Black Prose New Strange

Nigerian novelist and singer-songwriter started writing stories around the age of 10 and less than a decade later, became the youngest woman ever signed by Faber. Her debut novel, The Spider King's Daughter, was published when she was 21 and ever since she has continued to write compelling stories, including her second novel Welcome to Lagos, the Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick Sankofa and her debut children's book Mayowa and the Sea of Words. In this episode, we spoke about how her Christian faith has informed her writing, placing our identity in our careers, the benefits of people watching, what makes a great children's book, "writer math" and how we can better deal with our emotions. 

Order Chibundu's new book Mayowa and the Sea of Words. 
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Produced by New Strange.
Artwork by Matt Munday.
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I'm genuinely so proud of Shaé Universe. Even though I don't know the UK R&B sensation personally, it's been beautiful watching her slow yet steady rise. From going viral on Twitter in 2017 to her debut album Love's Letter, she has continued to wow fans and industry peers with her distinct and sultry voice. In this episode, we spoke about having a clear vision, why she was insecure about her songwriting at one point, being on the cusp of superstardom, the importance of rest, heartbreak and what love has got to do with the music she makes. 

Listen to Shaé's new album Love's Letter.
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Produced by New Strange.
Artwork by Matt Munday.
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When George the Poet — also known as George Mpanga — decided to be a poet and not a rapper, he wanted to undermine the expectations that come with it. So after leaving Island Records to develop his BBC Sounds Peabody award-winning podcast Have You Heard George's Podcast? he found a way to use fiction, non-fiction and music to tell expansive stories about society, history and culture. In his latest book, Track Record: Me, Music, and the War on Blackness, he continues to tell our side of the story through his anti-colonial messaging and elegant use of words. In this episode, we speak about his complex relationship with rap music, how becoming a dad changed the way he measures success, why language can be political, and the responsibility Black writers have to our community.

Listen to George's podcast Have You Heard George's Podcast? 
Order George's new book Track Record: Me, Music, and the War on Blackness. 
Buy tickets to The Poets' Revival at Royal Albert Hall.
Follow George on Twitter and Instagram.
Follow Yolanthe on Twitter and Instagram.
Follow Black Prose on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.
Subscribe to the Black Prose Podcast newsletter on Substack.
Produced by New Strange.
Artwork by Matt Munday.
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DJ, writer and artist manager Elijah is someone who prioritises original thinking, doesn't like to waste time making things perfect and wants other writers to just write the thing. It's probably why his Yellow Squares project has been such a huge success. He's managed to take the art of writing and translate it across to a social media platform that was primarily made for images and build a community where people love to have thought-provoking conversations in the comments. This has led him to university lecture theatres across the world and has even seen his work on billboards and football stadiums. In this episode, we speak about his unconventional writing style, why we need to make the most of our lives, the impact lockdown had on his worldview, building our own lanes, and taking the risks that scare us.

Listen to Elijah's album Make The Ting. 
Watch Elijah's Yellow Square project lecture. 
Follow Elijah on Twitter and Instagram.
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Subscribe to the Black Prose Podcast newsletter on Substack.
Produced by New Strange.
Artwork by Matt Munday.
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Aniefiok Ekpoudom and I really nerded out over our love for the craft of writing. I can’t remember when I first came across the writer and journalist from south London who documents the people, voices and communities of modern Britain. But I do know how his words made me feel. It’s always rich yet delicate. Concise yet fluid. Illuminating yet intimate. In this episode, we speak about how he went about writing his debut book Where We Come From: Rap, Home & Hope in Modern Britain, a writing exercise I was really fascinated by called tracing, pitching your ideas to editors, discovering your niche as a writer, the British dream and why his Guardian interview with The Adenuga’s still means so much to him. 

Buy Aniefiok’s new book Where We Come From: Rap, Home & Hope in Modern Britain.
Follow Aniefiok on Twitter and Instagram
Follow Yolanthe on Twitter and Instagram.
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Subscribe to the Black Prose Podcast newsletter on Substack.
Produced by New Strange.
Artwork by Matt Munday.
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The Cameroonian-American singer Libianca knows her strengths when it comes to songwriting. It's why her breakout single People went viral on TikTok and changed the trajectory of her life overnight. But before the music therapist – as she likes to call herself – captured hearts around the world, she was already making music that feeds the soul. And with the recent release of her new EP Walk Away, Libianca tells me about her peculiar writing practices, why she allows her intuition to guide her, how she goes about transforming her pain and heartbreak into art and discovering emotional intelligence later on in life. 

Listen to Libianca's new EP Walk Away.
Follow Libianca on Twitter, TikTok and Instagram.
Follow Yolanthe on Twitter and Instagram.
Follow Black Prose on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.
Subscribe to the Black Prose Podcast newsletter on Substack.
Produced by New Strange.
Artwork by Matt Munday.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices