In what continues to be a prolific year for award-winning Tanzanian-born Australian author, Eugen Bacon, her newest Sauútiverse novella, The Nga’phandileh Whisperer, is scheduled for reelase on September 2, 2025. The book will be published by Stars and Sabers.
The Nga’phandileh Whisperer casts a strong female protagonist in young Chant’L—a precocious Guardian with an affinity to hive-minded creatures of unreality. Her actions bring peril to the federation of planets, and the Guardians find themselves with a monster problem they must not only keep secret, but resolve. The novella is set in New Inku’lulu, an elite outpost that’s also a space station linked to the Sauútiverse planet of Zezépfeni.
The new novella interrogates themes of belonging, revenge, misuse of power and othering.
According to Eugen:
“I sought to craft this novella to satiate my curiosity about the Nga’phandileh, creatures of unreality in the Sauútiverse.
“I also wanted to write a strong female protagonist into a Sauúti story, and found this in Chant’L—a young Guardian with an affinity to hive-minded beasts, unaware that she has more sound magic than she knows how to use. I am stoked and honored to entrust The Nga’phandileh Whisperer to Jendia Gammon and Gareth Powell, the power couple behind Stars and Sabers Publishing.”
The Sauútiverse is an Afrocentric shared world or universe inspired by the Swahili word ‘sauti’, which means voice or sound. It was created in 2022 by ten African writers and creators who came together to begin the shared world project. One of these writers is Eugen Bacon, and another is Stephen Embleton who created the cover for The Nga’phandileh Whisperer.
In Stephen’s words:
“Getting the opportunity to illustrate anything in our Sauúti shared world is a pleasure and honour. For Eugen Bacon’s “The Nga’phandileh Whisperer”, I had the chance to represent the magic of our science fantasy world, experiment with the visual representation of the sound-based magic system (sound wave patterns) and the Afrocentric elements we all write about in our stories. I got to visualise an ominous moonlit scene alive with texture, colour and movement. African fabrics, beadwork and patterns are rich in inspiration, key elements I drew from to create a tactile illustration. From the central character’s dress detail and jewellery to the rough texture and subtle pattern of the paper background permeating all elements, for me, make it something you want to pick up and hold.”
Earlier in February 2025, JAY Lit shared that Eugen had been awarded the 2024 Otherwise Fellowship. She was also more recently announced as the recipient of the 2025 Kate Wilhelm Solstice Award awarded by SFWA and will be celebrated at the 2025 Nebula Awards ceremony in June 2025.
See also JAY Lit‘s interview of Eugen from May 2024.
Huge congratulations on this incredible feat, Eugen!
Ibrahim Babátúndé Ibrahim
Ibrahim is a Nigerian writer and editor currently based in the UK. He has won the Creative Future Writers’ Awards, the Quramo Writers' Prize, and received support from the Jessica George Bursary. His work has been selected for Best Small Fictions anthology, and has been a finalist for Faber Children's FAB Prize, Miles Morland Writing Scholarship, a Masters Review anthology prize, and twice for Moon City Short Fiction Award. He has also been longlisted for Commonwealth Short Story Prize, Laura Kinsella Fellowship, and Dzanc Diverse Voices Prize. He has multiple nominations for both the Pushcart Prize and the Best of the Net. Among other things, he is currently the Editor of JAY Lit. He’s @heemthewriter on Twitter and Facebook, and @writtenbyheem on Instagram and Threads. More about Ibrahim can be found at www.heemthewriter.com
