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Africa: Stories in the 55

Burundian novel Baho! looks at the weight of memory; Nneka Arimah's apocalyptic sci-fi short story

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In this month's Africa: Stories in the 55, we speak with Burundian writer Roland Rugero about his novel, Baho! and how Burundi's political crisis is intertwined with the weight of memory. And we take another look at Nigerian Lesley Nneka Arimah's science fiction short story, "What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky."

Burundian author Roland Rugero
Burundian author Roland Rugero © Greg Bal
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Lauded as the first Burundian novel to be translated into English, Baho!, published by Phoneme Media, highlights the reality of rural Burundi, and how Nyamuragi, the deaf main character, tries to wordlessly manoeuvre his way through a false accusation. Novelist Roland Rugero writes of the harsh realities of "politics wrapped in ethnic memory," while introducing readers to the beauty of Kirundi, the national language.

Burundian novelist Roland Rugero speaks to Africa: Stories in the 55 about his novel, Baho!

One of the Caine Prize shortlistees for her futuristic short story "What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky", Lesley Nneka Arimah speaks about the craft of science fiction writing and reads an exerpt:

Listen to Nigerian writer Lesley Nneka Arimah read from her short story, "What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky"

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