Othuke Ominiabohs, founder and publisher of Masobe Books, has acquired Nigerian rights to publish five works by African-Australian author Eugen Bacon.
The acquisition covers:
- Mage of Fools, an Afrofuturistic dystopian novel on climate action and socialism.
- The Road to Woop Woop and Other Stories, an African-Australian collection of short stories.
- Serengotti, a literary novel haunted by the strangeness and yearnings of a displaced community.
- Danged Black Thing, short stories about love and migration, gender, class, patriarchy, and womanhood.
- Chasing Whispers (forthcoming acquisition in 2027), an Afro-irrealist collection of Black speculative fiction in transformative stories of culture, longing, hybridity, and a collision of worlds and folklore.
This landmark agreement—brokered in partnership with Tricia Reeks of Meerkat Press, Barry Scott of Transit Lounge, and Eugen Bacon highlights the strength and possibility of global publishing alliances.
It demonstrates how internationally-minded presses can collaborate directly and seamlessly to deliver award-recognised literature to new readerships, bypassing the traditional constraints of agent‑mediated negotiations while maintaining professionalism, respect, and shared creative vision.
Masobe Books, a leading force in Nigerian publishing, continues to champion a vibrant reading culture by curating compelling voices across Africa and the diaspora. Meerkat Press in the United States is celebrated for its dedication to unforgettable literary and genre‑bending works where excellence drives every publication. Transit Lounge Publishing, based in Melbourne, Australia, is known for its diverse and adventurous list—publishing culturally rich, internationally resonant titles that frequently earn critical acclaim.
Tanzanian‑born Eugen said:
‘I am deeply moved and exhilarated by the open‑mindedness of these publishers coming together for a mutually beneficial arrangement without leaping gazillion hoops.’
She’s a multi‑award‑winning author and editor whose work spans literary, speculative, and Afro‑irreal storytelling. She is a Solstice, British Fantasy, Ignyte, Locus, and Foreword Indies Award winner, and a finalist in the World Fantasy, Shirley Jackson, Aurealis, Philip K. Dick, Victorian Premier’s Literary, and Nommo Awards for speculative fiction by Africans. Eugen is an Otherwise Fellow and was also recognised on the Otherwise Award Honour List for ‘exciting work in gender and speculative fiction.’
Danged Black Thing made the Otherwise Award Honor List as a ‘sharp collection of Afro-Surrealist work’.
Visit her HERE.
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