Tales of African Mysticism
Volume I: Yomi's Stories
Meet Yomi: wanderer, raconteur and unlikely man of learning, whom the supernatural will not leave alone.
African fiction · Horror · Folklore
Stories from Nigeria, where mysticism meets the everyday
I'm Dele Sikuade. I write African fiction rooted in Nigerian folklore: horror, mysticism and Yoruba myth, drawn from a childhood spent listening to stories at my father's knee.
In Nigeria, the churches are full every Sunday and witchcraft is still whispered about. For a writer, that is an endless source of delight and wonder, and I want to share that perhaps slightly unnerving experience with my readers.
New: Tales of African Mysticism, Volume I: Yomi's Stories, out now.
My books
Òrìṣà
When Tola vanishes, the playground whispers of Gbomogbomo child snatchers and Òrìṣàs return to haunt her mother.
Eégún
A nun frozen to death in thirty-degree heat. A verdict of natural causes. One police officer who won't let it go.
Jesus of Bagada
The Messiah is due in a small Nigerian church. The angel in charge hasn't been paying attention.
Free short stories to get lost in
Short stories you can read here, now, for nothing.
Blessed Are the Meek
A few months ago, I saw a protester in Lagos carrying a placard that said: "When the poor have nothing to eat, the poor shall eat the rich". In these troubled times I fear the slogan may have been prophetic. This is a story about what might happen if an aggrieved man had the power to press ctrl-alt-delete and reboot the world.
Certainly Sir
Can AI be used to plan the perfect murder? Certainly Sir.
Seven and It's Heaven
Based on a question that once sprang to mind – would a dead racist think Heaven was heavenly if it contained people of other ethnicities? – this is a light-hearted story of a man who finds the reality of Heaven falls short of his expectations.
The Alchemist: Fin Bheara's Gift
Callum is looking for the secret of alchemy, the ability to turn base metal into gold. Like many alchemists he believes in the occult. He reaches out to Fin Bheara, legendary King of the Faerie, and gets a bit more than he bargained for.
Story books for kids
Knights of the Tall Fable: Sir Hugo, the youngest and bravest knight of Hamelot.
Sir Hugo and the Dwagon
The knights of Hamelot remember urgent appointments, which leaves Sir Hugo to face the dragon. Or is it a dwagon?
Sir Hugo and the Tournament
A mysterious Black Knight wins every joust. Sir Hugo and the short-sighted Sir Colin set out to find the trick.