A New Era
When Bronwyn King conceived the idea of JAY Lit in 2019, the overarching goal was to create a space that was dedicated to inspiring, motivating, and uplifting African youths in the area of literature, while showcasing their awesome talents to the world. This JAY Lit had always done through the publication of its issues, until the desire to do more overtook us and a comprehensive change became necessary. Life they say is in stages—this does not apply to humans alone. Change is as constant as taxes, as death, but it is not always beautiful, not always without chaos.
Luckily, when change visited us, the only chaos we felt was that of beautiful things transforming to even more beautiful forms. Some of the things birthed have included a general rebrand, as well as a brand new website loaded with lots of features designed to further drive our goal from inception: “inspire, motivate, and uplift African youths in the area of literature, while showcasing their awesome talents to the world”.
We’re now an outlet for regular literary news and opportunities, a monthly spotlight series, and a bi-monthly interview series. We even introduced a picture section that showcases beautiful sceneries from all over Africa as a means of countering the de facto western image of our continent that is always reeking of hunger, diseases, war, and regression.
In all of these, however, our primary purpose is not forgotten. We’ve had six beautiful issues under our old identity, and now that change has come upon us, it’s time for a new era of issues which promises to build on the legacy of the old while daring to raise the standards set. JAY Lit Issue 7 is the gateway to that era, and from Mustapha Enesi’s 2021 K & L Prize-winning story, “Kesandu”, to Sheg Aranmolate’s Obirin Series (our cover) which, in 2023, was selected for exhibition at The Kimpton Angeler’s Hotel, the issue is packed with amazing talent and unbridled creativity.
Thanks to all contributors, because without them, there is no JAY Lit Issue 7; likewise my amazing team: Deborah, Gabriel, Aminat, Talius, Tobi (Ojenike), Iruoma, Aishat, Tobi (Bakare), Bongiwe, Kaushar. All their efforts created this magic. Well done to them!
And happy feasting to you, dear esteemed reader!
Click here for the new issue.
Ibrahim Babátúndé Ibrahim
Ibrahim is a Nigerian writer and editor currently based in the UK. He won the Quramo Writers' Prize in 2022 and was selected for the Best Small Fictions anthology in 2024. He was a finalist for the Faber Children's FAB Prize (2023), the Miles Morland Writing Scholarship (2022), a Masters Review anthology prize (2023), and twice for the Moon City Short Fiction Award (2022 & 2023). He has also been longlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize (2022), the Laura Kinsella Fellowship (2022), and the Dzanc Diverse Voices Prize (2021). He has multiple nominations for both the Pushcart Prize and the Best of the Net. Among other things, he is currently the Managing Editor at JAY Lit and a Fiction Judge at NYC Midnight. He’s @heemthewriter on Twitter and Facebook, and @writtenbyheem on Instagram and Threads. His work can be found on https://linktr.ee/heemthewriter.
