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A young woman loses her grip on reality, destroyed by being the mistress of a powerful general. A pastor hides the innocent from marauding gangs hyped up by post-election fervor. A philosophy professor struggles against his better judgment to save everyone but himself. In present day Nigeria, there are many centers of the universe.
Told from various points of view,"The Sound of Things to Come" departs from the strictures of linear narratives. Loosely centered on the activities of a church, the many colorfully drawn characters in Emmanuel Iduma’s breakthrough novel illuminate the complex interconnectedness of a community where individuals struggle through their own painful dramas.
First published in 2012 as "Farad" in Nigeria, Iduma’s novel is the disruptive harbinger of Nigeria's rising generation of writers.
“Iduma deploys a meta-psychological technique where his characters are dissected for both experiences and motives,” says award-winning poet Dami Ajayi about "The Sound of Things to Come." “The innards of his characters are exhibited as though for contemplation…And in spite of this experimental foray, their humanity is left intact.”
Emmanuel Iduma was born and raised in Nigeria, where he trained as a lawyer. In 2015 he received an MFA in art criticism and writing from the School of Visual Arts in New York. An essayist and art critic, he is also co-founder of Saraba Magazine and co-editor of the anthology Gambit: Newer African Writing.
"The Sound of Things to Come" (The Mantle, $15.95, 216 pages, 5.5 x 8.5, ISBN 978-0-9965770-9-0) is available for pre-order and will be published this summer in paperback and ebook. For more information, visit mantlebooks.com.
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