iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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The Ignyte Awards @theignyteawards.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

The Outstanding Novelette category recognizes speculative works ranging from 7,500-17,499 words. Congratulations to WE BEGIN WHERE INFINITY ENDS by @somtoihezue.bsky.social #2026IgnyteAwards

2026 Ignyte Award winner for Outstanding Novelette: We Begin Where Infinity Ends by Somto Ihezue

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The Ignyte Awards @theignyteawards.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

The Outstanding Short Story category recognizes speculative works ranging from 2,000-7,499 words. Congratulations to COMMENSALISM, OR THE LABYRINTH'S VESSELS by Albert Nkereuwem (Will This Be a Problem) #2026IgnyteAwards

2026 Ignyte Award Winner for Outstanding Short Story: Commensalism, or The Labyrinth's Vessels by Albert Nkereuwem

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Ivor W. Hartmann @ivorhartmann.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

The Nommo Award for Best Speculative Fiction Short Story Adelehin Ijasan, A Heap of Petrified Gods @adelehinijasan.bsky.social Kevin Rigathi, If Memory Serves @formerlykevin.bsky.social Plangdi Neple, Full, Empty Houses @plangdi.bsky.social ...

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Ivor W. Hartmann @ivorhartmann.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

I'm sure @africansfs.bsky.social will put this out here, but in the meantime: Nommo Awards 2026 Shortlist Massive Congrats to everyone nominated and shortlisted! #AfricanSFF #Africanfuturism #booksky 🪐📚💙 ...

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Kevin Rigathi @formerlykevin.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Read my fantasy story, "Beneath The Flower's Gaze", in @omenanamag.bsky.social issue no# 35. Come visit a mysterious, beautiful flower garden that tugs at your curiosity and invites you in...and find out why even the wind fears to accept that invitation omenana.com/2026/08/25/b...

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Kevin Rigathi @formerlykevin.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Oh and the art! Beneath The Flower's Gaze has 2 great interpretations. On the left, the official Omenana story art. This stunning piece by Sunny Efemena. Right, we have a variant piece by Peter Marco. I love how together they capture the story's day & night scenes omenana.com/2026/08/25/b...

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Kevin Rigathi @formerlykevin.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

I hope I managed and it will haunt and call to you as it always has for me. Thank you @omenanamag.bsky.social

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Kevin Rigathi @formerlykevin.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

She said it was because the owner made his fortune by inviting a powerful djinn to live in his home. My 8 yr old mind held this image of flowers & djinn that felt fragile & terrifying, inviting & haunting, colorful & cold, all at once I tried to capture that feel in the flow & tone of the story.

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Kevin Rigathi @formerlykevin.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

My aunt told me a story (presented as fact) of a stunning mansion surrounded by a beautiful flower garden in her childhood neighborhood. Children would sneak in to pick flowers, but to their horror, they bled until you put them back on the stem , and they'd fuse right back like nothing had happened.

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Kevin Rigathi @formerlykevin.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

My story "Beneath the Flower's Gaze" has published in Omenana Issue 35. I'm proud of this story, because it's so different from anything else I've written. It's an experimental, fantasy (horror-ish) story written to capture not just the image, but also a feeling that stuck with me since I was 8.

omenana.com

Beneath the flower’s gaze | Kevin Rigathi - omenana.com

The moon, bright and full, fought for her space against a cloudy night sky. Gusts of wind howled across the ocean, propelling waves with them in eruption

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Kevin Rigathi @formerlykevin.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

My story, "Beneath The Flower's Gaze" is in this. Please give it a read

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Somto Ihezue @somtoihezue.bsky.social · 01/02/2026

A celebration in two parts! Excited to see Will This Be A Problem? The Anthology edited by Olivia Kidula and myself, on the 2025 Locus Recommended Reading List. Also excited to see my novelette, “We Begin Where Infinity Ends,” from @clarkesworldmagazine.com on this list.

locusmag.com

2025 Recommended Reading List

Welcome to the Locus Recommended Reading List… We saw some fabulous books come out last year and are so pleased to let you know about them! Our recommendations are compiled annually by the Locus re…

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Wole Talabi | Preorder THE FIST OF MEMORY @wtalabi.com · 05/02/2026

Alright. As is now tradition, here are my 10 favorite African SFF stories from 2025 📖 📚 Featuring tales from: @fiyahlitmag.bsky.social @clarkesworldmagazine.com @omenanamag.bsky.social @giganotosaurus.bsky.social @zamashort.com @khoreo.bsky.social @willthisbeaproblem.bsky.social + more!

