Walking the Tightrope: Poetry and Prose by LGBTQ Writers from Africa

Among the first of its kind, this book is composed of works by writers from different parts of Sun-Saharan Africa, including first and second generation Africans in the diaspora. With this anthology, the editors seek to challenge and engage individuals and institutions that consider homosexuality immoral. In many African countries, homosexuals are subject to corporal punishment, imprisonment, or even death, simply because of their sexual orientation. These hateful acts are further galvanized by such slogans as "to be homosexual is un-African." The writers within these pages reject this notion and all acts of aggression against members of LGBTQ communities in Africa.

“This an anthology of young LGBTI African writers whose words explore desire, confusion, familial isolation, and self-determination. These are proud voices – beckoning us all to listen, to hear, and to affirm.” - Melissa Kiguwa, Author of Reveries of Longing

“The publication of Walking the Tightrope could not be more timely or relevant. It questions the wave of homophobic fervor currently sweeping across contemporary Africa, and the single code of heterosexuality hoisted on the flag of nationalism to score points on religious and moral superiority. Unequivocally, the voices assert, they are not a symbol of moral decadence, or a ‘choice’; rather, their sexuality, their gender is natural to their creation. These voices are pressing, vital, and cause for deep reflection." - Omofolabo Ajayi Soyinka, Professor Emerita of Women's Studies and Gender& Sexuality Studies