Draft:Love Grows Stronger in Death

Love Grows Stronger in Death is an anthology of short fiction by 15 writers from Africa and the African diaspora.. , curated by Tope Akintayo and co-edited by Ibrahim Babatunde Ibrahim and Basit Jamiu.

Published in May 2024 by Witsprouts Books, the anthology features stories by 15 emerging writers from Africa, exploring the themes of love, loss, and grief

Love Grows Stronger in Death is part of the Witsprouts Anthologies project, an annual dedicated to celebrating African literary brilliance and fostering a community for emerging writers.

Themes and Stories
Love Grows Stronger in Death delves into the human experience of love, loss, and grief, exploring how unexplored affections and missed opportunities resonate more strongly in the face of loss. The stories in the anthology offer unique perspectives on the intricacies of relationships and the universal human experiences that bind people together. They also deal with how protagonists grapple with grief in the face of terminal illnesses like Alzehmiers and cancer and how these experiences affect the way persons going through grief interact with society

Contributors
The anthology features stories by the following emerging writers from Africa:


 * Enit’ayanfe Ayosojumi Akinsanya
 * Roseline Mgbodichinma
 * Mustapha Enesi
 * Chinuzoke Chinuwa
 * Chourouq Nasri
 * David Ben Eke
 * Michael Chiedoziem Chukwudera
 * Chinonso Nzeh
 * Ayo Deforge
 * Elisha Oluyemi
 * Obinna Inogbo
 * Mohammed Babajide Mohammed
 * Aishat Adesanya
 * Miracle Elvis Ifesinachi
 * Thirikwa Nyingi

Reception
The anthology has been critiqued for its unique and captivating stories that explore the complexities of love and loss. The contributors' use of language and their ability to weave engaging narratives have been particularly noted. Reviewing the anthology for Afrocritik, Chimezie Chika observed that “though this is a small sample of the deluge of writing coming out of Africa, Love Grows Stronger in Death represents, in many ways, the nature of writing being produced by young writers on the continent.” Sunday Aikulola of The Guardian criticized the book’s lack of gender balance, saying “Love Grows Stronger in Death is a compelling read, filled with brilliant writing that draw the reader in from start to finish. It could, however, benefit from a more diverse range of contributors, particularly more female writers.”