Trapeze has acquired a collection of short stories edge from here and an untitled novel by writer, actor, and social commentator Kelechi Okafor.
Editor-in-Chief Sareeta Domingo negotiated the UK and Commonwealth Except Canada Rights treaty in direct contact with MMB Creative’s Sallyanne Sweeney.
edge from here will be released in hardcover as one of the main titles of Trapeze in September 2023, while Okafor’s novel is scheduled for release in autumn 2024.
The publisher describes edge from here as a collection of stories that explore contemporary femininity, with a storytelling sensibility that deftly blends the modern with speculative concepts, both ancient and futuristic.
It continues, “From a black nurse dealing with a white woman whose voluntarily installed ‘ally chip’ (allowing her to feel a chosen donor’s emotions) isn’t working, to the Yoruba influenced one Story of a renowned mental health expert who harbors a mysterious secret for a woman who uses a VR-like headset to explore an alternative love life with the man she meets at her son’s school gates, these are unique and timely Stories related to their explorations of our society. past, present and future.”
Domingo said, “Kechi’s talents seem to know no bounds and I couldn’t be more excited to be able to facilitate her novel writing journey in this way.
“Her imagination and skill as a writer will not surprise those who have followed her journey for years, and her numerous fans will not be disappointed in the stories in Edge of Here and her forthcoming novel.
“I was blown away as soon as I started reading, and the quality of Kelechi’s fiction is guaranteed to bring her to a whole new audience as well. Her writing has an exciting, society-skewering feel that is tremendously relatable, thought-provoking, and accessible. She truly is one of the most exciting contemporary voices in Britain and is the ultimate embodiment of Trapeze’s aims – she dictates the conversation and I have no doubt she will continue to do so as a writer.”
Okafor, who hosts the Say Your Mind podcast and whose lyrics have been included in the collection It’s not okay to feel blue (Penguin), edited by Scarlett Curtis, said, “I’m really excited to be collaborating with Sareeta in such a creative way.
“I am very grateful for Sareeta’s encouragement to show the different facets of my creativity in a way that is very close to my heart. edge from here is the book I’ve been waiting for and that’s why I wrote it. Each short story at first seems like a world we recognize, but I look forward to showing readers the edge. The fleeting remoteness of our everyday life. I believe that using our imagination is revolutionary.”
