To bring 2015 to a close, Saraba is pleased to announce the release of a supplement to our magazine, with a short story—or novella—by Caine Prize-shortlisted author Melissa Tandiwe Myambo entitled “Take Off, Victorious.”
Praise
Melissa Tandiwe Myambo’s remarkable new story, “Take-off, Victorious,” provides further proof of her ability to transmute the base metal of any theme she touches into literary gold. Set in the pressure-cooker world of competitive sports, the story not only focuses with unflinching intensity on a high-flyer’s descent into existential crisis, it also investigates the chaos introduced by that protagonist’s troubles into the lives of a large cast of powerfully drawn characters.
Even readers acquainted with Ms Myambo’s other exquisite works like “Special Meal” and the Caine Prize-shortlisted “La Salle de Départ” will be stunned by the spellbinding artistry of her new piece, as well as by its compelling insights.
Melissa Tandiwe Myambo recoils from the limelight; however, if she continues privileging us with stories such as “Take-off, Victorious,” the limelight will have no choice but to permanently brighten her door with its blinding presence.
—Rotimi Babatunde, Winner, Caine Prize for African Writing, 2012
Front and back cover photographs by Magda Kapa. More about her work on her blog and Flickr page.
