Today, the 3rd day of April 2021, BANSI III is officially launch with the title ANATOMY OF BOYS, MEN AND OTHERS. It is the third in the series BOYS ARE NOT STONES anthologies of stories, poems, essays and dramas on the plight of the boy child who are under the weight of societal expectation to be strong. Just strong, never permitted to show weakness. This assumed strength of the boy child and men folk becomes their undoing as the become beasts, scums and flawed gods. If strength has made them so, maybe they should tell the world that they are not stones. That they have been weakened by burdens.
The maiden edition, which was launched in 2018, was greeted with much controversy. Many mocked the initiative, but the organisers of BANSI were not deterred. The initiative is dedicated to lending loud voices to the silent groaning of the boy child.
According to one of the editors, Jaachi Anyatonwu “In all honesty, I dropped tears reading the submitted stories. True life stories that wouldn’t have been told, hadn’t we given the male folk a platform to vent, and tell, and rant.”
This was concerning the second edition titled A COUNTRY OF BROKEN BOYS, where the common theme echoed brokenness of boys and men all over the place.
Also Read: Forward For Anatomy Of Boys, Men And Others, By Jide Badmus
In the latest edition, BANSI extended a hand of friendship to people of non-binary genders. They’ve got stories. Stories that should be told and heard without fear or stigma. Here’s a long list of featured authors.
BANSI III AUTHOR LIST 2021:
- John Chizoba Vincent
~ BECAUSE I AM JOHN CHIZOBA VINCENT - Semilore Kilaso
~ WRONG SIGNALS - Nwuguru Chidiebere Sullivan
~ BURNING OCEAN - Jaachi Anyatonwu
~ FOR BOYS WHO KNOW THEY ARE
~ FOR BOYS WHO RETURNED HOME AS BREAKING NEWS - Shitta Faruq Adémólá
~ THESE BOYS YOU CALL STONES ARE NOT (A LESSON FOR ALL) - Martins Deep
~ DEATH WAS HERE
(To the victims of the southern Kaduna crisis) - Ifeanyi John Nwokeabia
~ I’LL DIE FOR YOU - Praise Osawaru
~ THE CONFIGURATION OF STAYING AFLOAT - Maxwell Onyemaechi Opia-Enwemuche
~ FOR THE BOY CHILD WHO WEARS A RAINBOW FULL OF STORIES
~ FOR BOYS WHO BEG FOR AN OUNCE OF SMILE - Adeyemo Abiodun
~ THE WAR WAS MEANT FOR YOU - Adeoti Quadri Adekunle
~ BECAUSE WE ARE BOYS - Stephen Toochi
~ WHEN EVIL BECOMES TRADITION - Umar Yogiza Jr.
~ HE IS JUST A BOY - Ifunanya Juliet Ottih
~ BOYS DON’T CRY - Nket-Awaj Alpheaus
~ BY BEING HUMAN - Iwu Jeff
~ THE PLATE BOY - Testimony Jesutofunmi
~ FOR BOYS - Solomon Oladipupo
~ OF BOYS & MEN DREAMING OF NAMES - Adedamola Jones Adedayo
~ CATHARSIS - Nwabuisi Kenneth
~ A SEPTEMBER TO REMEMBER - Adeniran Joseph
~ A BOY IS A COUNTRY - Taofeek Ayeyemi (Aswagaawy)
~ A LION NEED NOT DIE ON THE ARMS OF SAMSON - Finum Isaac
~ THE BOY - Ololade Edun
~ BUTTERFLY BOYS - Tomisin Olusola Martins
~ BUSY BODIES - Enobong Etuk
~ ON SUCH DAYS
~ WHITE LIE - Ebubechukwu Bruno Nwagbo
~ GIRLS’ STUFF AND MEN’S THINGS
~THE OTHER SIDE OF A PAMPERED TALE - Kalu Amah
~ WE HAVE BEEN BOYS - Salim Yunusa
~ SHAME ON HER - Okam Cheta
~ MAN
~ HOW TO CREATE A BOY - Dann Nwankwo
~ GIRLS {GET} TOGETHER IS NOT A BOY’S PARTY - Toheeb Aderemi Raji
~ JEZEBELS - Julius Tunde Ige
~ NIGHTS THAT DROWN THE SOUL - Emeka Angus
~ MAN’S PLIGHT - Omowunmi Sulaimon
~ TO THE BOYS WE PUT IN CAGES - Ajibade Abdullahi Adewale
~ CHANGING THE NARRATIVE; THE SILENCE OF THE BOY CHILD
~ FOR BOYS WHO TURNED TO ASHES - Felix Idasimeokuma
~ BOYS ARE NOT STONES - Esther Kalu
~ MASCULINITY - Ifiokobong Etuk
~ FROM BOY TO MAN: THE MAKING - Ifem Chiemerie
~ BOYS ARE NOT STONES - Ayouba Toure
~ WE ARE BODIES IN READINESS TO CHEW BOMBS
(after Biachi Ndidi anointing) - Peace Ufedojo Haruna
~ SHARDS - Emmanuel Ojeikhodion
~ WHEN BROKENNESS CLAIMS A BOY - Favour Ohakwe
~ THE WISH FOR FEWER DAYS - Kwaghkule Aondonengen Jacob
~ WE BURY SADNESS IN OUR SMILES - John Ngbede Festus
~ DEAD INSIDE - Olugbuyiro Success
~FOR THE BOY CHILD: I AM BECAUSE YOU ARE - Ariyo Ahmad
~THE PRAYER OF A POOR BOY - Enyi Christiana Chijioke
~ EMPOWER THE BOY CHILD - Blessings Mphako
~ SUNRISE CAME LATE - David Victor
~ DEAD MEN / HOW TO LIVE - Oluwafisayo Akinfolami
~ POEM IN WHICH YOU ARE - Divine Uchechukwu
~ THE BOY CRIES - Adewara Joses
~ ECHOES - Chimezie Nebolisa
~ TIMS - Sa’id Sa’ad
~ HOW TO BREATHE LIKE A BOY IN A COFFIN - Sodiq Oyekanmi
~ BOYS WHO BURN FROM INSIDE - Temidayo Jacob
~SELF-PORTRAIT OF A BOY WITH TINY JOYSTICK - Wellington Nwogu
~ I AM THAT WRETCHED SON - Temitope Johnson Toyin
~ A REVIEW OF LAGBAJA BY PERUZZI AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE ON FALSE ACCUSATION AGAINST MEN - Sulola Imran Abiola
~ FOR BOYS WHOSE EYES ARE OCEAN’S BANK - Ajao Ibrahim Bello
~ A GOD FROM THE MIDDLE WORLD - Nwankwo Prosper O.
~ MONSTARNATION - Christian Odinaka N.
~ HOW TO NAME A BOY - Gabriel Dkings
~ BOYS ARE NOT STONES - Emecheta Christian
~ BECOMING MEN - Joxzy Otor
~ YOU’RE HUMAN - Eyo Inyangette
~ THE PORTRAIT BOY DARES TO DANCE - Olude S. Peter
~ BOYS ARE CHAMELEONS OF UNPLEASANT THINGS
Anatomy Of Boys, Men and Others is available for download on Poemify Bookstore. Click here to get a free copy. Also available on Afam Writes
For the boy child!
Thank you, Emmanuel, for lending a voice.
For the boy child!
Thank you, Richard, for lending a voice.