Captive

Part 1: Claustrophobia, Inescapable Obsession

1. If the Honey is Sweet, Why Does the Bee Sting?– Salma Yusuf
When Swafiya's husband tells her he wants to take a second wife, she is at an impasse -- until a visit to a mysterious woman who lives in a cave on the beach gives her the courage to make the best decision for herself and her daughter.

2. The Sting– Sola Njoku
A new mother discovers the sting of her husband’s betrayal in a clothing store dressing room and begins to obsess over their relationship and his affairs.

3. Wednesday’s Delight– Aba Asibon
Wednesday lunch dates with a daughter he never knew existed give a retired gentleman a new lease on life, yet he grapples with the meaning of fatherhood and how to connect with her.

4. On Chancellor’s Street– Kabubu Mutua
Two students negotiate their shared space while friendship and love blossom during a coup in Kenya.

5. In Madam’s House– Emily Pensulo
A young woman, who was raised to believe failure is in her DNA, is seduced by material luxuries and envies the life of her Madam while she is away in the Maldives.

6. Manifesting– Doreen Anyango
An up-and-coming professional Ugandan couple find that the dream house they've been sacrificing for years to build, and the "perfect life" they strive to present to the public, are increasingly meaningless as the wife struggles with the aftermath of a miscarriage and her growing dread that her husband is unfaithful.

7. The Third Commandment– Khumbo Mhone
When Upile sends her second-born away to hide her existence from the Sons of the Nation and save her life, the weight of her secret alienates her oldest daughter and fractures the family.

8. My little darling won’t you dance/eat with me?– Yovanka Paquete Perdigao
Omar is delighted when he is unexpectedly recruited to a virtual reality company, but when he tests their new L<3VE app, he discovers that love can devour you.

9. The Day the City Wept– Moso Sematlane
In post-apocalyptic Maseru, where AI Sentients seek to use emotion to control humans, a revolutionary televises his final act of rebellion while his lover watches.

10. Girl’s Best Friend– N.A. Dawn
While fleeing her predatory babysitter, fourteen-year-old Joana finds herself face-to-face with the paranormal.

11. Good Things Come– Josephine Sokan
A neurodiverse young woman steals love on a London bus to the beats of Tom Jones.

12. Heaven’s Mouth– Zanta Nkumane
A man returns to his home town, where time stagnates, so he can move on with his life.

Part 2: Metamorphosis, Cycles and Identity

1. Vanishing– Kabubu Mutua
A young man is left standing at the altar when the love of his life leaves town with his dowry.

2. I Am What I Am Not– N.A. Dawn
An all-knowing cosmic intelligence relishes the creative process of spawning a universe, but finds itself longing for a more human experience than godhood allows.

3. Exodus– Emily Pensulo
Lucia loses her faith after her pastor's unexpected indiscretion.

4. Prayer Times– Salma Yusuf
This unusual story takes the form of a long poem, which weaves together the prayer rituals of the Muslim faith, the role played by gender expectations in Mombasa families, the tradition of daf-drumming, and the influence of social media in the life of the young woman narrator, who makes a small but significant stand for herself.

5. The River– Moso Sematlane
A group of childhood friends is scarred and forever altered when a man sits down to watch their wrestling match, and after they left a friend walk home alone.

6. Corpse Driver– Khumbo Mhone
In New Blantyre, a futuristic taxi transports bodies to their graves in the sugar district with mysterious consequences.

7. Gray– Sola Njoku
A footloose middle-aged woman’s infatuation consumes a young man who crosses her path.

8. Mvelicanti's Gift– Zanta Nkumane
Nkosi, a two-legged prince, faces the prejudices of his people in a tale that turns the ideas of what it means to be able-bodied on its head.

9. Akua’ba– Aba Asibon
Tano grapples with the cultural expectations placed on and neglects the fertility Akua’ba her mother had crafted for her.

10. Ẹlẹ́dẹ̀ Kekere (Little Pig)– Josephine Sokan
On Ibukan's 18^thbirthday he starts to transform into a lizard and see things he shouldn't.

11. Nankya’s Ghost– Doreen Anyango
A mother's gift (passed down from her own mother) for telling her daughter folk tales comes alive when she returns from death as a dragonfly. In this guise, she is able to protect her child and home from her abusive former husband and the woman with whom he has replaced her.

Part 3: Self-awareness, Illusion, Delusion and Deception

1. Pasture– Aba Asibon
A male nurse leaves home and his fiancée for greener pastures in New York, only to discover that the life of an immigrant is not as wonderful as his cousin made it out to be.

2. Sleight of Hand– Josephine Sokan
A woman's stealing to fill the void of loneliness becomes a demon that can never be purged.

3. The Darkness Wins Sometimes– Doreen Anyango
This story, in the form of a spontaneous letter from a woman to her best friend, is a powerful and poignant tribute to the strength of friendships between women. It traces a history of support and sharing -- from boarding school adventures to romantic disasters with the wrong men, abortion, struggles with alcohol, early widowhood and more -- that will ring true for many.

4. N’ganga– Emily Pensulo
Henry's neighbour suggests he visits a N'ganga to heal a persistent cough with unexpected results.

5. Section 47– Sola Njoku
A mother's anxiety for her child in a prejudiced world brings her greatest fear to pass.

6. Elsewhere– Kabubu Mutua
Two workers from Kenya live in the Arabian Peninsula, seduced by the luxury and the sand that cleans their lungs, until an enticing ghost appears, and their very existence comes under threat.

7. Petals– Zanta Nkumane
A drone bee has an existential crisis, longing to break free of biological destiny.

8. The Girl with Three Faces– Khumbo Mhone
In a retelling of well-known fairy tales, Sindi discovers a magic wish-granting mirror, and discovers that the only true way to find adventure is to venture into the world herself.

9. Changes in Ownership– Moso Sematlane

A furniture store clerk in a small town soothes his loneliness and broken soul in the unwilling arms of a man who cannot love him.

10. With Open Palms Barred– N.A. Dawn
A dying dignitary ruminates on the life he's led and opportunities missed.

11. The Circle of History– Salma Yusuf
In this story of intergenerational betrayal, loss and restoration, Narman's grandmother finally tells her the truth about her origins, in an eerie tale set on the East African coast and its islands.