I had great fun recently talking with academic and writer, Elaine Aldred, about my writing journey. We discussed some of the nuts and bolts of writing and being published; from creativity to craft, to the editorial process itself. So, if you're interested in peeking beneath the hood to see what being an author can look… Continue reading From Realism to Fantasy: A Writing Journey
Tag: creativity
The Durban Book Launch
Well... where to begin. There are all kinds of words I could use to try to describe the experience that was the Durban Book Launch of Lost Gods, and absolutely all of them will sound hyperbolic to anyone who wasn't there - transcendent, incredible, life-affirming - that kinda thing. But it's all true. It was… Continue reading The Durban Book Launch
Creating Legends
Sooo... my very first time doing an author interview. I'll admit I was a tad nervous but Anton Marks was the perfect host. We sat down on a typically wet and chilly Manchester evening to discuss life, family, culture, writing, and my soon to be released debut novel, Lost Gods. And, I have to say,… Continue reading Creating Legends
Tales Mama Would Tell
Originally published at Fantasy Faction to accompany the press release for Lost Gods… When I was a kid my mother would tell me and my siblings fables, these sort of half made up Nigerian folktales-come-bedtime stories that often began and ended with a fantastical twist. Like the tale of how the sky came to be so… Continue reading Tales Mama Would Tell
Chaos Theory
Current headspace: I wake up at 5:30am this morning, write this on my phone in about 5 mins, then go back to sleep. Go figure. Think I'll call it Chaos Theory. Seems apt somehow... There's a season for the sun And a season for the rain There's a season to have fun And a season… Continue reading Chaos Theory
The Habit of Art
There's this strange nebulous space you tend to occupy as a writer, or even, perhaps, a creator or storyteller of any kind; a sort of hovering furtive interstice between here and elsewhere, wakefulness and daydream, vivid yet vague; like a mental version of twilight. Which is why I loved stumbling across this excerpt from Jane Vandenburgh's Architecture… Continue reading The Habit of Art
‘Music is For People’: An Interview With UK Soul Singer, Samm Henshaw
So you may recall that I'd mentioned interviewing Samm Henshaw a while back for The Nubian Times, which, on a personal level, was a very fun experience. I mean, the guy's arguably the most talented soul artist to emerge from these shores in the last two decades. Not only that, he was a seriously fascinating… Continue reading ‘Music is For People’: An Interview With UK Soul Singer, Samm Henshaw
The Future is Bright, The Future is… Social Media?
I'm told public speaking is consistently ranked as many people's greatest fear... yeah, that's right - above heights, spiders, snakes, clowns (I still don't get why anyone likes clowns) etc. In fact, in many surveys public speaking is even ranked above the fear of death. Which, in my opinion, is all the more reason for… Continue reading The Future is Bright, The Future is… Social Media?
There’s Nothing New About The News
Originally a rapper, and then a poet, for the last year Tom Bishop has been occupying that loose sliding space that lingers between the two, the stripped down art known as spoken word. After connecting with him during one of his live performances last month at Sandbar's grime and hip hop night, Mic Check, I… Continue reading There’s Nothing New About The News
Anatomy of a Self Portrait
So, in the lead up to Christmas I stumbled upon a drawing set someone had given me the previous year; a neat shallow tin of sketching pencils which, I thought, was a pretty cool gift, the kind of nostalgia-laden offering that had conjured up notions of taking stock and adjusting my lifestyle, i.e., I used… Continue reading Anatomy of a Self Portrait
Micah Yongo 