Category: Book Reviews
THE SOUND OF POETRY: A review of DJ0213’s spoken word Mixtape
Music is the poetry of sound. A poem is a song in the hands of a competent DJ; at least this is what Elijah Otalor was able to achieve with his mixtape. This producer loves language and is keen to give words a stage. DJ0213’s curatorial prowess is dazzling in this hour-long spoken-word playlist, setting […]
Book Review: You Can’t Take The Truth by J.L. Witterick
Reviewer: Creative Bird You can’t take the truth by J.L. Witterick was highly resonant. The story opens on a believable tone and makes you want to flip the page. “There was a time when we worked to make our dreams come true”. The story slowed in Chapter 2 but picked up pace in Chapter […]
WHEN MEN PLAY GOD: a review of Faith Ose Ebhodaghe’s Impunity
Impunity is a fast-paced story of power and corruption—a depiction of the generational impact of violence and the chronic nature of abuse. The story, set in Nigeria, is emotionally charged and socially insightful, exploring a legacy of crime, the frailty of truth and the ethical cost of survival. Divided into two parts, the novel takes […]
CONFRONTING THE BOGEYMAN: a review of Olumide Holloway’s Darkness can be Very Dark
Darkness Can be Very Dark is a collection of twenty-seven poems that attempt a conflux of oral and literary artistry. It’s a gritty collection of spoken-word-style poems that’s unafraid of shadows—exploring an impressive range of personal, social, and spiritual themes. There’s a rawness to the emotions expressed in this work that is both honest and […]
Home in Motion Review by Steve Urwin
From Nigeria to Newcastle, a series of short declarations of love for a new home. Love letters from Tyneside, ecological concerns of neighbours, financial gripes and repeated declarations, of how the new city has welcomed and shaped the poet: “This was the spool from where dreams were woven.” There are some gripes, of course. From […]
The Lust Vault: A Review of Betrayals and Diamonds
Title: Betrayals and Diamonds Author: N. Viktoria Published: 2023 Reviewed by: Jide Badmus Alec Nolan, a retired jewel thief, gets pulled back into the world of high-stakes crime by a former partner for one last job. Alec is on the run and goes into hiding when his attempt to steal the Pemberton Diamonds fails. The […]
LOVE POTION
Title: A Cult Of Fireflies Author: Naimah Abdullahi Sabo & Iliya Kambai Dennis Number of pages: 30 Year of publication: 2024 Reviewer name: Hope Joseph Like the way you find welcoming signs or messages imprinted on the walls of some ancient households, so is this chapbook. It welcomes you with demure verses more […]
WHOSE FAULT, KISMET OR IMPEDIMENT? a chronicle of lamentations
Title: Whose Fault, Kismet or Impediment? Author: Peter Okonkwo No. of Pages: 184 Genre: Poetry Year of Publication: 2021 ISBN: 9-798-4151-0104-7 Reviewer: Iliya Kambai Dennis Your life is a battlefield. You have fought many times; still fighting to become a contradiction of your past and current dilemma. Last two nights—after your boss ushered your […]
Akpojotor Peter’s play “Adaugo” Dramatises Childhood Travail in a Depraved Society
When one reads children’s literature, one, often, reads either an adventure story, myth, morality story, stories of the innocence and joy of childhood, or a narrative—like Akpojotor’s play—of the travail which children go through while growing up. The play, Adaugo, is a critical portraiture of how the kind of family children grow up from, parents/relatives […]
What Do I Call My Love For Your Body? Jide Badmus Pays Homage To the Body in this Enchanting Collection of Poems | Creative Titan
Reviewer: Creative Titan From time immemorial, humans have been renowned as sensual beings with intense longing and the human body carries a lot of this responsibility. Jide Badmus’ “What Do I call My Love For Your Body” delves into this sacred realm. The lines in the first stanza of the opening poem Body Language […]