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Reactor Magazine @reactorsff.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

2025 was another great year for African short fiction! Author @wtalabi.com recommends 10 highlights across science fiction, fantasy, and horror, from "magic-for-wealth schemes" to an unsettling religious organization (in space). And if there's some ties in there...? We're not complaining.

reactormag.com

Ten(ish) of the Best African Speculative Short Fiction Stories of 2025 - Reactor

Here are some of the speculative fiction gems that may have flown under the radar in 2025...

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Plangdi Neple @plangdi.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

I'm honoured to see my story, "Full, Empty Houses," on this list and in fantastic company too. Thank you @wtalabi.com! The story is currently on the Locus Recommended Reading list: locusmag.com/2026/02/2025... Check it out, discover new work to love, and vote for your faves from last year!

locusmag.com

2025 Recommended Reading List

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Olivia Kidula @dontcallmeliv.blacksky.app · 05/02/2026

I’m always thrilled whenever stories from Issue V get love! Congratulations to @shingai-be-like.bsky.social & @formerlykevin.bsky.social! Read their stories & the rest of this stellar anthology for free on willthisbeaproblem.co.ke #AfricanSFF #KenyaMentioned

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Kevin Rigathi @formerlykevin.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

My story "If Memory Serves" made it to Reactor Mag's Ten(ish) of the Best African Speculative Short Fiction Stories of 2025. Its currently free to read on Will This Be A Problem? willthisbeaproblem.co.ke/2025/04/27/i...

willthisbeaproblem.co.ke

If Memory Serves – Will This Be A Problem?

No Memory For Sisyphus Human rights are constantly evolving. The more we learn, the clearer these rights become to us. Usually, our understanding of human right

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Will This Be A Problem? @willthisbeaproblem.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

Here’s what @formerlykevin.bsky.social published in 2025 and where you can find his award-eligible gems. We’d be so grateful if you took a moment to read them, share them with people who might enjoy them, and vote if you haven’t already. Links below. #AfricanSFF 🪐📚💙

A promotional graphic set on a beige background with teal accents and subtle planet illustrations titled “Kevin Rigathi | 2025 Award Eligibility – For Your Consideration"

The image lists two published short stories:

Mushrooms Grow in the Dark, published by Ojuju Magazine, October 2025.

Main text reads: Details the catastrophic unearthing of ancient stone structures around the world as they begin to crumble. These monuments may have served a far darker purpose than history remembers.

If Memory Serves, published in Will This Be A Problem? The Anthology: Issue V, January 2025.

Main text reads: A corporation which mass-produces a memory-wiping process profits by erasing memories but then selling them as luxuries to the rich and the privileged. The more people wipe memories, though, the less they remember. And the less they remember, the less they become.

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Will This Be A Problem? @willthisbeaproblem.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

In its review of Issue V, Afrocritik describes WTBAP as one of the continent’s sharpest engines of imagination, adding that the anthology earns its place not through sentiment but through sheer craft. 🧵 Read full review by @franknjugi.bsky.social: afrocritik.com/will-this-be... #AfricanSFF 🪐📚💙

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Will This Be A Problem? @willthisbeaproblem.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

The review features the following stories: “The Language We Have Learned to Carry in Our Skin” by @shingai-be-like.bsky.social “If Memory Serves” by @formerlykevin.bsky.social

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Will This Be A Problem? @willthisbeaproblem.bsky.social · 03/11/2025

“Mushrooms Grow in the Dark” by @formerlykevin.bsky.social in Ojuju Magazine’s Halloween Issue When ancient stone pillars begin to collapse across the world, they unearth that these monuments may have served a far darker purpose than history admits. 🔗 ojujumagazine.wordpress.com/2025/10/24/m...

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Kevin Rigathi @formerlykevin.bsky.social · 01/11/2025

I wrote a horror short story for Halloween. Stonehenge, Kenya's Lothagam North, Ethiopia's Tiya Megaliths, the Mudumal Megalithic Menhirs... these pillar sites, and all others around the world, are connected by a terrifying secret. Find out what it is in: "Mushrooms Grow In The Dark"

ojujumagazine.wordpress.com

Mushrooms Grow in the Dark

Kevin Rigathi Roadblocks are up all over Salisbury. Multiple choke points, and they’re turning everyone back, locals, tourists, and they’re extra unfriendly with the press. Get this, we have milita…

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Kevin Rigathi @formerlykevin.bsky.social · 26/10/2025

I have a new horror story in Ojuju Magazine's Halloween Issue. Check out "Mushrooms Grow in the Dark" Learn the terrifying truth connecting all pillar sites around the world, from Stonehenge to Kenya's Lothgam North to the Mudumal Megalithic Menhirs ojujumagazine.wordpress.com/2025/10/24/m...

ojujumagazine.wordpress.com

Mushrooms Grow in the Dark

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Will This Be A Problem? @willthisbeaproblem.bsky.social · 15/07/2025

We're excited to announce that Issue 2 of Will This Be A Problem? The Magazine is now live and free to read on our website! This issue brings back familiar voices alongside striking debuts, showcasing speculative fiction in its different forms: willthisbeaproblem.co.ke/will-this-be...

willthisbeaproblem.co.ke

Will This Be A Problem? The Magazine Issue 2

Will This Be A Problem? The Magazine : Issue 2. This edition features speculative fiction from Kenya, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and the USA.

