Rethinking The African Narrative – Repenser le Récit Africain
This piece is part of African Dialogues, a special Africa Day collection exploring African metaphysical thought, memory, identity, and contemporary realities through writing. A conversation between two strangers about 54 countries. Marc: So, where are you from? Leyla: I am from Africa. Marc: Oh wow, all the way from Africa. That is far away. Leyla:... Continue Reading →
There is something liberating about writing, about putting truth, pain, joy, and uncomfortable feelings on paper, so it can stay there for the world. This year I did it. I launched a collection of short stories (in French, with the English version scheduled for mid-2026) rooted in our contemporary reality as Africans. What does a... Continue Reading →
“To Baba and Mama, for encouraging my dreams where words come to life.” “You should start writing,” my mom once told me as I shared stories from a trip. It took me years after that conversation to finally put words on paper. The beginning was slow and tedious, but the more I pushed myself to... Continue Reading →
“There is no mountain higher than the knee of the Hmong people.” A saying from Vietnam For my first visit to Vietnam, I wanted to escape hotel bookings (except in the capital) and the long list of tourist traps to spend more time within a community. I always believe that is the best way to... Continue Reading →
Creative minds have always been the heartbeat of society, the quiet force that keeps its stories alive. In each country, there is a book that has changed national perspectives, a singer or actor that the country is known for, and artists who spread a message through various forms. What would literature be like without Amadou... Continue Reading →
Roaming around in certain parts of the world, children’s curiosity about my skin color is always an opportunity to share culture. In 2014, on a bus ride from Antananarivo, the bustling capital of Madagascar, to Antsirabe, another city, I shared a ride with my host family and another family who were all Malagasy. During the... Continue Reading →
Mon enfance en Centrafrique – Entre joie et conflit, la résilience prévaut Alors que je rappelle ma vie en République centrafricaine entre 2001 et 2007, j’ai deux séries de souvenirs : la belle, remplie d'amitiés, de rires et de communauté ; et la difficile, lorsque j'ai traversé des coups d'État militaires, de la peur et... Continue Reading →
“Peace only lasts as long as it takes them to reload their weapons” as the song Malheur Malheur by Maître Gims says was on my mind during the capture of the city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in January 2025. Watching the news around the fall of Goma brought me back... Continue Reading →
In celebrating August 31st, International Blogging Day, I reflect on why blogging has become a tool of thought. One evening, while I was visiting the family, I followed my dad on his library run. I figured I could roam around and look at books while he worked. A random idea about writing, navigating cross-continent life,... Continue Reading →
On a trip to London, my fellow bookworm friend Ruwaydah made plans for us to visit Foyles, a renowned bookstore in the city. ‘You would love it,’ she said, and she was right. We both love libraries, so it was easy to spend hours at Foyles checking out books, flipping the pages to get a... Continue Reading →
We Write Afrika 