Top 15 recently published books by writers and poets from Sub-Saharan Africa

by Samira Sawlani As the festive season begins, so does the enjoyable and/or stressful task of choosing Christmas presents for loved ones. Fret not; be it for the book and poetry lovers in your life or a reward for yourself after all that shopping, here is a list of recently published fiction and poetry by… Read More

Fashion in the DRC and The Rules of Sapology

FASHION IN THE DRC by Angela Inniss Bold, Bright and Brilliant; just a few words to describe the stunning prints and fabrics used in creating Congolese fashion. Unlike Western trends, Congolese styles are created to stand out from the crowd, making use of both vibrant hues and striking prints, reflecting African culture. Traditionally, Congolese clothing… Read More

Why is classical music still as white as ever?

by Coco Khan Going into a concert hall, you see an entirely white orchestra, a white audience and a white soloist”. I am talking to Julian Lloyd-Webber about the lack of black and ethnic minority people in the cut-throat world of classical music. He describes a common scene; by his own admission a “daunting” one… Read More

Charity, Philanthropy and Media Stereotypes: Africa’s new colonialists?

by Samira Sawlani Starving children with swollen bellies and vacant gazes stare into the camera while a musical melody epitomising agony and inviting sympathy plays in the background. Sponsor a child, save a life, give clean water, cure HIV/AIDS, the list of how you can save the entity which is ‘Africa’ continues. What the gentle… Read More

The Forgotten Cry: DR Congo

From an outsider’s point of view by  Taimour Fazlani Frequently, the plights of certain peoples are forgotten, ignored, or left outside of general debate. This has been repeatedly true for the nation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with a long history of colonial injustices followed by political strife, intense conflict, and economic… Read More

The End Of Western ‘Spheres Of Influence’ Death And Fall Of Africa’s Big Men

by Charles Onyango-Obbo ONE OF the biggest mistakes the world has made about Africa over the years, is to work from the position that it is politics is driven by ethnic rage and fear, a simple desire to grab public goodies for one’s family and clan, ignorance, superstition, and an anti-technology culture. I suspect African… Read More

DR Congo the forgotten war? or #DRC the profitable war?

by BK Kumbi DR Congo is often referred to as a forgotten war,  but to say that would mean that this war has ever existed in the eyes of people. No, Congo is not a forgotten war, it is a war that is not spoken about because there’s a lot of profit in it. But… Read More