IQRAA ( READ!)

  SKYSCRAPERS We were known for our failures, And the world saw nothing but our trailers We would stake bet, In order to pay rent We were our own parents, Our own neighbours We had no saviours, Just our sane tears The government and its ministers, Paid no heed to our stress They framed us, And hated us for our existence Their heart was a farm of hatred, Sold to other traders This rough life made us sailors, When we had no soothsayers Infiltrators And perpetrators Even traitors Stripped us naked But the Almighty's favours, Can never be stopped with scissors Before we could say less, He had answered our prayers When we made hay, we made haters, At the end of the game, we became players In all these mayhem, He served us like a waitress We became the Greatest, Before we could say yes A contract with the Lakers, And strippers for our entertainment We were the latest, Like Bob Marley and the Wailers We knew no fake f...

Mohammed Dauda, Author of Chattel Review: BeYunus This book speaks about slavery and emancipation in the late 15th century where Aggrey Tandoh, a prince of a kingdom, defies the orders of his father by freeing the slaves. He dreams of travelling abroad in his pursuit of freedom. Along the line, he falls in love with a slave and, because of his choices; his royal status is stripped, affecting his chances of travelling abroad. The story is simple to read and thrilling as well and it comes with rich proverbial sayings, which are very healthy to the reader. It does so by using one of the elders, Ebo, mostly as a mouthpiece for these sayings. Dauda’s Chattel takes a different story structure from other plays or novels. Whereas some might depict brothers, elders, or a stepmother envying the prince because of the throne, Chattel speaks of the prince being rejected by his own father. This is because of his keen vision about the liberation of slaves in their kingdom as well as his God...

Mariska Araba Taylor-Darko, the Author The Iced Water Seller, a 54-paged short story written by Mariska Araba Taylor-Darko,  consists of seven (7) intriguing chapters, which is written in a brief and simple language. Published in 2014, it gets captivating as Araba, a well-to-do woman accidentally or coincidentally bumps into a young hawker. This young hawker would later on turn out to be her lost daughter. Spanning from the first chapter, the story speaks of the encounter of these two women, giving Araba the flashback about her past in the second chapter as well.  The third chapter connects Araba to Sisi Yaa's caretaker, Aunt Caro. Her treatment towards the young girl perturbs Araba. This relays us to Araba's urge to help young girls in situations like hers, in chapter four.  Araba probing further about Sisi Yaa's background, ends up meeting Mansah. Mansah who comes from Araba's town, happens to be the one who took care of Sisi Yaa. Finally, the bitter-sweet new...