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Will This Be A Problem? @willthisbeaproblem.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

Our first SFF Quiz Night is calling, and your brainpower deserves a proper stage. This one's for all bookworms, bibliophiles and film buffs. 📍 Athena Lounge, Hurlingham | 📅 25th July | 🕒 5–10 PM Prizes? Epic Drinks? Sorted DJ? Ready Entry? Free Register team: willthisbeaproblem.co.ke/rsvp/

Poster for our first-ever SFF quiz night presented by WTBAP

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Will This Be A Problem? @willthisbeaproblem.bsky.social · 12/07/2025

Our first newsletter is live on Substack with WTBAP updates and yes, early access to Issue 2 of our magazine. If you've already subscribed, check your mail. If you haven't, subscribe now and get the exclusives instantly! willthisbeaproblem.substack.com/p/early-access…

Foreword from Olivia on Issue 2 of WTBAP? The Magazine

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Kevin Rigathi @formerlykevin.bsky.social · 02/07/2025

My story "If Memory Serves" is now available online! In a world where memories are commodities that can be permanently taken from a person and sold to another, what does this mean for culture, relationships, identity... or even your own reality. willthisbeaproblem.co.ke/2025/04/27/i...

willthisbeaproblem.co.ke

If Memory Serves

No Memory For Sisyphus Human rights are constantly evolving. The more we learn, the clearer these rights become to us. Usually, our understanding of human rights comes from ethical discussions, but so...

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Kevin Rigathi @formerlykevin.bsky.social · 06/03/2025

Will This Be A Problem? The Anthology: Issue V paperback now up for international sales on Lulu Bookstore www.lulu.com/shop/somto-i...

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Kevin Rigathi @formerlykevin.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

This is how I'm walking everywhere at home now and one day, im going to forget and do it in public. Thanks Kendrick. "Ayy, I'm trippin', I'm slidin', I'm ridin' through the back like, Baow!"

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Kevin Rigathi @formerlykevin.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

Is choosing to forget trauma a human right? Can the wholesale transfer of cultural knowledge be justified if it is sold willingly? To what extent is memory identity? How many lost memories before your partner is a stranger? Read "If Memory Serves" in Will This Be A Problem? The Anthology: Issue V

willthisbeaproblem.co.ke

Issue 5

Buy the Ebook Buy the Paperback Only Available in Kenya. International sales for paperback coming soon.

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Kevin Rigathi @formerlykevin.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

In my story, "If Memory Serves," tech designed to extract traumatic memories evolves, & a breakthrough allows any memory to be extracted & implanted in another mind. As memories become commodities, new forms of privilege & oppression arise, reshaping culture, relationships & individual realities.

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Kevin Rigathi @formerlykevin.bsky.social · 02/02/2025

Will This Be A Problem? Issue V is out! My story "If Memory Serves" is featured in this anthology. Check it out

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Will This Be A Problem? @willthisbeaproblem.bsky.social · 02/02/2025

WTBAP? THE ANTHOLOGY ISSUE V is finally out! Edited by @dontcallmeliv.bsky.social & @somtoihezue.bsky.social, available on the Shilitza website, Kobo, Amazon, and wherever books are sold. 16 hauntingly beautiful stories from all over Africa and the African diaspora ✨ www.kobo.com/ww/en/ebook/...

shilitzapublishing.com

Will This Be A Problem? The Anthology : Issue V (ebook)

From across the African continent and its diaspora, Will This Be A Problem? Issue V brings together a powerful collection of stories that blend the fantastical with the deeply real. These tales explor...

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Kevin Rigathi @formerlykevin.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

Will This Be A Problem? The Anthology: Issue V ebook up for sale. Shilitza Publishing Lulu Bookstore Amazon And more willthisbeaproblem.co.ke/issue-5/

willthisbeaproblem.co.ke

Issue 5

Buy Now

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Kevin Rigathi @formerlykevin.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

Will This Be A Problem? The Anthology: ISSUE V - Book Launch LIVE STREAM www.youtube.com/live/6Sp2F1R...

youtube.com

YouTube

Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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Will This Be A Problem? @willthisbeaproblem.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

We're beyond ecstatic that one of the stories from our FIRST mag issue—The Future Ancients by Mwenya Chikwa—has been featured on this list. There are lots of other great recs in here, including 3 writers who appear in our upcoming anthology: Shingai Kagunda, Albert Nkereuweum, & Gabrielle E Harry!

