Celebrated Nigerian author Akwaeke Emezi has announced a new novel titled Sọmadịna, a West African young adult dark fantasy, set to be published by Underlined Press on April 15, 2025.
Known for their genre-spanning work, Emezi returns with a work that combines the supernatural with elements of Igbo tradition and the Biafran War.
Emezi is a prolific writer. Sọmadịna is their ninth book, following Little Rot, released earlier in 2024.
Sọmadịna is a “village girl fantasy.” It tells the story of a young girl who must save her missing twin while coming to grips with terrifying new powers.
Synopsis
Somadina and her twin brother, Jayaike, are practically the same person: they finish each other’s sentences and make each other whole. When the twins come of age, their magical gifts begin to develop, but while Jayaike’s powers enchant, Somadina’s cause fear to ripple through her town. Always an outsider, Somadina now faces blatant–and dangerous–hostility. And things go from bad to worse when her brother—the one person she trusted—vanishes. Somadina knows that no matter the dangers, she must track him down. Even if it means entering the Sacred Forest. Even if it means gruelling, otherworldly travel she may not survive. Even if it means finding the hidden places where those closest to the spirit world don’t dare to go. Does Somadina have the strength –within both her body and her soul — for the trying journey ahead?
The novel is set in a world inspired by pre-colonial Igboland and filled with spiritual lore, deities, and dịbịas (indigenous healers), drawing readers close to the spirit world. Emezi’s Instagram announcement hints at themes of re-indigenization and liberation. They write in the Instagram caption:
“I believe with my whole being that re-indigenization is fundamental to liberation, and so I’m glad to offer up this village girl fantasy,”
Based on other titles by Emezi like Freshwater and PET, readers should expect a well-crafted world where spirituality and fantasy meet.
As Emezi shared on Instagram, this book stands as part of a “clear” creative vision of crafting stories that honour Igbo culture and community resilience.
As anticipation builds for the novel’s release, fans of Emezi’s work can begin to request Sọmadịna from local libraries, preorder it from independent bookstores, or simply follow this link.
Be sure to be on the lookout for Sọmadịna on April 15th, 2025.
Congratulations Emezi!
Bongiwe T. Maphosa
Bongiwe Maphosa is a budding author with a passion for storytelling. With her thought-provoking narratives, she takes her readers on a literary adventure. Bongiwe's works on the human condition from a fresh perspective have earned her recognition and publications in the Avbob Poetry Anthology of 2019, The Writer's Club of South Africa 2021, and JAY Lit in 2021. She hopes to cement her place in the literary community.
