Cursed Daughters
A Nigerian story by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Hello and welcome back to Literary Africa. We’re a reader-supported community and incubator for a new generation of African writers. To the 344 of you who have joined us this week, we’re delighted to have you here.
Call me Lewis Hamilton because I was a DRIVER on Saturday. I woke up early, did some light stretches, and prepared for a two-hour drive to Canterbury to visit a friend. From there, I had to drive another two hours to visit another friend in Hertfordshire, and after that, it would take me about an hour to drive back down to North London. Five hours in total, driving in the rain - Lord, help me.
I knew I needed to listen to something to keep my brain occupied, I knew it had to be an audiobook, but I wasn’t sure which one. I’d just finished listening to Brandy’s memoir (not bad, pretty good) and then I’d moved on to Strangers by Belle Burden (two words: fear men) - but on Saturday I was looking for fiction, preferably from the continent. I whipped out my phone but before I had a chance to scroll through my TBR list, I heard a whisper - a soft, small voice with a clear instruction: listen to Cursed Daughters.
I was born and raised in London but I’m VERY Nigerian so it’s incredibly hard to come across a title like ‘Cursed Daughters’ and not feel the instant urge to say ‘God forbid’ - because, seriously, who has time for rubbish? But I remember how much I loved My Sister, the Serial Killer, and Oyinkan Braithwaite was one of the first authors we published in AFREADA, so I knew I was always going to read this. The fourth chapter’s hospital scene definitely had me clicking over my head and shouting “tufiakwa!”, but in my heart of hearts I knew it was too late. I was already hooked.
Cursed Daughters is a multigenerational family saga with elements of magical realism. At the heart of the novel is the Falodun family, whose women believe they are living under a centuries-old curse.
“What’s the curse?” I hear you ask? Well here it is:
“Your daughters are cursed. They will pursue men, but the men will be like water in their palms. Your granddaughters will love in vain. Your great-granddaughters will labor for acknowledgment, but they will fall short of other women. Your daughters, your daughters’ daughters and all the women to come will suffer for man’s sake.”
Chai! That woman really wasn’t joking and now, generations later, Eniiyi, a 25-year-old babe who’s just trying to live her best life with her gorgeous boyfriend in Lagos, has been left to carry the weight.
It’s an extraordinary story but I was partly hooked by the incredible narration by Weruche Opia, Diana Yekinni, and Nnei Opia Clark. Weruche narrated the audiobook for Of This Our Country, a Nigerian anthology I co-edited back when I was at HarperCollins, so I knew she’d be excellent (and she was), but the entire production was just sublime, so it’s no surprise that it recently won the Audiobook: Fiction category at the British Book Awards last month.
I started the book on Saturday, I finished it last night, and the ending left me completely satisfied. 10/10. Chef’s kiss. But the thing I love the most? The fact that the novel explores generational trauma without being traumatic. It’s funny, it’s smart, it’s entertaining, and it features unforgettable characters that will stay with you forever.
If you’ve read it, drop a spoiler-free comment and let me know your thoughts. If you haven’t read it, do you plan on reading it? I’d love to hear from you too!
In Other News
This week, we’re talking about love in all its messy, complicated forms. From a landmark anthology of love stories and Imbolo Mbue’s tender new novel, to a BBC adaptation led by some of our favourite actors. We also have opportunities for writers, and a publishing workshop for our paid subscribers. Keep reading!
AFREADA: Last week, we published our first short story from Malawi. It’s a story that explores the beautiful four o’clock tea ritual that’s observed across the country. I obviously love the story, but I particularly love how a local experience can feel so relatable to readers around the world. One of my favourite reader comments: The morning sun is streaming through the window of my townhouse in suburban Philadelphia as I read Uchizi’s exquisite story. She makes Blantyre and her own history palpable.
We’re looking forward to delivering our first ‘introduction to book publishing’ session for our paid subscribers. It’s for writers who are finishing up their books and wondering “what next?” – it’s also for anyone who’s just curious about what the publishing process entails. Whether you’re writing fiction or non-fiction, we have the answers, and we can’t wait to share. More information and booking links will go live next week.
Cassava Republic's new commercial imprint Ankara Press teams up with Zikoko for 'a landmark anthology of modern Nigerian fictionised love stories' - I read this announcement a few weeks ago and I was intrigued. The stories feature chaotic birthday parties in the thick of Detty December. Break-ups conducted in Lagos traffic. Long-distance relationships sustained on whispered late-night WhatsApp calls. Situationships. Second chances. Asexual intimacy. Long-lasting marriages and quiet betrayals. Sounds fun!
Sticking with love, Canongate has acquired Imbolo Mbue’s ‘hopeful’ third novel. Titled Every Story Is a Love Story, it’s a “tender, conversation-sparking tale about the importance of family and forgiveness, full of warmth and humour and bittersweet vignettes.” When I read her debut novel, Behold the Dreamers, in 2017, it was the first time I’d read a story from Cameroon. It’s been great to see her go on to achieve so much global success (after being endorsed by Oprah!), and I’m looking forward to reading this one.
If you’re in the UK, we thought you should know that the Guardian and 4th Estate 4thWrite Prize is open for submissions. They’re specifically looking for short stories and the winner will receive £1,000, a one-day publishing workshop at 4th Estate and publication on the Guardian website. Bolu Babalola’s story, Netflix and Chill, was shortlisted for the prize in 2016, and if her career is anything to go by, then it’s definitely worth a shot. Deadline: 19th June.
Speaking of deadlines (nah, I’m too good at this!), Deadline recently reported that Cush Jumbo, Adelayo Adedayo, Deborah Ayorinde and Susan Wokoma are leading the cast of Wahala, the BBC adaptation of the Nikki May novel from Rocks writer Theresa Ikoko. The show weaves between four Nigerian-British women in their thirties, navigating careers, love and family in present-day London. I read an early version of Wahala in 2020, and just remember it being chaotic! I’m a huge fan of Theresa Ikoko so looking forward to her adaptation - but I’m not gonna lie, the most exciting thing about this announcement is the confirmation that they’ll be joined by the queen, the legend, the icon, Genevieve Nnaji.
And finally, I was delighted to see that Little, Brown’s Robinson imprint acquired Ola Labib’s debut. Ola is a Sudanese comedian, actor and writer. I came across her work in 2023 when I was preparing to deliver a keynote at the FutureBook conference. My message to publishers was simple: we need to be finding and developing more stories from writers like Ola. Now, I’m not saying I’m the reason her book got acquired, but if anyone wants to cut me a cheque, please make it payable to Nancy Nneka Adimora.
That’s all for this week! A huge thank you to everyone who’s upgraded their subscriptions, we appreciate your support and we’ll do our best to make sure we’re always offering as much value as possible. We’re finalising plans for our virtual writing clubs, and some content will be paywalled from next week - but we’ll be emailing you separately, so keep an eye on your inbox! :)
Final Note
“That’s the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet.”
— Jhumpa Lahiri
I loved Cursed Daughters too, and 'sublime' is definitely the word for that audiobook production - it's a masterpiece! Can't wait to check out the new novel from Imbolo Mbue too.
I truly loved the book, the different characters, and of course the eternal dog. The audio book was fantastic.