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Kevin Rigathi @formerlykevin.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

Join us for Will This Be A Problem? ISSUE V launch on Jan 31! Celebrate 10 years of WTBAP with cocktails, conversation & more. My story, "If Memory Serves" is featured in the anthology. 📍 Athena Lounge, Olive Gardens Hotel, Hurlingham ⏰ 5–9 PM EAT | Live stream available!

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Kevin Rigathi @formerlykevin.bsky.social · 11/12/2024

Reading the news nowadays feels like someone fed the simulation sci fi books (and included too much dystopia). But seriously, so much is going on, some usually big news doesn't even register anymore. What do you mean google just casually kicked off the countdown to the age of quantum computing!?

fortune.com

Google’s breakthrough Willow chip means we'll get useful quantum computers sooner than some people feared

Experts caution that revolutionary quantum computing is still likely years away.

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Kevin Rigathi @formerlykevin.bsky.social · 11/12/2024

This week, 10 years ago, I published 'A War of Harmony,' an urban fantasy with some ideas exploring symmetry. This morning, as if called by some unseen thread, inspiration had a new idea in the same world waiting for me. I love it when that happens. While I dive in, read the original here:

willthisbeaproblem.co.ke

A War of Harmony

Recently, I have become taken with an idea. It started as a joke, but day by day, I feel that there is truth in it—some undeniable quality that I cannot resist. Yes, there is something here. — The Dia...

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Will This Be A Problem? @willthisbeaproblem.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

"Orgasms are taboo, an excess of pleasure discouraged." Read "Nonchalant" by Cheryl S Ntumy, from Issue IV of Will This Be A Problem? The Anthology: willthisbeaproblem.co.ke/2020/04/09/n... #africansff

A pull quote from Cheryl S. Ntumy's short story "Nonchalant", published in Issue IV of Will This Be A Problem? The Anthology.

"I'm not allowed to work (it triggers my condition), and she only works when she feels like it, so often our days are spent lying on the carpet, watching old films and making lazy love until my drugs wear off and I get too excited. Sex is supposed to be relaxing. Orgasms are taboo, an excess of pleasure discouraged."

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Will This Be A Problem? @willthisbeaproblem.bsky.social · 13/11/2024

"To get to Okanowach, several things have to happen at once." Read "A Guide To Okanowach" by Florence Onyango here: willthisbeaproblem.co.ke/2024/11/05/a...

A pull quote from Florence Onyango's "A Guide To Okanowach", available in Will This Be A Problem? The Magazine: Issue 1. The text is imposed over a blue background, with a man on the left, a giant in the middle and a woman on the right.

"To get to Okanowach, several things have to happen at once. One, it has to be on a moonless night. Two, there has to be an overcast sky. Third, you have to get there by midnight sharp. Fourth and most important of all, you must know how to haul the voices that whisper beneath whistling winds, for Okanowach is fluid, and the voices alone know how to get there. Five, you must use an ostrich’s feather to trap the specific voices that will guide you to Okanowach; if you use any other feather, you might trap some maleficent resonance."

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Will This Be A Problem? @willthisbeaproblem.bsky.social · 13/11/2024

"Masika was a child of death." Motion Sickness - Franscine Machinda (Kenya) willthisbeaproblem.co.ke/2024/11/05/m... #africansffh

A pull quote from Franscine Machinda's "Motion Sickness", available in Will This Be A Problem? The Magazine: Issue 1. The white text is imposed over a blue background, with a man on the left, a giant in the middle and a woman on the right.

"Masika was a child of death.

She had been cut from her mother’s belly only minutes after her death, and as a result, her eyelids remained shut for the first three weeks of her life. Later, she would jest about how those had been the best weeks of her entire life."

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Kevin Rigathi @formerlykevin.bsky.social · 12/11/2024

Me (once again) running to learn a whole new skill knowing I have story and podcast episode (months) behind schedule.

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Will This Be A Problem? @willthisbeaproblem.bsky.social · 08/11/2024

What we are REALLY excited to share is our upcoming release! Edited by @somtoihezue.bsky.social & @dontcallmeliv.bsky.social, Issue V contains 16 original stories of fantasy, science fiction, surrealism and horror by African authors and authors of African descent living in the Diaspora ✨

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