role for fellow writers and bloggers who are prepared to publish their books.

Because of her style of writing, which borders on the reality of the societal ills, she has been described by readers and reviewers as a social commentator.  She sometimes calls herself ?The Character Thief?. She is also one of the leading spoken word voices in the country.

She is the author of Antonyms of a Mirage, the now popularly trending short stories collection. Atilola is currently working on her second novel.

Ernest Bisong. (Emythang!)

Ernest Bisong also known as Emythang! is arguably Nigeria?s best violinist.  Emythang?s control of the violin is phenomenal. This has endeared him to musicians and enthusiasts alike. He has performed as a multi-genre violinist in the United States of America, as well as parts of East Africa.

As a violin Guru, he has worked with some of  Nigeria's best Producers and Artistes such as Cobhams, Wole Oni, Asa, Bez, Mode 9, to mention a few. Early this year, he featured in a Nollywood movie starring Ashionye and Dakore titled 'Journey to Self'. He is currently recording a joint hip-hop album with IBK a.k.a spaceshipboi.

Sage Has.Son

Sammy Hassan is a pioneer and leader of a new poetic movement called Spoken Word. HE describes Spoken Word ??Giving poetry wings to fly?. Sage launched professionally into Spoken Word in 2005 and has since featured in different events such as HipHop World 2006, Big Brother, Word Up, Unchained Voices, amongst other social and corporate engagements.

Sage Has.Son is his stage name. Sage has boldly released a 16 track spoken word album titled the ?The Poet? and plans to wax more lyrical and poetic in subsequent releases.

Sage is the quintessential ?Poetushness?, and he is not alone, he is also a mentor to several upcoming Spoken Word Poets. He has also lent support to several creative events in the Spoken Word art industry.  He strongly believes in the thrust that Spoken Word will be receive overreaching acceptance by Nigerians in the coming years.

Book N Gauge 16: Unending Conversations, holds on Saturday, 29th September, 2012.

VENUE: Debonair Bookstore, 294 Hubert Macaulay Way, Sabo,Yaba, Lagos

TIME: 2pm to 5pm

It?s an avenue to connect, enjoy, relax, to meet people and to escape on the wings of words.

This event is supported by Parresia Publishers | RovingHeights Nigeria | PrintStreet Media

Related articles

• The Funeral Did Not End: social commentary at its best

The Funeral Did Not End: social commentary at its best

Book: The Funeral Did Not End

Author: Sylva Nze Ifedigbo

Publisher: Dada Books

Pages: 296

Reading Sylva Nze Ifedigbo?s long awaited short story collection, the first thing that struck me was the way story after story mirrored the society perfectly. Knowing the writer and his interest in social commentary, I was not surprised. What surprised me though, was the writer?s ability to turn everyday occurrences that most of us overlook into captivating stories.

From the first story to the very last one in the 20-story collection, TFDNE brims with a depth of knowledge of the Nigerian state and the Nigerian situation, that could only have come from a conscious effort by the writer to pay close attention to instances others see as commonplace and ignore.

The stories are immediately familiar, the characters people we could put faces and provide names to from our immediate environment. The wow factor is the ability of the stories to hold you and cause you to wonder at your place in the whole. They question our politics, our humanity and our reason for being.

The first story, Tunji?s Proposal, about a young man?s brilliant idea and the journey of that idea?collected in a proposal?through the administrative bottle necks that are synonymous with Nigerian Civil Service.   And yes, it did not fail to capture the corruption, nepotism and laxity that are also commonplace.

Lunch on Good Friday is the second story. The story follows a young child?s recollection of childhood and her family?s last lunch together. Here the writer employs twist as a device in a way that is very effective. You follow the story, and when you think you know everything there is to know about the situation, a twist appears.

With Death on Gimbiya Street, Sylva takes us back to the horror of the Apo 6 police murder. Through the eyes of one of the victims, the only girl in the group, we follow the story of the now deceased youths, who still call for justice from beyond the grave. This story shows the strength of Sylva?s social commentary, a theme that resounds through most of the stories in the collection. By giving the dead girl back her humanity, the writer allows her to tell us that she is aware of the happenings here and that she still seeks justice.

The Funeral Did Not End is the title story. It tells of grief, not just because of the loss of a loved one, but for the uncertainty that hung around when most of the deceased?s worldly possessions had been sold to pay for a ?befitting? burial.

 On The Hot Seat takes us to the hot seat of the popular game show ?Who Wants to be a Millionaire? and we feel the heat with Mr. Ben Okafor when the moderator asks, ?On what date was Murtala Mohammed assassinated?? And when Sylva does that twist at the end again, you smile.

The Call Room places a young doctor in a compromising position with an older female doctor, though the handling of the sub topic of HIV infection and sex between colleagues could have been better handled, the operating room tension and the young doctor?s back-story are well done.

Share the Money is hilarious and serious at the same time. You can easily imagine our ?honourables? having conversations like the following as they shared our money in Abuja:

So this is my share?

Yes, it?s ten million. You want to count it?

Ah! No now. why didn?t they even bring it in dollars? Carrying naira around is so much trouble.

I just collected my own and immediately called that girl from one of those banks who have been worrying me sick about helping her meet her target...

