Icatha - The Soul Eater

Naija Stories Anthology

by Oyinkan Braithwaite, Olachi Ekechukwu, Samuel Okopi

Icatha: The Soul Eater boasts of legends and myths, creatures and lesser gods, superstitions and taboos, in the past, in the present, and neither here nor there. The fables and tales in this collection reflect the worldview that determine who we are and what we believe in.

The stories offer a rich panorama of the folkloric heritage of diverse cultures of Nigeria - tales of innocence and triumph, heroes and villains, and of animals, tricksters, and the end of the world. Or so it appears to some of the characters who lived through it.

Genres: Anthologies, African Literature, Short Stories

78 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

OYINKAN BRAITHWAITE is a graduate of Creative Writing and Law from Kingston University. Following her degree, she worked as an assistant editor at Kachifo, a Nigerian publishing house, and has been freelancing as a writer and editor since. In 2014, she was shortlisted as a top-ten spoken-word artist in the Eko Poetry Slam, and in 2016 she was a finalist for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. She lives in Lagos, Nigeria.

Reviews

[Joanna’s Reading Rainbow · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a 72 page anthology consisting of five Nigerian short stories. Although they weren’t what I was expecting, they were interesting reads. The themes examined are dark — death, demons, and superstitions. My two favorites are “Icatha: The Soul Eater” by Oyinkan Braithwaite and “Searching” by Obinna Udenwe.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty hit or miss collection. Some of the stories held my interest more than others although I can't say I was really engrossed by any.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great writing, but was a little disappointed with the story line.