It’s true – You don’t exactly expect to find your thoughts being drawn to the writings of a dead academic (even a great one) whilst watching a Marvel movie, but if there’s one thing that becomes clear whilst watching Ryan Coogler’s quite frankly epic rendering of the Black Panther mythos, it’s that this is a… Continue reading Why Black Panther is the Movie of the Future
Tag: culture
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
“Music is for people”: The Wisdom of Samm Henshaw
So I had the recent pleasure of sitting down with upcoming UK soul artist Samm Henshaw to interview him for Manchester-based newspaper, The Nubian Times. Samm, recently signed by Columbia Records, is a singer, songwriter, guitarist, keyboard player... basically he's a ridiculously talented artist and, pleasantly, incredibly humble too. You can check out some of… Continue reading “Music is for people”: The Wisdom of Samm Henshaw
King Lear: A World Where Race Doesn’t Matter?
Thrilling, moving, visceral - at some point you run out of words to explain the feelings that run through you after watching Michael Buffong's stunning adaptation of King Lear. I went to the showing at Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre last night and loved pretty much every minute of it. The dark, modern soundscape, the ridiculously… Continue reading King Lear: A World Where Race Doesn’t Matter?
3 Surprising Reasons Batman v Superman is the Worst Superhero Movie Ever
So I finally plucked up the courage to go and see Batman v Superman. I’d done my best to avoid the mounting number of mixed reviews. I’d held the negativity surrounding the release at arms length. I told myself, whatever my misgivings about the casting of Ben Affleck as Batman, and whatever the film’s flaws,… Continue reading 3 Surprising Reasons Batman v Superman is the Worst Superhero Movie Ever
Book Review: ‘Technologies of the Self’ by Haris Durrani
So I recently had the pleasure of reading and reviewing Haris A. Durrani’s debut novella, Technologies of the Self, for Media Diversified. Durrani’s stories, memoirs, and essays have appeared in a variety of publications including Analog Science Fiction and Fact, The University of Toronto Undergraduate Journal of Middle East Studies, The 2014 Campbellian Anthology and… Continue reading Book Review: ‘Technologies of the Self’ by Haris Durrani
The Novel: Shark or Dinosaur
Late last year I had the pleasure of attending the Northern Lights Writer’s Conference, an event part sponsored by the Manchester Literature Festival, and in only its second year. I was bought the tickets by a couple of friends as a birthday present (pays to have good ones) and so, having never had the opportunity to… Continue reading The Novel: Shark or Dinosaur
‘When We Write Well, We Bear Witness to the Times’: An Interview With Poet & Author, Peter Kalu
So I recently had the good fortune to meet and then later interview playwright, poet and novelist, Peter Kalu. As well as publishing multiple short stories and several novels, Kalu has worked with the BBC and also been involved in a variety of initiatives to support young writers through his work at Commonword; a community project to promote and… Continue reading ‘When We Write Well, We Bear Witness to the Times’: An Interview With Poet & Author, Peter Kalu
Why Media Diversity Matters
I remember the vague and brief puzzlement when my mother told me there were no words, in our mother tongue (which is Tiv, a Nigerian language, of which, incidentally, there are several hundred), for ‘he’ or ‘she’. It was hard for me then – kind of still is – to get that to sit right. I mean,… Continue reading Why Media Diversity Matters
Why is Good News No News?
So here’s the thing. Charlie Beckett is a former news editor with more than 20 years’ experience of international journalism. He’s worked in established mainstream outlets including the BBC and ITN’s Channel 4 News. He is also a professor at the London School of Economics and the founding director of POLIS; a think-tank for researching the… Continue reading Why is Good News No News?
Micah Yongo 