One Lonely Harmattan Night also has a sub-theme of HIV/AIDS but it is more about family and sacrifice.

Sound Proof is a very hilarious story. Told from two points of view, has a background of a campus investigative panel that is about to look into the case of sexual harassment filed against a professor by a student. However, Sylva has an ace up his sleeve, the story is not as straight forward as one expects and the twist happens, more than once.

On the Line from America is one of my favourite stories from the collection. It follows the telephone conversation between a father and his USA based son. Again, social commentary is the major theme, hidden among the general banter, and the story is finger licking beautiful.

The Second Invitation is another favourite of mine. Here, we meet Nwokebuike and fall in love with his steadfastness and his pursuit of the truth. It is the story of the Nigerian media, where government patronage is the difference between staying afloat of going under. Nwokebuike finds out, just before what he believes is his greatest triumph, that those he had fought through his column for years, are the ones that butter his bread.

Musa the hired Supporter is a humour packed story about Musa who left Kaura Namoda for a Fiii Diii Diii rally in Abuja. Paid 1000 naira for his troubles, Musa had a rethink at the venue and decided to hot tail it home. Social commentary at its best, this story somehow manages to capture Musa?s life in a few pages while keeping alive the background of the story, a Fiii Diii Fiii Rally.

My Abroad Husband will resonate with those from the south east of Nigeria, where a few years ago an Abroad Husband was many a girl's dream. Here, a young wife reminisce her experience of marriage to an Abroad Husband as she waits for him at the arrival hall of the airport in Enugu. Loved this story, but did not care much for the ending.

Blood is not so thick is another very well written story about the death of a twin. Sylva somehow manages to make us feel empathy for a murderer and that is how beautiful his writing is.

Sister Stacy is a hypocrite. She?s one of those Bible hugging girls whose holier-than-thou act is worn like a garment in church or around ?brethrens? only to be dropped when they in the ?real? world. With this story, the writer questions religion and the two-faced nature of many of its adherents.

Sylva went back to governance and government in Council Meeting. Again, as the writer has shown several times before, the portrayal is done in a way that we fall into the narration and forget this is just a story. It?s one rare peep into what happens inside the Aso Rock council chambers that you will sure enjoy.

The Scourge of Vandals, a tale about death on campus and the campus cults that deal it with reckless abandon, resonated with me. Perhaps it is the topic and the fact that it reminded me so much about the foolishness that is campus cult as Eghosa Imasuen?s ?Fine Boys? did only recently.

The Lord of the Creek explores the world of Niger Delta militants at the height of their power when they held the Nigerian state to ransom.  In this story, a leader of one of the numerous gangs that made the creeks of the Niger Delta their boardroom reflects on that last deal. A very good story, expect that surprise ending that Sylva does so well through this collection.

In The Smoke And The Fire a journalist interviews a student union type, the PRO of a National Association of Students, who reminds you of the good old days when student activism still had meaning, before the unions compromised. Even back then, Unionists were pretty arrogant people.

Sylva Nze Ifedigbo actually left the best for the last. ?Guilt Trip? an incredibly well-told story of a young man returning to his ancestral home for the burial of his brother and facing demons of a secret that weighs heavily on his chest. ?Guilt Trip?, more than any other story in this collection shows the incredibly vitality of Sylva?s prose. Told in the second person, the story resonates with power that only a master storyteller can weave.

If books are means through which authors announce their entrance into the realms where masters of the craft walk, then Sylva Nze Ifedigbo, has effectively trumpeted his worthiness with this delicious collection. If reflection on its society is a criterion for judging good books, then TFDNE has staked a claim that very few will find reason to deny. One of the best books I have read this year on many levels.

The book will be available for digital download at www.takada.com.ng from September 15.

-Mazi Nwonwu

Launch Date Fixed for The Funeral Did Not End!

The Long wait is finally over!

At DADA books, we are proud to present a remarkable collection of short stories: The Funeral Did Not End, by Sylva Nze Ifedigbo. 

With The Funeral Did Not End, we are presenting 20 punchy stories, adroitly written by a tempered writer who has successfully merged his penchant for social commentary with his capacity for observing that same society with a keen eye and a mind that understands perfectly well, how to negotiate the threshold where the profound meets the mundane. 

Trained as a Veterinary Doctor at University of Nigeria Nsukka, Sylva Nze Ifedigbo who now works in Coporate Communication, is an award winning fiction writer and essayist, he has written widely on Nigerian Socio-political issues both online and in the print media, with Next Newspaper and Daily Times having carried his by-line regularly. His novella- Whispering Aloud was published in 2008 by Spectrum Books Ibadan. 

The Funeral Did Not End, his second published book  which has been long anticipated, is published by DADA books and is being presented to the public on Saturday the 15th of September from 5pm-7pm at the Kongi's Harvest Gallery, Freedom Park, Hospital Road, Lagos Island. 

We'll also be presenting Takada! the digital book application by our amazing friends at Wayne & Malcolm. The Funeral Did Not End will be available as digital downloads from Takada! from the 15th of September. 

- Unoma Azuah author of 'Edible Bones' and ?Sky-High Flames winner the ANA Flora Nwapa Prize for Fiction.