The only difference between Africa and Kasali's Africa is the man Kasali Adebayor, a farmer, a crusader for the traditions of his ancestors, sees himself first as a Yoruba man, and then as an African and then as a Nigerian.
Kasali lives on his farm located in the distant end of Akure in South West Nigeria; a place of an unending tussle between the ancient and the modern. Kasali's links with Baba Ewejoko, a witch doctor that lives on the peak of Idanre hills, makes him a darling of the President of Liberia and the President of Nigeria.
In his farm, in the east end of the city, the farmer is close enough to wield his influence in the city but far from the perceived weight of 20th – century civilisation. He fights to shield his wives – five of them – from the prominence of feminists; he is in a bittersweet relationship with the press, and he conceals his hatred for the educated elite, even as the educated elite despises him.
Soon Kasali's abusive treatment of Bola – one of his wives – comes to light; Bisola, one of Kasali's daughters, learns to read and gets pregnant, not knowing the father of her child, both acts arouse the wrath of her father.
In Liberia where President Glay grapples with the advance of well-armed rebels bent on sacking his government, the national crises shake Kasali, but not like the shaking of the adventure-turned-tragedy of Kasali's most loved wife.
RELEASE
Kasali's Africa is billed to be released officially on Monday 23rd April, 2018.
It will be available in paperback and e-book formats in the following places:
Akure, Nigeria
- Ceci Plaza, Alagbaka Akure
Lagos, Nigeria
- Terra Kulture, 1376 Tiamiyu Savage Street, VI.
- Laterna Ventures, 13 Oko Awo, VI
- Ebeano Supermarket Plot 9, Northern Business District, Lekki Phase 1.
International
Also available online at Amazon, Amazon Kindle, Inktera, Okada Books, Roving Heights, Barnes, and Nobles.
THE WRITING PROCESS
The first part of Kasali's Africa was the chapter "A Family Affair" (2013), which was inspired by my contact with some conservative residents of Akure and their defiance in the face of 21st-century savvy ideas that could have been tolerated, if not embraced, in cities like Lagos and Johannesburg.
After writing it I was intrigued by Kasali; I loved him and I hated him, but I got curious and couldn't stop there. Then I wrote the "Kasali's Love" (2014), which then appeared online in "Fiction On the Web".
Professor Briggs was inspired by the feminist movement in Nigeria and their friends and their opponents; and the typical reaction of the patriarchal society to feminism.
The parts set in Liberia is inspired by the stories I heard through a friend whose father was one of the Nigerian soldiers deployed to Liberia during the first Liberian civil war. As childhood friends she would share her fears that her father could soon be brought home in a flag-wrapped coffin.
When her father came back, he came back with stories too.
It took three months of writing every night on weekdays for three months to finish the story.
THE WRITER
He was educated at Damelin Bramley College, Johannesburg; the University of Ibadan; and AFDA Johannesburg.
He started writing poetry and song lyrics at an early age (12) – inspired by the popular boybands of the times (Backstreet Boys, Westlife, Nsync, Boyzone) – before graduating to short story writing. He has written over 60 short stories, which are works of realist fiction, and a few science fiction works.
He has worked on film and TV productions in the UK, Nigeria, and South Africa.
As a writer, his works has appeared online in Litro, African Writer, Brittle Paper, Bakwa Magazine, Fiction On the Web, Bella Naija, Agbowo and 365 Tomorrows; and in anthologies "One Hundred Voices Volume 1 by Centum Press" (2016), and "The Best of Fiction on the web" (2018).
As a public speaker he is known for his TED talks which are available online (TEDxKids and TEDxAkure).
He loves and adores Alice Munro as the best writer in his world; he also loves T C Boyle, John Grisham, Ben Okri, C S Lewis, J M Coetzee, Wole Soyinka and Chinua Achebe.
Need a peep into Kasali's Africa? Read it HERE
Watch Kasali's Africa trailer HERE
