Scan barcode
A review by shonatiger
Best of Isele Anthology by Ukamaka Olisakwe
4.0
I have just finished reading this wonderful compilation of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry from Isele Magazine. The collection is their first, featuring pieces that appeared in the magazine, from its inception to January 2022.
I found most of the contributions excellent, across all the represented genres, making this, for me, an above-average collection. There is a wonderful diversity of voices and story, and everything in here, even the pieces I did not enjoy, is worth reading.
My favourites:
The Year of the Sun, by Esther Ifesinachi Okonkwo, for the beautiful writing, and beautiful story.
Today She Will, by Saratu Abiola for its fun structure.
My favourite poem: Poem In Which A Foreign National Carries Out Activities Of A Political Nature, by Sarah Rebecca Kersley.
Sense of Touch, by Nora Nneka, a painful non-fiction piece about a woman’s relationship to her mother, about bearing a child, and about her own childhood abuse.
Feeling Your Way Home, by Uche Osundu, non-fiction on the conception of home.
Serengeti Saga, by Sylia K. Ilahuka, an amusing and fun true story about being lost in the Serengeti.
This Is Not My Hand On Your Back, by Tyler Orion, which had me thinking about cis men’s control of the way women are present in the world.
An Odd Sort of Thursday, by Ria Dhingra, a brilliant meditation on writing.
Glowworm, by Tayler Bunge, a beautiful and moving short story about loss, love, and abandonment.
Isele’s stated mission, according to their website, is to
publish writers and artists who hold a mirror to … society, who challenge conventional expectations about ways of being, how to be, and who decides who should be.
In this, this excellent compilation succeeds.
Thank you to NetGalley and to Iskanchi Press for this galley.
I found most of the contributions excellent, across all the represented genres, making this, for me, an above-average collection. There is a wonderful diversity of voices and story, and everything in here, even the pieces I did not enjoy, is worth reading.
My favourites:
The Year of the Sun, by Esther Ifesinachi Okonkwo, for the beautiful writing, and beautiful story.
Today She Will, by Saratu Abiola for its fun structure.
My favourite poem: Poem In Which A Foreign National Carries Out Activities Of A Political Nature, by Sarah Rebecca Kersley.
Sense of Touch, by Nora Nneka, a painful non-fiction piece about a woman’s relationship to her mother, about bearing a child, and about her own childhood abuse.
Feeling Your Way Home, by Uche Osundu, non-fiction on the conception of home.
Serengeti Saga, by Sylia K. Ilahuka, an amusing and fun true story about being lost in the Serengeti.
This Is Not My Hand On Your Back, by Tyler Orion, which had me thinking about cis men’s control of the way women are present in the world.
An Odd Sort of Thursday, by Ria Dhingra, a brilliant meditation on writing.
Glowworm, by Tayler Bunge, a beautiful and moving short story about loss, love, and abandonment.
Isele’s stated mission, according to their website, is to
publish writers and artists who hold a mirror to … society, who challenge conventional expectations about ways of being, how to be, and who decides who should be.
In this, this excellent compilation succeeds.
Thank you to NetGalley and to Iskanchi Press for this galley.