Join us for a reading and audience Q&A with visiting City of Asylum writer-in-residence Amara Ruth Okolo (Nigeria) in conversation with Pittsburgh publisher Rachel Ekstrom, as they discuss, investigate and explore love and romance writing across nations and across cultures. Amara Ruth Okolo with read from her work Black Sparkle Romance.

Featured writer:

Amara Nicole Okolo is a lawyer and writer based in Abuja, Nigeria. Her novel, Black Sparkle Romance was published by Ankara Press, an imprint of Cassava Republic (2014, Nigeria, Africa; 2016, UK/Europe) and her second book, a collection of short stories, Son of Man by Parresia Publishers (2016).  References to her work have appeared on Africa in Words, Okay Africa, Chimurenga the Chronic, Reuters (Africa), Brittle Paper, CNN, Aljazeera, Radio France International and The Guardian UK. She was amongst the participants of the 2015 Farafina Workshop by Chimamanda Adichie. In April 2016, an excerpt of one of her works was read at the University of London. In 2017 her story was translated to Spanish by Afribuku, and her essay was published by Catapult.